George Nichols (born Phillip John Nicolosi) (10 July 1907 – 27 September 1986) was an American boxer who took the National Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight title by defeating Dave Maier on March 18, 1932, in Chicago.

[1][2][3][4] Phillip John Nicolosi, was born on July 10, 1907, in Sandusky, Ohio, to Italian immigrant parents Ida and Thomas.

[4] During their lives, the family used more than one Anglicized spelling of their Italian surname, though Nicolosi's public and ringname remained George Nichols.

[2] On January 30, 1928, he lost to the exceptional black middleweight contender Jack McVey in Rochester, New York, in a ten-round technical knockout.

[2][5] Nichols lost again to McVey in a ten-round points decision in Buffalo, New York, in October of that year with both boxers fighting as welterweights.

Nichols seemed on the verge of a knockout in the eighth through tenth, but McVey stayed on his feet throughout the bout using great defensive skills.

[7][1] Osk Till, a Light Heavy contender, fell to Nichols in a six-round points decision at the Broadway Ballroom in Buffalo on November 25, 1929.

[11][12] Nichols outpointed accomplished black middleweight Sunny Jim Williams in a ten-round points decision on November 11, 1930, in Franklin, Pennsylvania.

[13] Nichols gained an easy victory over Charley Belanger, the Light Heavy Champion of Canada, on December 3, 1930, at the Broadway Auditorium in Buffalo, New York.

Nichols entered the ring with bruised and swollen hands that apparently affected his ability to deliver a knockout punch or even knock his opponent to the mat.

[1] Nichols had an easy time defeating black boxer Snowflake Wright on September 25, 1931, taking all ten of the bout's rounds.

Wright, however, showed determination in avoiding a knockdown, even in the heated tenth round where he fended off Nichol's lefts to the face and body.

[18][19] On November 3, 1931, Nichols withdrew from the tournament after losing to future American and NBA World Middleweight champion Gorilla Jones in the Quarterfinals.

[20][21] Jones, the exceptional Black boxer from Akron, Ohio, would advance to the final round and take the Middleweight title on January 25, defeating Oddone Piazza.

Facing a furious barrage of punches, Nichols was down twice in the seventh for counts of nine before Maier put him to the mat for the final time.

[27] Nichols scored a decisive victory over Lou Scozza on January 28, 1932, in the fourth round of the NBA light heavyweight elimination tournament in Chicago.

In the semi-final round of the NBA tournament on February 18, 1932, before a crowd of 23,000, Billy Jones fell to Nichols in a ten-round points decision.

[28][29] Nichols took the NBA Light Heavyweight title in a shocking upset against fellow Southpaw Dave Maier in a close decision on March 18, 1932, in Chicago.

[35] On October 28, 1932, Nichols lost a furious ten round points decision to Adolph Heuser at the Arena in Boston.

The referee halted the bout between the eighth and ninth rounds due to cuts on Nichol's forehead and over his right eye.

Nichol's defensive posture allowed Slaughter to scored frequently with straight lefts to the head and rights to the body.

[1] Before a crowd of 23,000 on February 5, 1934, Nichols defeated George Manley in a five-round semi-final bout at Miami's Madison Square Garden.

[41][42] On September 16, 1935, using a five-pound weight advantage, Nichols outscored fringe middleweight contender Tony Tozzo in a six-round points decision in Buffalo.

Matthews skillfully landed a blow over Nichols left eye in the opening round, but may have ultimately had difficulty adjusting to his opponent's Southpaw style.

[43][44][45] Before a sizable crowd of 10,000, Nichols lost a non-title ten-round decision against John Henry Lewis, reigning Light Heavyweight Champion, at Municipal Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 12, 1936.