Virgil Akins - RIP
Posted: 27 Jan 2011, 08:21
Definition came early for Virgil Akins, as early as his second month (and his second fight) as a pro when he was stopped in three rounds by Cincinnati's Charlie Baxter in April 1948. In the same month, a fortnight later, Akins took on the vastly more experienced Baxter again and took a six-round decision.
This fighting spirit lifted Akins to the undisputed world welterweight title in the 1950s, when boxing competition was fierce and men got hurt. Atkins left the sport blinded in one eye but he died just a few days ago at the age of 82, so his spirit remained. Make no mistake about it, Akins lived and died a fighter.
Akins turned pro on his 20th birthday in the lightweight division where he quickly established himself as a skilled youngster who fought hard and hit hard. By 1951, three years into the ranks, Akins was beating men of the calibre of Joe "Old Bones" Brown and Wallace "Bud" Smith - future world lightweight champions - but the rangy St Louis man filled out rapidly and moved up to welterweight in 1952 and lost an early decision to Johnny Saxton, although he had Saxton on the floor. Typically, it was Saxton who went on to a world title, outpointing Cuban great Kid Gavilan for the world welterweight title in 1954.
Akins was one of those fighters who built a succession of wins but then lost one, and rebuilt all over again. His fights were punishing. He had height and reach but stood his ground and whipped in quick, fluid, damaging shots to earn the nickname of "Honey Bear, and he was smooth all right, and cute in the exchanges, riding the blows and shrugging off those that did get through. Akins could dish it out and he could take it.
Akins showed all of that to outlast Boston animal Tony DeMarco in the 14th round of a stomach-churning thriller in Boston in 1957, climbing off the floor to drop DeMarco six times. They met again just three months later, also in Boston, and Akins climbed off the floor again to emerge in the 12th round of another gut-wrencher, dropping DeMarco three times.
Those wins, over a former world champion, secured the 30-year-old Akins that elusive world title shot and he made the most of it by destroying New Jersey's Vince Martinez in four rounds in St Louis in 1958 for the vacant world welterweight title. It was the first time Martinez, 60-5 going in, had ever been stopped and he was down an incredible nine times; the title was made vacant by Carmen Basilio, after a move to middleweight.
Sadly, Virgil's reign lasted six months and one non-title win over Charley "Tombstone" Smith before California's Don Jordan outscored him in California on a unanimous 15-round decision. Akins contested the verdict and got a rematch four months later on home turf in St Louis, but Jordan took another unanimous decision.
Akins descended into the role of tough 'name' opponent, going the distance with Luis Rodriguez, Don Fullmer, Kenny Lane, Ralph Dupas, Denny Moyer and Wally Swift (at Wembley) but still having enough left to beat Stan Harrington, Charley Scott and Billy Collins, prior to retiring in 1962 with a detached retina.
Remarkably, Akins was stopped only twice in a career innings of 93 fights, with 60 big wins.
This fighting spirit lifted Akins to the undisputed world welterweight title in the 1950s, when boxing competition was fierce and men got hurt. Atkins left the sport blinded in one eye but he died just a few days ago at the age of 82, so his spirit remained. Make no mistake about it, Akins lived and died a fighter.
Akins turned pro on his 20th birthday in the lightweight division where he quickly established himself as a skilled youngster who fought hard and hit hard. By 1951, three years into the ranks, Akins was beating men of the calibre of Joe "Old Bones" Brown and Wallace "Bud" Smith - future world lightweight champions - but the rangy St Louis man filled out rapidly and moved up to welterweight in 1952 and lost an early decision to Johnny Saxton, although he had Saxton on the floor. Typically, it was Saxton who went on to a world title, outpointing Cuban great Kid Gavilan for the world welterweight title in 1954.
Akins was one of those fighters who built a succession of wins but then lost one, and rebuilt all over again. His fights were punishing. He had height and reach but stood his ground and whipped in quick, fluid, damaging shots to earn the nickname of "Honey Bear, and he was smooth all right, and cute in the exchanges, riding the blows and shrugging off those that did get through. Akins could dish it out and he could take it.
Akins showed all of that to outlast Boston animal Tony DeMarco in the 14th round of a stomach-churning thriller in Boston in 1957, climbing off the floor to drop DeMarco six times. They met again just three months later, also in Boston, and Akins climbed off the floor again to emerge in the 12th round of another gut-wrencher, dropping DeMarco three times.
Those wins, over a former world champion, secured the 30-year-old Akins that elusive world title shot and he made the most of it by destroying New Jersey's Vince Martinez in four rounds in St Louis in 1958 for the vacant world welterweight title. It was the first time Martinez, 60-5 going in, had ever been stopped and he was down an incredible nine times; the title was made vacant by Carmen Basilio, after a move to middleweight.
Sadly, Virgil's reign lasted six months and one non-title win over Charley "Tombstone" Smith before California's Don Jordan outscored him in California on a unanimous 15-round decision. Akins contested the verdict and got a rematch four months later on home turf in St Louis, but Jordan took another unanimous decision.
Akins descended into the role of tough 'name' opponent, going the distance with Luis Rodriguez, Don Fullmer, Kenny Lane, Ralph Dupas, Denny Moyer and Wally Swift (at Wembley) but still having enough left to beat Stan Harrington, Charley Scott and Billy Collins, prior to retiring in 1962 with a detached retina.
Remarkably, Akins was stopped only twice in a career innings of 93 fights, with 60 big wins.