Oldies amateur records
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Venceremos
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 244
- Joined: 31 Aug 2003, 15:17
Oldies amateur records
You can see now the partial amateur records of:
Rocky Marciano http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/marciano.html
Coley Wallace http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/wallace.html
Norvel Lee http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/lee.html
Pete Rademacher http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/pete.html
Sonny Liston http://www.gecities.com/pedrinet/liston.html
Contribuitions and suggestions are welcomed...
Rocky Marciano http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/marciano.html
Coley Wallace http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/wallace.html
Norvel Lee http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/lee.html
Pete Rademacher http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/pete.html
Sonny Liston http://www.gecities.com/pedrinet/liston.html
Contribuitions and suggestions are welcomed...
george foremans record
George Foremans amateur record..?
anyone know what it was , any details..?
anyone know what it was , any details..?
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Venceremos
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 244
- Joined: 31 Aug 2003, 15:17
foreman amateur record
About Foreman, you can see some information in http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/foreman.html
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El Intocable
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 68
- Joined: 02 Feb 2007, 13:12
I was doing research on 1948 amateur bouts and noticed numerous inaccuracies in your Marciano record. You share these inaccuracies with the following site, which was most likely the source of your information:
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Aren ... cky22.html
Victor, not Joe, Sidlaskas, not Sidlaskis, participated in the MA-RI GG tourney in the Novice class. Since Rocky participated in the Open class, they could not possibly meet there. I have complete results of this multi-day tournament, and Rocky fought Solomont in the semis and Mortimer in the finals. There were very few HW bouts at this tourney; on January 19 Solomont beat Bob Girard (that's the guy who beat Rocky in 1947) and there were no HW fights at all on the 26th.
In the New England GG Tournament of Champions, Rocky won by default over Ralph Piscopo of Portland, Maine (you are missing this name) and on the 18th he beat George McInnis of NH.
Your Wallace result is correct.
In March Rocky participated in the New England AAU Championships. This tournament had absolutely nothing to do with the Olympic Trials, as the above site points out. In the semis on March 22nd Rocky knocked out Sal Fichera of Lawrence, not Fred Fischera. Sal was a fairly well known New England amateur. In the finals Rocky defeated George McInnis.
Marciano most definitely did not participate in the National AAU tournament as you state on your site, he withdrew with a fractured thumb.
Here are the full results:
Massachusetts-Rhode Island Golden Gloves Championships
Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
February 2, 1948
Semi-Final
Rocco Marchegiano, Brockton, MA – Dan Solomont, Seekonk, RI TKO-1
February 9, 1948
Final
Rocco Marchegiano, Brockton, MA – Charles Mortimer, Lowell, MA KO-3 1:20
New England Golden Gloves Championships
Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
February 17, 1948
Semi-Final
Rocco Marchegiano, MA-RI – Ralph Piscopo, ME WO
February 18, 1948
Final
Rocco Marchegiano, MA-RI – George McInnis, NH TKO-1 2:10
All-Eastern Golden Gloves Championships
Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn, NY
March 1, 1948
First Round
Coley Wallace, NY – Rocco Marchegiano, MA W-3
New England AAU Championships
Boston Arena, Boston, MA
Rocco Marchegiano drew a bye into the semi-final round.
March 22, 1948
Semi-Final
Rocco Marchegiano, MA – Sal Fichera, MA KO-3
March 22, 1948
Final
Rocco Marchegiano, MA – George McInnis, NH W-3
Finally, a few newspaper photos:




http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Aren ... cky22.html
Victor, not Joe, Sidlaskas, not Sidlaskis, participated in the MA-RI GG tourney in the Novice class. Since Rocky participated in the Open class, they could not possibly meet there. I have complete results of this multi-day tournament, and Rocky fought Solomont in the semis and Mortimer in the finals. There were very few HW bouts at this tourney; on January 19 Solomont beat Bob Girard (that's the guy who beat Rocky in 1947) and there were no HW fights at all on the 26th.
In the New England GG Tournament of Champions, Rocky won by default over Ralph Piscopo of Portland, Maine (you are missing this name) and on the 18th he beat George McInnis of NH.
Your Wallace result is correct.
In March Rocky participated in the New England AAU Championships. This tournament had absolutely nothing to do with the Olympic Trials, as the above site points out. In the semis on March 22nd Rocky knocked out Sal Fichera of Lawrence, not Fred Fischera. Sal was a fairly well known New England amateur. In the finals Rocky defeated George McInnis.
Marciano most definitely did not participate in the National AAU tournament as you state on your site, he withdrew with a fractured thumb.
