Hvywt Charley Norkus photos.. Friends and Foes

[granberry]

Granberry- check out the size of Attel's fist.

You beat me to commenting on that.

[granberry]

I attend many fight cards and see a great many fighters who remain, Thank The Lord, from the Golden Era.

Many of them told me that sometimes the fighter himself didnt even know he was in on a deal. Mgrs and Trainers sometimes cut deals that would better their fighter in the long run. Contracts bought and sold out from under a boxer.
Does Don King ring a bell with anybody. This has been going on since day one and usually the fighter goes broke or out of a championship.Why did Rocky Marciano hide his money in a mattress? Fights-It is what it is and most of them were on the level with its outcome.Its the spilt blood that the fighter gives and hopes there is something big in return.

Worth repeating.

Meanwhile the 'fans' watch breathlessly obvious, contrived, 'arranged" fights and nreathlessly discuss them on sites like this---"fights" that are obvious arrangements to the experienced eye.

[granberry]

Rumor had it that Al Weill owned a piece of my father, which would have been illegal at that time by all accounts I read. If there was a partnership between Ghee Leico and Al Weill it was unbeknownst to my father because it would of come out of Ghee's cut of the money.
What is well known, was the fact that many of the fighters had to go through my father to get a shot at Marciano. This is why Rocky went to alot of my fathers fights. Maybe it was this fact that my father did get 2 contracts to fight Rocky.
Norkus by 7th Rd TKO in this one. Referee was Frankie Carter. This one is on DVD out there and is well worth a look. My fathers left was on display here.

Very interesting about Weill.

I could believe it.

It seems possible Weill used your father as a "policeman" for Marciano.

They used Georgie Benton like that throughout his career.
If someone came along possibly dangerous to the champion, they had Benton fight him and knock him off. But then Benton would be inactive until he was needed again as a 'policeman.'

He was never going to get a title shot.

That's why he was so bitter later as a trainer and had little rergard for most of the kids he trained.

[yancey]

Have really enjoyed this thread. Keep it going.

Thanks, CNorkusJr.

[CNorkusJr]

[CNorkusJr]

Weekly Boxing World Sept 2 1957

[CNorkusJr]

Boxing & Wrestling Magazine May 1955

[CNorkusJr]

page 2

[CNorkusJr]

I will enlarge the words for the entire article below

[CNorkusJr]

[CNorkusJr]

The entire written word article May 55

[CNorkusJr]

[CNorkusJr]

[Expug]

Billy Graham, Charley Norkus, actor/singer Tony Marvin, and Rocky Graziano on the "Martha Raye" show - mid 1950's

This thread is fantastic.
These photos are wonderful.I like this shot.Different times these were.
Rocky had a great run with "The Martha Raye Show".

[CNorkusJr]

In 1959, Ingemar Johannson crossed the sea to face Floyd Patterson in their first bout. After his arrival in New York city, Ingemar visited Stillman's gym to hand pick fighters to be his sparring partner up at Grossingers Resort in the Catskills. My father, along with Henny Wallitsch was chosen along with a few other guys to earn a few dollars to help Ingemar train. Ingemar right away got off on the wrong foot with NY boxers by stating that many of the boxers from the New York area belong to the "mob". This of course is coming at the time that Carbo, Palermo and the IBC were on its downfall. The fighters however took offense at this widely cast comment and right away Ingemar drew little fans from the NY boxing scene.

My father was good friends with Floyd Patterson, as were every other fighter in the boxing scene. Every fighter knew one another outside the ring, either seeing each other at different sports testimonials, at the fights, training together in the various gyms,etc etc.

My father was hired to help spar with Ingemar. He was on the downside of his career in 1959. but could still hit and still draw a card for up and comers. He played the game. He knew what to expect at sparring sessions and how to reciprocate to the star who he is training with.

Upon arrival upstate, Charley and Henny were also hired to show Ingemar around the town to get a feel of NYC. They became pals at a limited distance. Around late May (23th or 24th) Johanssons people called for a large media turnout for his training camp. Not unusual. During his spar rounds in the ring, Ingemar ,on his own, decided to punch the hell out of the sparmates, a little showing off you might say. Privately the fighters complained to his corner but got no response. When it was time for my father to spar with him, in the first round, the same crap again. After the round, my father went to his corner to complain and they ignored my father and shooed him away.
Inge had a great right hand, and thats all he had. The fighters knew it.
In the second round, on a clinch, my father told him to "take it easy, we are all working with you, what are you doing ?"
When there was no let up , my father stepped back and floored him with one of his patented left hooks. Whistles blew, Johansson was dazed , headgear and all. My father was told to pack it up and leave. He did. Every sparring guy there patted my father on the back. Heres the article :


The real story is what appears above that I wrote. Ingemars press people didnt want it known what happened that day.

[CNorkusJr]

Here is some sports stars photos.



NY Yankee Rookies Elston Howard, Tony Kubek and Charley Norkus 1954
location unknown

[CNorkusJr]

1955 Unknown, Charley mugs it up with NY Yankee, Hank Bauer

My father told me that when he fought in Yankee stadium that he used Yogi Berras dressing stall to change at.

[CNorkusJr]

Here Charley defends himself from one of his many friends at The Human Resource Center in Albertson, Long Island, New York.

Sports Illustrated Magazine ran a sports awards and luncheon afternoons for over 25 years with Handicapped children and Sports celebrities from around the nation. My father along with Vito Antuofermo appeared numerous times representing "Boxing". My father,who was only 2 yrs old when he lost his father to rheumatic fever in 1931., did much work for disadvantaged children and orphans throughout his career and life after boxing.

[CNorkusJr]

Another Sports Illustrated sponsored event for Handicapped children.
(l-r) NY Jets John Schmidt, Charley, Hockey Greats Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe. The boy that is by his father side might be future great Brett Hull, but not confirmed.

[Brutu]

Albert Westphal was also a sparring partner that Johansson let go,claiming he didnt have it.
However shortly later Westphal went on to fight Sonny Liston on closed circuit on same fight card as Patterson HW title defense against Tom McNeeley

[CNorkusJr]

Last week, I had the honor to attend "The American Assoc. for the Improvement of Boxing, Inc" (AAIB) luncheon.
The organization was founded by Steve Acunto and Rocky Marciano for the ever improvement for safety of boxers in the ring. This is their 41st year of existence. Throughout the years, this organization has made its mission to try to get legislative passage of bills and their enforcement for safety in the boxing ring.They have been quite successful throughout the nation in getting various states athletic commissions to have doctors and ambulances to standby at fights, better pre-fight medicals, and post fight care of fighters. They are presently working on a Greg Page Bill. His last fight in Kentucky led to his demise months later. Mrs(Patricia) Page was on hand to tell us about his plight. It was horrendous what politics had done to Greg in his last fight.

The gentleman above who I was honored to meet and standing next to me is Rocky Marciano's brother, Louis Marciano.
A fine man who has great stories of Rocky's career. Though Louis ,in his own words, expressed that he did not have a great hand in his brothers career, as he was away in the service and lived down south for awhile , when his brother was tearing up the heavyweight division. Rocky also had a younger brother,Pete, who was not at the luncheon.

As I talked to Louis about Rocky's career and he told me much, we touched on one subject, my father. I asked him if his younger brother Pete, is the fellow who fought his brother Rocky, and that Rocky was suspended 30 days for fighting an amateur fight.That suspension cancelled my fathers first fight scheduled with Rocky in 1952. He said "no". That his brother ,Pete, was just a small teenager at that time. He then told me that it was he, Louis, that fought his brother under the name "Pete Fuller". We both smiled and he elaborated why. It seems that Rocky after his first pro fight did not look like he had all the kinks out of his boxing style. A little too wild perhaps. So instead of fighting as a pro and possibly losing, fought a couple of amateur exhibitions to get his routine down better, then go back to the pro ranks.
The Maine Athletic Comm. said this was not right, and he was suspended.
His brother said he got his style back on track and his career was that of a champion in and out of the ring. I agree, one of the best ever.

[CNorkusJr]

Another picture from the AAIB luncheon.

Myself and former champ and honoree, Leon Spinks
Glad to report that Leon is doing well and lives in the midwest

[raylawpc]

Here's a newspaper clipping regarding Rocky's suspension (April 24, 1952) for boxing exhibitions with his brother:



Rocky later called it one of his most embarrassing moments.

[CNorkusJr]

Thank You Tom, for clearing up some dates for me. I have a very old clipping thats states the very same info on Rocky's suspension but the date on the clipping is worn down to nothing. It looked like 1950 to me. 1952 makes perfect sense though.

My father had a contract for Rocky in Providence for April 21, 1952 as my articles state above. An arm injury kept my father from the fight and Gino Buonvino took the substitution on few days notice.

Then Rocky signed a contract with Bernie Reynolds for May 12, 1952.

Before that fight, Rocky and my father signed a contract for May 26, 1952, when my fathers arm was healed, and the promised previous fight would be made up.

As your article states, Rocky was suspended starting after the Reynolds fight-but my fathers contract was right in the middle of his suspension dates. It was never made up. As far as my conversation with Louis last week, it was I who put the 1950 date to him and I guess his memory didnt quite register to the 1952 date. Louis is one of the nicest guys anyone can ever meet. He is involved with the trades union now in Westchester County, NY.
Thanks for the digging, Tom, your friend Charlie Jr.

[CNorkusJr]

Charley and Walter Cartier 1979