Sammy Mandell
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Rockford Sheik Rockford Flash |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Salvatore Mandala February 5, 1904 |
| Died | November 7, 1967 (aged 63) Oak Park, Illinois, United States |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | Lightweight |
| Boxing career | |
| Reach | 67 in (170 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 191; With the inclusion of newspaper decisions |
| Wins | 147 |
| Win by KO | 32 |
| Losses | 25 |
| Draws | 17 |
| No contests | 2 |
Sammy Mandell (a.k.a. Samuel Mandella; February 5, 1904 – November 7, 1967) was an American Undisputed World lightweight boxing champion from 1926 to 1930. Born in Rockford, Illinois, and named Salvatore Mandala, he was known as the "Rockford Sheik" due to his Rudolph Valentino like good looks and as the "Rockford Flash" due to his fast hands and foot speed. His father was an Albanian and his mother Italian. Statistical boxing website BoxRec ranks Mandell as the 13th greatest lightweight boxer to have ever lived. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.