Here are the full results:
Massachusetts-Rhode Island Golden Gloves Championships
Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
February 2, 1948
Semi-Final
Rocco Marchegiano, Brockton, MA – Dan Solomont, Seekonk, RI TKO-1
February 9, 1948
Final
Rocco Marchegiano, Brockton, MA – Charles Mortimer, Lowell, MA KO-3 1:20
New England Golden Gloves Championships
Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
February 17, 1948
Semi-Final
Rocco Marchegiano, MA-RI – Ralph Piscopo, ME WO
February 18, 1948
Final
Rocco Marchegiano, MA-RI – George McInnis, NH TKO-1 2:10
All-Eastern Golden Gloves Championships
Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn, NY
March 1, 1948
First Round
Coley Wallace, NY – Rocco Marchegiano, MA W-3
New England AAU Championships
Boston Arena, Boston, MA
Rocco Marchegiano drew a bye into the semi-final round.
March 22, 1948
Semi-Final
Rocco Marchegiano, MA – Sal Fichera, MA KO-3
March 22, 1948
Final
Rocco Marchegiano, MA – George McInnis, NH W-3
Finally, a few newspaper photos:




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Venceremos
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 244
- Joined: 31 Aug 2003, 15:17
thanks
Thank you very much, Intocable... your corrections are now in the Marciano's page.
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El Intocable
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 68
- Joined: 02 Feb 2007, 13:12
No problem! Several points:
You should remove the Sidlaskas fight altogether as I mentioned above.
Rocky fought George McInnis, not McGinnis.
Sal’s last name is Fichera, not Fischera.
The text above Rocky’s record is completely out of whack – it reflects the “old” version of events and calls the AAU tourney the “Olympic tryouts.” The real sub-regional Olympic Trials took place on June 7th!
Also, Coley Wallace’s record prior to the Marciano bout was certainly not "17-0 with 17 KOs." Coley lost a five-rounder to Paul Simpson on July 15, 1947 and won their rematch on January 15, 1948. Wallace broke Simpson’s jaw in the first round but Paul survived and fought on even terms until the 5th, when he was floored and got saved by the bell.
I haven’t had a chance yet to look at Coley’s record posted on your site but could you in the meantime remove the Helsinki comment?
You should remove the Sidlaskas fight altogether as I mentioned above.
Rocky fought George McInnis, not McGinnis.
Sal’s last name is Fichera, not Fischera.
The text above Rocky’s record is completely out of whack – it reflects the “old” version of events and calls the AAU tourney the “Olympic tryouts.” The real sub-regional Olympic Trials took place on June 7th!
Also, Coley Wallace’s record prior to the Marciano bout was certainly not "17-0 with 17 KOs." Coley lost a five-rounder to Paul Simpson on July 15, 1947 and won their rematch on January 15, 1948. Wallace broke Simpson’s jaw in the first round but Paul survived and fought on even terms until the 5th, when he was floored and got saved by the bell.
I haven’t had a chance yet to look at Coley’s record posted on your site but could you in the meantime remove the Helsinki comment?
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Venceremos
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 244
- Joined: 31 Aug 2003, 15:17
thanks
OK... Marciano and Wallace pages are corrected now.
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El Intocable
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 68
- Joined: 02 Feb 2007, 13:12
Just to reflect the changes you’ve made, please change the note above Rocky’s bio to 12 fights, 8+, 7 KOs, and change the text after “in January, 1948” to:
In January 1948, Marciano entered the Massachusetts-Rhode Island Golden Gloves Championships in Lowell, Massachusetts. He scored a first round TKO over Dan Solomont, who decisioned the fighter that beat Rocky in 1947, Bob Girard, in the preliminaries. Chuck Mortimer was awaiting Marciano in the finals, and the newspapers were predicting an exciting slugfest – Chuck scored a spectacular first-round knockout of his own in the semifinals. Marciano had some difficulty adapting to Mortimer’s southpaw style but, according to the Lowell Sun, “came to life with startling suddenness in 1:20 of the third, stepping inside Mortimer’s guard while coming off the ropes to deliver a roof-raising right uppercut that put Mortimer face down until the seconds hustled in to roll him over.”
A little over a week later, Marciano fought in the New England Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions. His opponent in the finals, George McInnis, was pressing Marciano and managed to completely avoid Rocky’s inside right uppercuts, his best weapon that floored Solomont and Mortimer. Rocky won the fight on a hook thrown at close quarters; referee examined the resulting cut and sent McInnis back to the dressing room in 2:10 of the final bout of the evening.
In March, Rocky went to New York as the New England representative in the Eastern Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions. His first fight was against Coley Wallace, Ray Robinson’s protégé who was heralded as the new Joe Louis. After a sensational seesaw battle, Wallace got a split decision that did not sit well with the crowd. The fans booed for 15 minutes and threw debris into the ring.
