[3][4][5] Strongly built with muscular shoulders, Bass's signature punch was a powerful left hook to the midsection, and he enjoyed fighting on the inside, a frequent requirement from his relative lack of reach.

[6] Bass was born in Kyiv, Russian Empire on December 4, 1904, the second son to Jewish parents Jacob and Pauline and was brought to America three years later.

Impressively, he qualified for the Olympic Trials in the Flyweight Class in 1920, where he lost a decision to the future Gold Medal winner Frankie Genaro.

[1] In an important early career bout, Bass defeated Johnny Dixon, a leading featherweight contender, in a ten-round newspaper decision on August 30, 1923.

The fighting was particularly fierce in the ninth and tenth, with both boxers swapping punches at close range, but Bass had acquired enough points in the last five rounds to take the decision.

[8][9] Before an impressive crowd of 20,000, in one of his most important early wins, Bass defeated highly rated featherweight contender Babe Herman on September 1, 1926 in a ten-round points decision at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

Early in his career on June 27, 1927, Bass defeated Jewish New York boxer Joe Glick in a ten-round points decision at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

[11] On September 12, 1927, Bass defeated Jewish boxer Red Chapman (Morris Kaplan) before an extraordinary crowd of 30,000 in Philadelphia for the NBA world featherweight championship in a ten-round unanimous decision.

Bass led a two fisted slugging attack in the seventh, eighth, and ninth, that gained him a points margin and won him the decision of all three judges.

[14] Bass defeated Jewish Philadelphian boxer Harry Blitman before a crowd of 24,000 on September 10, 1928 in a sixth-round knockout at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

[18] Bass would first take the World Junior Lightweight Championship before a crowd of 9,000 by defeating Tod Morgan on December 20, 1929 at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

Bass, who was a 3-1 favorite completed the first round reeling and dizzy from several strong straight right hand shots to the chin from Morgan.

[24] Bass defeated future world light welterweight champion, Johnny Jadick on December 8, 1930 in a ten-round unanimous decision in Philadelphia.

[25] Bass defeated Lew Massey on January 5, 1931 before a near capacity crowd of 10,000 in a ten-round newspaper decision for the world junior lightweight title at the Arena in Philadelphia.

In the first three rounds, Massey made a better start, taking them by a shade against his opponent and scoring occasionally with lefts and rights that jarred but did not deter Bass.

Taylor was winning the second round with smashes to head and body, before Bass fought back and landed what appeared by many to be a low blow to the midruff.

[30] Bass lost the world junior lightweight title on July 15, 1931 before a large crowd of 15,000, to black Cuban boxer Kid Chocolate in a technical knockout, 2:58 into the seventh round in Philadelphia.

[33] Before a crowd of 20,000, near the end of his career on July 27, 1937, Bass lost to the incomparable black boxer Henry Armstrong in a knockout from a looping right had punch, 2:35 into the fourth round at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia.