World Middleweight Championship 
  1946 Fight of the Year - The Ring Magazine
  1940s Fight of the Decade - The Ring Magazine
  Wilkenson, Clarence vs. Mamakos, Steve
  LaSalva, Vince vs. Valles, Lou
  Wilkins, J.C. vs. Fiorello, Jerry
  Lakin, Bobby vs. Mann, Bobby
  Jones, Reuben vs. McKeagney, Tom  II
  D'Amato, Joe vs. Finley, Charlie
  Mazanoble, Johnny vs. Cohen, Davey 
  Jacobs, Mike (promoter)

  The first of the two powerful middleweights' three famous matches was finally slated for 15 frames as the headliner on September 27th in Yankee Stadium.  In a tremendous donnybrook, both men went down for a period in the early rounds, but with a solid left hook in the middle of the 6th, "The Man of Steel" from Gary, Indiana, Tony Zale was victorious and claimed the title from "The Rock."  The Ring Magazine declared this fierce engagement the "1946 Fight of the Year," and later the "Fight of the Decade" for the 1940s.
  The undercard presented 7 separate opportunities for mayhem, four 6-rounders and three 4s.  "The Golden Greek" Steve Mamakos lost to the Bronx's "Dusty" Wilkenson after finding the floor 5 times in the 5th before the ref called it a night for him, while Mount Vernon's LaSalva, Harlem hound Wilkins, and Lakin, born in Jamaica in Queens, all required the full count of 6 frames to earn another notch in their win columns.  The shorter contests were won by Norfolk, Virginia's light heavy Rueben Jones, as well as welterweights "Red" D'Amato, out of Youngstown, and Johnny Mazanoble, down from Schenectady.