In three weeks, Marciano entered the New England AAU Championships. He got a bye into the semifinal round and knocked out Salvatore Fichera, the runner-up in the 1947 New England Golden Gloves (light heavyweight class). Unfortunately, Rocky broke his thumb in this fight. Undeterred, he went on to capture the title by beating old friend George McInnis in a gargantuan slugging match. Lowell Sun: “Marciano belted McInnis to the canvas near the end of the second round for a count of nine, and had the Belmont gamester on the floor twice in the third round to win decisively.”
Marciano’s hand was put in a cast and he was forced to miss the National AAU Championships and the Olympic tryouts. “It cost some money to fix the thumb,” he once recalled, “so I thought I might as well earn some fighting.” By the time it healed, Rocky was through with amateur boxing.
In January 1948, Marciano entered the Massachusetts-Rhode Island Golden Gloves Championships in Lowell, Massachusetts. He scored a first round TKO over Dan Solomont, who decisioned the fighter that beat Rocky in 1947, Bob Girard, in the preliminaries. Chuck Mortimer was awaiting Marciano in the finals, and the newspapers were predicting an exciting slugfest – Chuck scored a spectacular first-round knockout of his own in the semifinals. Marciano had some difficulty adapting to Mortimer’s southpaw style but, according to the Lowell Sun, “came to life with startling suddenness in 1:20 of the third, stepping inside Mortimer’s guard while coming off the ropes to deliver a roof-raising right uppercut that put Mortimer face down until the seconds hustled in to roll him over.”
A little over a week later, Marciano fought in the New England Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions. His opponent in the finals, George McInnis, was pressing Marciano and managed to completely avoid Rocky’s inside right uppercuts, his best weapon that floored Solomont and Mortimer. Rocky won the fight on a hook thrown at close quarters; referee examined the resulting cut and sent McInnis back to the dressing room in 2:10 of the final bout of the evening.
In March, Rocky went to New York as the New England representative in the Eastern Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions. His first fight was against Coley Wallace, Ray Robinson’s protégé who was heralded as the new Joe Louis. After a sensational seesaw battle, Wallace got a split decision that did not sit well with the crowd. The fans booed for 15 minutes and threw debris into the ring.
In three weeks, Marciano entered the New England AAU Championships. He got a bye into the semifinal round and knocked out Salvatore Fichera, the runner-up in the 1947 New England Golden Gloves (light heavyweight class). Unfortunately, Rocky broke his thumb in this fight. Undeterred, he went on to capture the title by beating old friend George McInnis in a gargantuan slugging match. Lowell Sun: “Marciano belted McInnis to the canvas near the end of the second round for a count of nine, and had the Belmont gamester on the floor twice in the third round to win decisively.”
Marciano’s hand was put in a cast and he was forced to miss the National AAU Championships and the Olympic tryouts. “It cost some money to fix the thumb,” he once recalled, “so I thought I might as well earn some fighting.” By the time it healed, Rocky was through with amateur boxing.
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El Intocable
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 68
- Joined: 02 Feb 2007, 13:12
Regarding Coley Wallace, he did not fight Jim Hillard on March 3rd – in the semis, Hillard lost to Bob Baker and Wallace beat Terry Teague (please change the date to March 3rd). The Hillard victory was erroneously reported by Louis Effrat in the New York Times; funnily enough, the New York Times gives correct results right under his article. All the other sources list the Wallace–Teague and Baker–Hillard bouts. This clip is from that NYT article:

Additional bouts, including the two I mentioned yesterday (several other bouts were announced but I do not have their confirmed results):
July 15, 1947
Recreation Park, Newburgh, NY
Paul Simpson, Cleveland, OH – Coley Wallace W-5
Simpson’s record reportedly became 54-1 and Wallace’s record became 9-1. The card was postponed from Monday, July 14th. 2,000 people watched the fights.
January 15, 1948
Municipal Auditorium, Kingston, NY
Coley Wallace, New York, NY – Paul Simpson, Cleveland, OH W-5
Prior to this bout, Wallace reportedly had a string of 14 consecutive KOs. New York Daily News, December 29, 1947: “Not since Joe Louis came through in 1931 has a boxer stirred the imagination of those close to the ring as has Coley Wallace. … Wallace, 20, who represents the Salem Crescent, the club that started Ray Robinson, is an extraordinary young man in many ways. Besides being able to knock his opponents stiff with a punch, he was captain of Maggie Walker High School football team in his native Richmond, Va. He was a track star in the half-mile run and participated in most of the other sports.”
Wallace fractured Simpson’s jaw in the first round. According to The Kingston Daily Freeman, 1948-01-16, Wallace’s “dynamic punches had him on the verge of a knockout in the fifth round. Simpson who had a slight lead until he was floored in the final minute was saved by the bell.”
