Washington State Boxers and Boxing Action

[Zelley]

From time-to-time Washington state has produced a good selection of boxers.

Some of the best include Freddy Steele, Al Hostack (born in Minneapolis),
Tod Morgan, Eddie Cotton, and Ray Seales.

Throughout the history of pro boxing many one time champions
and top contenders saw action in Washington State in places
like Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane.

Freddie Steele did engage in numerous bouts with champions and contenders such as Cerferino Garcia, Gorilla Jones, Fred Apostoli, Vince Dundee, Babe Risko, Ken Overlin and Al Hostack.

Ezzard Charles fought Pat McMurtry in Tacoma and Harry Matthews in Seattle.

And Oscar De La Hoya is remembered by some as fighting in amateur competition at the Goodwill Games in Seattle.

[actjac]

In 1957 "Deacon" Jack Hurley staged Floyd Patterson vs Olympic Gold Medalist Pete Rademacher in Pete's very first pro fight.
The fight was held outdoors at Seattle's Sicks Stadium and drew an estimated 36,000 fans.

Later Hurley turned Boone Kirkman (an AAU heavyweight champion) pro and produced some of the largest gates in Seattle history at the Seattle Center Coliseum (now Key Arena) selling 14,000 seats a number of times.

[Zelley]

In 1957 "Deacon" Jack Hurley staged Floyd Patterson vs Olympic Gold Medalist Pete Rademacher in Pete's very first pro fight.
The fight was held outdoors at Seattle's Sicks Stadium and drew an estimated 36,000 fans.

Later Hurley turned Boone Kirkman (an AAU heavyweight champion) pro and produced some of the largest gates in Seattle history at the Seattle Center Coliseum (now Key Arena) selling 14,000 seats a number of times.

As an amateur, Pete could be considered a great boxer.
It is interesting how his pro boxing days progressed.
He started at the top with the Floyd Patterson bout in 1957.
In his next bout he faced a former amateur opponent Zora Folley
and was stopped in LA in 1958, However, he did bounce back
in 1959 with five wins against a group of unknowns.

Based on his performance in the Seattle Golden Gloves from 1949 to 1953,
Pete ranks as one of the best Washington State amateurs. However,
in the pro department he would not make the top ten list.
AAU historians may remember his loss to Norval Lee in 1951
or his victory over Zora Folley in 1953.

Concerning Boone Kirkman, the pride of Renton, there were periods in the Seventies
when he was inactive, but from 1967, he did have some interesting bouts in Seattle
against the likes of Bowie Adams, Eddie Machen, Doug Jones,Amos Lincoln,
and Jimmy Ellis.

There are many one time boxers from the Seattle area such as Mike Lancaster
who fought numerous pro fights in Seattle in the Seventies. Some of his opponents
were Les Riggins, Tony Jacobs, Dave Hilton, and George Davis.

And, how many folks remember names like Bill Schellhas and Charlie Reno.
Charlie Reno was another Renton boxer. Of interest, he faced a number of
Pacific Northwest amateur boxers that took part in Golden Gloves activity
in the Sixties such as Don Staab, Wes Craven, and Andy Nacosti

Even Portland's great Denny Moyer stepped up to the plate and had a few matches in Washington State against the likes of Pat Lowry, Emile Griffith, and Fraser Scott.
Not to be forgotten are some of those Tacoma boxers such as George Perez.
or the Seventies middleweight version of John L. Sullivan.

Of all the boxers, the uncrowned champion Eddie Cotton must rank in the top three
behind Fredie Steele and Tod Morgan.

[Rick Farris]

In 1957 "Deacon" Jack Hurley staged Floyd Patterson vs Olympic Gold Medalist Pete Rademacher in Pete's very first pro fight.
The fight was held outdoors at Seattle's Sicks Stadium and drew an estimated 36,000 fans.

Later Hurley turned Boone Kirkman (an AAU heavyweight champion) pro and produced some of the largest gates in Seattle history at the Seattle Center Coliseum (now Key Arena) selling 14,000 seats a number of times.

As an amateur, Pete could be considered a great boxer.
It is interesting how his pro boxing days progressed.
He started at the top with the Floyd Patterson bout in 1957.
In his next bout he faced a former amateur opponent Zora Folley
and was stopped in LA in 1958, However, he did bounce back
in 1959 with five wins against a group of unknowns.

