Walcott was out and Marciano was the new heavyweight champion. One of the most persistent boxers of the 20th century, Jersey Joe Walcott refused to give up his dream o…, Walcott, Jersey Joe But was Walcott really that hard a hitter? In title fights he went 2-6 with 1 KO win and 3 KO losses. Marlon Brando was a lightning-bolt revelation when he first began acting on-screen in 1950, but looking back, it can be hard to tell why. By age eighteen Walcott was married to Lydia Talton, the daughter of a Baptist minister, with whom he had six children. It says more about the vulnerability of Louis against a good counter-puncher than it says about Walcott's greatness. Looking to stay busy, Charles accepted a fight in Chicago with a talented twenty-year-old from Akron named Sam Baroudi on February 20, 1948. Then suddenly he springs to life with one of his perfectly timed left hooks and Vitali is put to sleep in the same manner as Ezzard Charles. Walcott retired for 4 years after the 1940 Simon KO defeat. ." Economic hardship befell Walcott early in the Great Depression years. Walcott scored 19 wins at this time with 9 KO's. American boxer None of Walcott's wins came against a ranked fighter. Surprisingly, Walcott was granted another title fight with Ezzard Charles. The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. The fight has since entered the pantheon of legendary bouts. There is one former heavyweight champion however whose high profile losses have elevated his status and built up his credentials as an all-time great heavyweight. In Sugar Ray Leonard's middleweight title fight against Marvin Hagler he clearly pays homage to Walcott by utilizing the famous shuffle in the final 30 seconds of round 11. Mike Tyson demolished unbeaten heavyweight champion and future hall of famer Michael Spinks in 1 round. During this time Walcott was fighting at an age that most boxers were still amateurs so I do not put a lot of stock in this phase of his career. . Walcott's brief 1 year reign as heavyweight champion was over. Marvelous Marvin Hagler was a hard-hitting lefty who could switch his stance and also box right-handed. The infamous fight has been shrouded in a cloud of controversy ever since. American boxer His formal education ended early, but he quickly acquired his pugilistic skills, later recalling that he and his pals “boxed up and down the street from morning to night. . Even his KO per win ratio is low for a reputed puncher at 62%. © 2019 Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Long after most boxers would have abandoned all hope, Walcott battled on. Jack Blackburn, who later gained fame as the trainer of Joe Louis, recruited Walcott for his stable of Philadelphia area fighters. The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. In 1992 boxing historian Arthur Harris compiled his list of the top ten heavyweight champions of all time. The most iconic KO punch ever thrown. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. But more than a few saw Walcott’s edge in experience, ring-smarts and technique as being the deciding factors. He is buried at the Sunset Memorial Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Walcott later avenged the Allen loss by KO. On September 23, 1952 Marciano challenged Jersey Joe Walcott for the heavyweight title in Philadelphia. Walcott had a modest winning percentage of 71% while never fighting and suffering losses beyond his prime championship years. Sportswriters began to clamor for a world title shot for Walcott, by then a seventeen-year ring veteran. Unfortunately for Iron Mike, subsequent losses to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride did more to re-enforce these beliefs rather than dispel them. Jersey Joe Walcott, American world heavyweight boxing champion from July 18, 1951, when he knocked out Ezzard Charles in seven rounds in Pittsburgh, Pa., until Sept. 23, 1952, when he was knocked out by Rocky Marciano in 13 rounds in Philadelphia. In 1994, forty-five-year-old George Foreman eclipsed Walcott’s record as the oldest heavyweight champion by defeating Michael Moorer in Las Vegas for the crown. After knocking out Cowboy Wallace in the first round in Vineland, New Jersey, the underage Walcott (then sixteen) received f 7.50 for his efforts. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. Five of these title opportunities came immediately after a Walcott loss. Bert Randolph Sugar, 100 Years of Boxing (1982), and Jeffrey T. Sammons, Beyond the Ring: The Role of Boxing in American Society (1988), offer historical insights, biographical detail, and expert analysis. He is the only heavyweight champion to have finished his career undefeated. 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