According to The Kingston Daily Freeman, 1948-02-19, Wallace’s record became 17-1.
November 18, 1948
Municipal Auditorium, Kingston, NY
Coley Wallace, New York, NY – Gilmore “Bobby” Newkirk, Philadelphia, PA W-5
Coley Wallace weighed 206, Newkirk weighed 207.
December 7, 1948
Avalon Arena, Newburgh, NY
Coley Wallace, New York, NY – Gerald “Jerry” Jackson, NY W-5
Coley Wallace weighed 206, Jackson weighed 245. Jackson was the 1944 NY GG champion. Brothers Gerald Jackson and Arthur Jackson reached the NY GG final in 1945 but refused to fight.
After this bout the Middleton Times Herald, NY, wrongly reported on 1948-12-17 that Wallace has won 35 bouts out of 36, 30 by KO.
December 23, 1948
Avalon Arena, Newburgh, NY
Coley Wallace, New York, NY – Ernest Jackson, Montrose, NY KO-2 1:20
Coley Wallace weighed 206, Jackson weighed 230. Joe Louis and Ray Robinson were in Wallace’s corner. The Kingston Daily Freeman, 1948-12-18: “According to Bill Miller, Wallace’s manager and trainer, the young heavyweight hopeful has received a great deal of encouragement and advice from Louis. They have sparred in training on several occasions, and Louis hopes that Wallace will be a contender for his crown when he vacates it.”

Additional bouts, including the two I mentioned yesterday (several other bouts were announced but I do not have their confirmed results):
July 15, 1947
Recreation Park, Newburgh, NY
Paul Simpson, Cleveland, OH – Coley Wallace W-5
Simpson’s record reportedly became 54-1 and Wallace’s record became 9-1. The card was postponed from Monday, July 14th. 2,000 people watched the fights.
January 15, 1948
Municipal Auditorium, Kingston, NY
Coley Wallace, New York, NY – Paul Simpson, Cleveland, OH W-5
Prior to this bout, Wallace reportedly had a string of 14 consecutive KOs. New York Daily News, December 29, 1947: “Not since Joe Louis came through in 1931 has a boxer stirred the imagination of those close to the ring as has Coley Wallace. … Wallace, 20, who represents the Salem Crescent, the club that started Ray Robinson, is an extraordinary young man in many ways. Besides being able to knock his opponents stiff with a punch, he was captain of Maggie Walker High School football team in his native Richmond, Va. He was a track star in the half-mile run and participated in most of the other sports.”
Wallace fractured Simpson’s jaw in the first round. According to The Kingston Daily Freeman, 1948-01-16, Wallace’s “dynamic punches had him on the verge of a knockout in the fifth round. Simpson who had a slight lead until he was floored in the final minute was saved by the bell.”
According to The Kingston Daily Freeman, 1948-02-19, Wallace’s record became 17-1.
November 18, 1948
Municipal Auditorium, Kingston, NY
Coley Wallace, New York, NY – Gilmore “Bobby” Newkirk, Philadelphia, PA W-5
Coley Wallace weighed 206, Newkirk weighed 207.
December 7, 1948
Avalon Arena, Newburgh, NY
Coley Wallace, New York, NY – Gerald “Jerry” Jackson, NY W-5
Coley Wallace weighed 206, Jackson weighed 245. Jackson was the 1944 NY GG champion. Brothers Gerald Jackson and Arthur Jackson reached the NY GG final in 1945 but refused to fight.
After this bout the Middleton Times Herald, NY, wrongly reported on 1948-12-17 that Wallace has won 35 bouts out of 36, 30 by KO.
December 23, 1948
Avalon Arena, Newburgh, NY
Coley Wallace, New York, NY – Ernest Jackson, Montrose, NY KO-2 1:20
Coley Wallace weighed 206, Jackson weighed 230. Joe Louis and Ray Robinson were in Wallace’s corner. The Kingston Daily Freeman, 1948-12-18: “According to Bill Miller, Wallace’s manager and trainer, the young heavyweight hopeful has received a great deal of encouragement and advice from Louis. They have sparred in training on several occasions, and Louis hopes that Wallace will be a contender for his crown when he vacates it.”
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El Intocable
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 68
- Joined: 02 Feb 2007, 13:12
http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/liston.html
Sonny Liston fought James McCarter, not McDonald, on April 14th in the AAU quarter-finals; he obviously did not get a “bronze.” I have complete results of the tournament and the win over Graff is listed as a TKO-2 there; can you confirm your result (KO-1)?