Based on his performance in the Seattle Golden Gloves from 1949 to 1953,
Pete ranks as one of the best Washington State amateurs. However,
in the pro department he would not make the top ten list.
AAU historians may remember his loss to Norval Lee in 1951
or his victory over Zora Folley in 1953.

Concerning Boone Kirkman, the pride of Renton, there were periods in the Seventies
when he was inactive, but from 1967, he did have some interesting bouts in Seattle
against the likes of Bowie Adams, Eddie Machen, Doug Jones,Amos Lincoln,
and Jimmy Ellis.

There are many one time boxers from the Seattle area such as Mike Lancaster
who fought numerous pro fights in Seattle in the Seventies. Some of his opponents
were Les Riggins, Tony Jacobs, Dave Hilton, and George Davis.

And, how many folks remember names like Bill Schellhas and Charlie Reno.
Charlie Reno was another Renton boxer. Of interest, he faced a number of
Pacific Northwest amateur boxers that took part in Golden Gloves activity
in the Sixties such as Don Staab, Wes Craven, and Andy Nacosti

Even Portland's great Denny Moyer stepped up to the plate and had a few matches in Washington State against the likes of Pat Lowry, Emile Griffith, and Fraser Scott.
Not to be forgotten are some of those Tacoma boxers such as George Perez.
or the Seventies middleweight version of John L. Sullivan.

Of all the boxers, the uncrowned champion Eddie Cotton must rank in the top three
behind Fredie Steele and Tod Morgan.

Zelley . . . I just had to acknowledge your recognition of Eddie Cotton as the "uncrowned champ". I watched a 40-year-old Eddie Cotton hand defending light-heavy champ, Jose Torres, a one-sided whipping on Nat'l TV in the mid-60's. That bout, in addition to the Jimmy Ellis'-Floyd Patterson robbery, are the two of the worst decisions of 60's, maybe all-time.

-Rick Farris

[Zelley]

Zelley . . . I just had to acknowledge your recognition of Eddie Cotton as the "uncrowned champ". I watched a 40-year-old Eddie Cotton hand defending light-heavy champ, Jose Torres, a one-sided whipping on Nat'l TV in the mid-60's. That bout, in addition to the Jimmy Ellis'-Floyd Patterson robbery, are the two of the worst decisions of 60's, maybe all-time.

-Rick Farris

I wonder how many fans from Victoria or Vancouver had an opportunity to
watch the Archie Moore - Eddie Cotton exhibitions in February 1959.
Forgotton are many of the prelim fighters of the fifties. On the Victoria
card on Feb. 5, 1959, Bob McKinney from Tacoma stopped one Bob Peacock
in four rounds. Some of the other, likely forgotten, boxers that saw action
in towns from Portland to Vancouver and Spokane to Seattle and Tacoma
were Bobby Brown, Jimmy Walters, Leroy Flamond, and Terry Lewis,
But, then there was Pat McMurtry and his bouts in Washington State

[Zelley]

Zelley . . . I just had to acknowledge your recognition of Eddie Cotton as the "uncrowned champ".
-Rick Farris

When it comes to picking nice guys in boxing, I would place
Eddie Cotton alongside Floyd Patterson, and Canadian boxer Al Sparks.

In reviewing old boxing magazines, there was an article by Jack D, Hopkins
in the February 1968 issue of "Boxing Illustrated" with the headline:
"The Old Warrior Hangs Them Up". Now, I hadn't read the article for forty years,
but it was very interesting reading it again, The article did mention the
Jose Torres fight of 1966. It also mentions his manager George Chemeres.
The closing comment in the article was a quote by George on Eddie Cotton.
And now forty plus years laterhow darn true were those words by Chemeres:

""..He may have retired from the ring, but it will be a long time before he is forgotten
by boxing fans all over the world. Boxing could use more Eddie Cottons."

Although not related to Washington State Boxing, I must mention a small piece in
Ben Greene's "On the Fistic Scene", BI, Feb. 1968.
"HAVE YOU HEARD-the 'Rip Randell' benefit show to abet the late Vietnam war hero's widow
and five children, has been sparked by promoter Earl Gilliam...Houston, Texas..."

Some of the boxers donating their services - Dave Zyglewicz, Manuel Gonzalez,
Karl Zurheide and Mark Tessman...,"