Here are the full Golden Gloves results:
Western Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL
February 24, 1953
First Round
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Donnie Fleeman, Fort Worth, TX KO-3
Second Round
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Carl McClure, Oklahoma City, OK W-3
February 25, 1953
Quarter-Finals
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Tullos Lee Mead, Memphis, TN KO-2
March 6, 1953
Semi-Finals
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Ben Bankhead, Kansas City, MO W-3
Finals
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Ed Sanders, Los Angeles, CA W-3
Sonny Liston fought James McCarter, not McDonald, on April 14th in the AAU quarter-finals; he obviously did not get a “bronze.” I have complete results of the tournament and the win over Graff is listed as a TKO-2 there; can you confirm your result (KO-1)?
Here are the full Golden Gloves results:
Western Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL
February 24, 1953
First Round
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Donnie Fleeman, Fort Worth, TX KO-3
Second Round
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Carl McClure, Oklahoma City, OK W-3
February 25, 1953
Quarter-Finals
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Tullos Lee Mead, Memphis, TN KO-2
March 6, 1953
Semi-Finals
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Ben Bankhead, Kansas City, MO W-3
Finals
Charles Liston, St. Louis, MO – Ed Sanders, Los Angeles, CA W-3
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Venceremos
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 244
- Joined: 31 Aug 2003, 15:17
Intocable
thank you very much for another time
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El Intocable
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 68
- Joined: 02 Feb 2007, 13:12
http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/lee.html
There are quite a few corrections/additions here so I am posting all of the results for the sake of simplicity. Please also see Lee's updated biography below.
-------------------
Norvel Lee won the 1952 Olympic Games in the light heavyweight class and received the prestigious Val Barker Cup for showing the best style at the Olympics. He also won three Intercity Golden Gloves titles in 1950-52 and National AAU titles in 1950 and 1951. Lee represented the United States at the 1951 and 1955 Pan American Games and was an alternate on the 1948 Olympic team but did not fight.
In September of 1948, after the Olympics, Norvel was arrested for violating Virginia’s segregation law and convicted on two counts of refusing to take a seat in sections reserved for Negro passengers on a Chesapeake & Ohio train. The case was appealed in the Virginia State Supreme Court and Lee won a landmark victory as the high court unanimously threw out his conviction.
In 1952, he lost in the preliminary round of the National Olympic Trials, but Pete Mello, the U.S. boxing coach, went before the boxing committee and gave them an ultimatum: either Lee would go with the team, or Pete would resign as coach. Finally they agreed that Lee could be an alternate, and Mello decided to make him a light-heavy. In order to make the weight and compete at the Olympics, Norvel had to trim off 11 pounds.
“He did. I kept after him,” the coach recalled. “I kept a set of scales in my room – old grocery scale. I fixed them so they’d weigh a pound heavy. So I made Lee weigh in on those scales. That way, there was never a chance he’d go over.” Mello’s gamble paid off – Norvel went on to score four unanimous decisions and win the light heavyweight tournament.
Norvel never turned professional. He said after the Games: “I’m too old at 27 to be starting as a pro boxer. Besides, I’m just that, a boxer, and I don’t think the fans want to see a boxer. They like to watch the sluggers.”
After graduating from Howard University, Lee taught English, math and social studies at the National Training School for Boys in Washington, D.C. He also coached boxers, refereed and judged amateur and professional contests, and served as the Chairman of the District of Columbia Boxing Commission.
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Washington, D.C. Sub-Regional Trials
Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C.
May 19, 1948
Norvel Lee, Howard University – Eddie Grant, Apollo A.C. W-3
National Olympic Trials
Boston Garden, Boston, MA
June 29, 1948
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Coley Wallace, New York, NY W-3 (SD)
Finals
Jay Lambert, West Jordan, UT – Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. W-3 (SD)
USA – Ireland Dual Meet
Dublin, Ireland
August 17, 1948
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Garda Walsh W-3
August 19, 1948
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – ? W-3
Regina, SK, Canada
September 25, 1948
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Ed Zastre, Winnipeg, MB W-5
Zastre won the 1948 Dominion Championships in the LHW class. Winnipeg Free Press, 1948-09-27: “Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C., Negro fighter who was substitute heavyweight with the United States boxing team at the Olympic Games, gave Winnipeg’s Ed Zastre a neat lesson in the featured five-rounder of a police association card before 2,500 fans here Saturday. Zastre was never in danger of a knockout. Lee confined his tactics to a brilliant display of the traditional amateur style to win under wraps.”
Regina, SK, Canada
December 27, 1948
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Adam Faul, Regina, SK W-6
Amateur Police Boxing card; attendance: 4,000. Faul won the 1948 Dominion Championships in the HW class. Winnipeg Free Press, 1948-12-29: “Lee drew blood from Faul in the third round but it was his left hand which kept the Canadian champion from using his punching power effectively.”
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
September 16, 1949
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Adam Faul, Regina, SK W-5
Winnipeg Free Press, 1949-09-17: “The celebrated main event between Washington D.C.’s Norval Lee and Adam Faul of Regina, both Olympic representatives, was no cause for celebration. Lee’s cautious counter-punching accounted for four of the five rounds against Faul’s ineffective pawing attack. The 190-pound Adam stung his man with a third-round looping right, but Lee countered with a long straight right-hander and a biting left hook, the bout’s cleanest punches and sole cause for excitement.”
Eastern Golden Gloves Championships
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 8, 1950
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Gilmore Newkirk, New York, NY W-3
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Nick Vasquez, Fort Bragg, NC KO-1 2:06
Intercity Golden Gloves Meet
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL
March 29, 1950
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Kirby Seals, Los Angeles, CA W-3
National AAU Tournament
Boston, MA
April 10, 1950
Preliminary Round
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Bunn Pitts, Atlanta, GA KO-2
April 11, 1950
Quarter-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Nick Vasquez, Fort Bragg, NC KO-2 1:43
April 12, 1950
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Louis Packer, Oakland, CA W-3
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Stan Howlett, Madison, WI W-3
USA (Washington Golden Gloves Champions) – Europe
April 21, 1950
Washington, D.C.
Norvel Lee, USA – Teemu Kuusela, Finland TKO-2
Pan-American Trials
Kansas City, MO
January 9, 1951
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Bob Miller, Leavenworth, KS W-3
Pan-American Games
Buenos Aires, Argentina
March 5, 1951
Semi-Finals
Victor Bignon, Chile – Norvel Lee, USA W-3
March 7, 1951
Third Place Bouts
Norvel Lee, USA – Arlindo de Oliveira, Brazil KO-1
Intercity Golden Gloves Meet
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 19, 1951
Alternate Bout:
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Toxie Hall, Prentiss, MS W-3
USA (Washington Golden Gloves Champions) – Europe
April 5, 1951
Washington, D.C.
Norvel Lee, USA – Ingemar Johannson, Sweden WO
National AAU Tournament
Boston, MA
April 9, 1951
Preliminary Round
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – James Craven, Sylacauga, AL W-3
April 10, 1951
Quarter-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Joseph McFadden, Philadelphia, PA W-3
April 11, 1951
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Peter Rademacher, Seattle, WA W-3 (UD)
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Albert Schlimm, Baltimore, MD W-3
USA (AAU Champions) – Great Britain
August 21, 1951
Wembley Stadium, London, England
Norvel Lee, USA – Peter Toch, Great Britain W-3
August 24, 1951
Manchester, England
Norvel Lee, USA – Arthur Worrall, Great Britain W-3
USA (AAU Champions) – West Germany
August 27, 1951
Wiesbaden, West Germany
Norvel Lee, USA – Abraham Rosenberg, West Germany W-3
USA (AAU Champions) – Sweden
August 31, 1951
Gothenburg, Sweden
Norvel Lee, USA – Ingemar Johannson, Sweden W-3 (3:0)
Eastern Golden Gloves Championships
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 5, 1952
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Oliver Walker, Lowell, MA KO-1 1:21
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Harold Johnson, Grand Rapids, MI W-3
Intercity Golden Gloves Meet
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 24, 1952
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Ed Sanders, Los Angeles, CA W-3
National AAU Tournament
Boston, MA
April 8, 1952
Quarter-Finals
Jack Scheberies, Oakland, CA – Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. W-3
Eastern Olympic Trials
Albany, NY
May 27, 1952
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Kirby Seals, U.S. Navy W-3
National Olympic Trials
Kansas City, MO
June 16, 1952
Preliminary Round
Lloyd Willis, U.S. Army – Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. W-3
XV Olympic Games
Helsinki, Finland
July 29, 1952
Second Round
81 kg: Norvel Lee, USA – Claude Arnaiz, France W-3 (3:0)
July 31, 1952
Quarter-Finals
81 kg: Norvel Lee, USA – Tadeusz Grzelak, Poland W-3 (3:0)
August 1, 1952
Semi-Finals
81 kg: Norvel Lee, USA – Harry Siljander, Finland W-3 (3:0)
August 2, 1952
Finals
81 kg: Norvel Lee, USA – Antonio Pacenza, Argentina W-3 (3:0)
Norvel Lee was awarded the Val Barker Cup.
Pan-American Trials
San Antonio, TX
February 26, 1955
Finals
Norvel Lee – Arthur Statum, TX W-3
Pan-American Games
Mexico City, Mexico
March 17, 1955
Semi-Finals
Pablo Alexis Miteff, Argentina – Norvel Lee, USA W-3
There are quite a few corrections/additions here so I am posting all of the results for the sake of simplicity. Please also see Lee's updated biography below.
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Norvel Lee won the 1952 Olympic Games in the light heavyweight class and received the prestigious Val Barker Cup for showing the best style at the Olympics. He also won three Intercity Golden Gloves titles in 1950-52 and National AAU titles in 1950 and 1951. Lee represented the United States at the 1951 and 1955 Pan American Games and was an alternate on the 1948 Olympic team but did not fight.
In September of 1948, after the Olympics, Norvel was arrested for violating Virginia’s segregation law and convicted on two counts of refusing to take a seat in sections reserved for Negro passengers on a Chesapeake & Ohio train. The case was appealed in the Virginia State Supreme Court and Lee won a landmark victory as the high court unanimously threw out his conviction.
In 1952, he lost in the preliminary round of the National Olympic Trials, but Pete Mello, the U.S. boxing coach, went before the boxing committee and gave them an ultimatum: either Lee would go with the team, or Pete would resign as coach. Finally they agreed that Lee could be an alternate, and Mello decided to make him a light-heavy. In order to make the weight and compete at the Olympics, Norvel had to trim off 11 pounds.
“He did. I kept after him,” the coach recalled. “I kept a set of scales in my room – old grocery scale. I fixed them so they’d weigh a pound heavy. So I made Lee weigh in on those scales. That way, there was never a chance he’d go over.” Mello’s gamble paid off – Norvel went on to score four unanimous decisions and win the light heavyweight tournament.
Norvel never turned professional. He said after the Games: “I’m too old at 27 to be starting as a pro boxer. Besides, I’m just that, a boxer, and I don’t think the fans want to see a boxer. They like to watch the sluggers.”
After graduating from Howard University, Lee taught English, math and social studies at the National Training School for Boys in Washington, D.C. He also coached boxers, refereed and judged amateur and professional contests, and served as the Chairman of the District of Columbia Boxing Commission.
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Washington, D.C. Sub-Regional Trials
Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C.
May 19, 1948
Norvel Lee, Howard University – Eddie Grant, Apollo A.C. W-3
National Olympic Trials
Boston Garden, Boston, MA
June 29, 1948
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Coley Wallace, New York, NY W-3 (SD)
Finals
Jay Lambert, West Jordan, UT – Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. W-3 (SD)
USA – Ireland Dual Meet
Dublin, Ireland
August 17, 1948
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Garda Walsh W-3
August 19, 1948
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – ? W-3
Regina, SK, Canada
September 25, 1948
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Ed Zastre, Winnipeg, MB W-5
Zastre won the 1948 Dominion Championships in the LHW class. Winnipeg Free Press, 1948-09-27: “Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C., Negro fighter who was substitute heavyweight with the United States boxing team at the Olympic Games, gave Winnipeg’s Ed Zastre a neat lesson in the featured five-rounder of a police association card before 2,500 fans here Saturday. Zastre was never in danger of a knockout. Lee confined his tactics to a brilliant display of the traditional amateur style to win under wraps.”
Regina, SK, Canada
December 27, 1948
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Adam Faul, Regina, SK W-6
Amateur Police Boxing card; attendance: 4,000. Faul won the 1948 Dominion Championships in the HW class. Winnipeg Free Press, 1948-12-29: “Lee drew blood from Faul in the third round but it was his left hand which kept the Canadian champion from using his punching power effectively.”
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
September 16, 1949
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Adam Faul, Regina, SK W-5
Winnipeg Free Press, 1949-09-17: “The celebrated main event between Washington D.C.’s Norval Lee and Adam Faul of Regina, both Olympic representatives, was no cause for celebration. Lee’s cautious counter-punching accounted for four of the five rounds against Faul’s ineffective pawing attack. The 190-pound Adam stung his man with a third-round looping right, but Lee countered with a long straight right-hander and a biting left hook, the bout’s cleanest punches and sole cause for excitement.”
Eastern Golden Gloves Championships
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 8, 1950
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Gilmore Newkirk, New York, NY W-3
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Nick Vasquez, Fort Bragg, NC KO-1 2:06
Intercity Golden Gloves Meet
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL
March 29, 1950
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Kirby Seals, Los Angeles, CA W-3
National AAU Tournament
Boston, MA
April 10, 1950
Preliminary Round
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Bunn Pitts, Atlanta, GA KO-2
April 11, 1950
Quarter-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Nick Vasquez, Fort Bragg, NC KO-2 1:43
April 12, 1950
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Louis Packer, Oakland, CA W-3
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Stan Howlett, Madison, WI W-3
USA (Washington Golden Gloves Champions) – Europe
April 21, 1950
Washington, D.C.
Norvel Lee, USA – Teemu Kuusela, Finland TKO-2
Pan-American Trials
Kansas City, MO
January 9, 1951
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Bob Miller, Leavenworth, KS W-3
Pan-American Games
Buenos Aires, Argentina
March 5, 1951
Semi-Finals
Victor Bignon, Chile – Norvel Lee, USA W-3
March 7, 1951
Third Place Bouts
Norvel Lee, USA – Arlindo de Oliveira, Brazil KO-1
Intercity Golden Gloves Meet
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 19, 1951
Alternate Bout:
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Toxie Hall, Prentiss, MS W-3
USA (Washington Golden Gloves Champions) – Europe
April 5, 1951
Washington, D.C.
Norvel Lee, USA – Ingemar Johannson, Sweden WO
National AAU Tournament
Boston, MA
April 9, 1951
Preliminary Round
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – James Craven, Sylacauga, AL W-3
April 10, 1951
Quarter-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Joseph McFadden, Philadelphia, PA W-3
April 11, 1951
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Peter Rademacher, Seattle, WA W-3 (UD)
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Albert Schlimm, Baltimore, MD W-3
USA (AAU Champions) – Great Britain
August 21, 1951
Wembley Stadium, London, England
Norvel Lee, USA – Peter Toch, Great Britain W-3
August 24, 1951
Manchester, England
Norvel Lee, USA – Arthur Worrall, Great Britain W-3
USA (AAU Champions) – West Germany
August 27, 1951
Wiesbaden, West Germany
Norvel Lee, USA – Abraham Rosenberg, West Germany W-3
USA (AAU Champions) – Sweden
August 31, 1951
Gothenburg, Sweden
Norvel Lee, USA – Ingemar Johannson, Sweden W-3 (3:0)
Eastern Golden Gloves Championships
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 5, 1952
Semi-Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Oliver Walker, Lowell, MA KO-1 1:21
Finals
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Harold Johnson, Grand Rapids, MI W-3
Intercity Golden Gloves Meet
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 24, 1952
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Ed Sanders, Los Angeles, CA W-3
National AAU Tournament
Boston, MA
April 8, 1952
Quarter-Finals
Jack Scheberies, Oakland, CA – Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. W-3
Eastern Olympic Trials
Albany, NY
May 27, 1952
Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. – Kirby Seals, U.S. Navy W-3
National Olympic Trials
Kansas City, MO
June 16, 1952
Preliminary Round
Lloyd Willis, U.S. Army – Norvel Lee, Washington, D.C. W-3
XV Olympic Games
Helsinki, Finland
July 29, 1952
Second Round
81 kg: Norvel Lee, USA – Claude Arnaiz, France W-3 (3:0)
July 31, 1952
Quarter-Finals
81 kg: Norvel Lee, USA – Tadeusz Grzelak, Poland W-3 (3:0)
August 1, 1952
Semi-Finals
81 kg: Norvel Lee, USA – Harry Siljander, Finland W-3 (3:0)
August 2, 1952
Finals
81 kg: Norvel Lee, USA – Antonio Pacenza, Argentina W-3 (3:0)
Norvel Lee was awarded the Val Barker Cup.
Pan-American Trials
San Antonio, TX
February 26, 1955
Finals
Norvel Lee – Arthur Statum, TX W-3
Pan-American Games
Mexico City, Mexico
March 17, 1955
Semi-Finals
Pablo Alexis Miteff, Argentina – Norvel Lee, USA W-3
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El Intocable
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 68
- Joined: 02 Feb 2007, 13:12
I did not specifically research Rocky’s career; given that his 1948 record contained so many glaring inaccuracies, I would fully expect his earlier results to be inaccurate as well.
Regarding his first pro fight, I have not seen any reports from 1947, but there was an interview with Rocky in 1954 where he mentioned fighting Lee Epperson on St. Patrick’s Day in Holyoke, Mass. “I was an Irishman named Rocky Mack then—I wound up with about $15. I got $40, but by the time I paid for my license and bought tape and stuff I had about $15 left. My next fight I got $40 and that was clear.”
Regarding his first pro fight, I have not seen any reports from 1947, but there was an interview with Rocky in 1954 where he mentioned fighting Lee Epperson on St. Patrick’s Day in Holyoke, Mass. “I was an Irishman named Rocky Mack then—I wound up with about $15. I got $40, but by the time I paid for my license and bought tape and stuff I had about $15 left. My next fight I got $40 and that was clear.”
-
El Intocable
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 68
- Joined: 02 Feb 2007, 13:12
http://www.geocities.com/pedrinet/lee.html
Thanks for posting the results! Just a minor typo – Lee had two fights in Dublin in 1948, he won both on points (you have a RET-2). I do not have the name of his second opponent, the bout took place on August 19th, not August 17th. Are you sure it was Garda Walsh again?
Thanks for posting the results! Just a minor typo – Lee had two fights in Dublin in 1948, he won both on points (you have a RET-2). I do not have the name of his second opponent, the bout took place on August 19th, not August 17th. Are you sure it was Garda Walsh again?
