I was at my children’s Friday night cricket training… Beautiful place with a wonderful view of the Surrey Hills. My friend’s dad was there and I know he’s a boxing fan. Old timer called Lenny Breslaw in his mid 80s. He boxed as an amateur back in the day and was good… so I immediately started talking to him.
Told me about winning best boxer of the night at a show in London and being awarded a trophy by Bombardier Billy Wells. Lenny is a small guy. Boxed at the lower weights. Said Billy’s hand was as big as his own arm…
Got talking about his favourite fighters over the years. And we got speaking about who he’d seen and met and the rest…
Told me he was in NY in 1955 and went to MSG to see Ezzard Charles. Said that Charles was so good it was like watching a different sport to the one he used practice. I immediately got a friend to check boxrec for the 55 MSG fight (I refuse to carry one of those iPhones) and sure enough Charles was there in 55 and fought Charley Norkus. When I mentioned Charley by name Lenny immediately remembered. Lenny said that Charley was a good fighter in his own right but came up against a very special boxer.
I know Charley has family who post on here and thought I’d just share my experience talking with Lenny.
Ezzard Charles v Charley Norkus
Re: Ezzard Charles v Charley Norkus
Ezzard wrote:I was at my children’s Friday night cricket training… Beautiful place with a wonderful view of the Surrey Hills. My friend’s dad was there and I know he’s a boxing fan. Old timer called Lenny Breslaw in his mid 80s. He boxed as an amateur back in the day and was good… so I immediately started talking to him.
Told me about winning best boxer of the night at a show in London and being awarded a trophy by Bombardier Billy Wells. Lenny is a small guy. Boxed at the lower weights. Said Billy’s hand was as big as his own arm…
Got talking about his favourite fighters over the years. And we got speaking about who he’d seen and met and the rest…
Told me he was in NY in 1955 and went to MSG to see Ezzard Charles. Said that Charles was so good it was like watching a different sport to the one he used practice. I immediately got a friend to check boxrec for the 55 MSG fight (I refuse to carry one of those iPhones) and sure enough Charles was there in 55 and fought Charley Norkus. When I mentioned Charley by name Lenny immediately remembered. Lenny said that Charley was a good fighter in his own right but came up against a very special boxer.
I know Charley has family who post on here and thought I’d just share my experience talking with Lenny.
Lovely post Ezzard. These are the things I love to read! True life stories...I have this fight on film I think...!
Re: Ezzard Charles v Charley Norkus
Its on youtube.evrenb wrote:Ezzard wrote:I was at my children’s Friday night cricket training… Beautiful place with a wonderful view of the Surrey Hills. My friend’s dad was there and I know he’s a boxing fan. Old timer called Lenny Breslaw in his mid 80s. He boxed as an amateur back in the day and was good… so I immediately started talking to him.
Told me about winning best boxer of the night at a show in London and being awarded a trophy by Bombardier Billy Wells. Lenny is a small guy. Boxed at the lower weights. Said Billy’s hand was as big as his own arm…
Got talking about his favourite fighters over the years. And we got speaking about who he’d seen and met and the rest…
Told me he was in NY in 1955 and went to MSG to see Ezzard Charles. Said that Charles was so good it was like watching a different sport to the one he used practice. I immediately got a friend to check boxrec for the 55 MSG fight (I refuse to carry one of those iPhones) and sure enough Charles was there in 55 and fought Charley Norkus. When I mentioned Charley by name Lenny immediately remembered. Lenny said that Charley was a good fighter in his own right but came up against a very special boxer.
I know Charley has family who post on here and thought I’d just share my experience talking with Lenny.
Lovely post Ezzard. These are the things I love to read! True life stories...I have this fight on film I think...!
Re: Ezzard Charles v Charley Norkus
Thank You Ezzard- Your post was passed on to me by a Dear friend. Thank You for your kind words, Charlie Norkus Jr.
The Ezzard Charles-Charley Norkus fight (on youtube) was the biggest fight of my dads career- ranking wise.
My father was in place for a title shot versus Rocky Marciano after defeating Roland LaStarza and Charlie Powell and other ranked fighters in 1954. Al Weill told my dad to "sit tight and stay in shape". Rocky had some business with some other fighters first and see how it will all shake out. By not fighting in 1955, risk losing his gained ground, my father heeded Al's advice. As Marciano defeated Ezz Charles, it came down to this. If my father could beat Ezz Charles, he would get his title shot. If by defeating Charles, The Norkus-Marciano tilt could draw enough to bring in pay days for both fighters. My father went into Garden with his career hopes on line.
Easily outpointed, my father held his own and even closed Ezzard Charles right eye. He hoped to score a KO using his left hook. But Charles was too good. He knew his way around the Ring as a former Champion should. Though my father went the distance (and his biggest pay date yet so far) he felt he knew that any opportunity for a title shot vs. Rocky was lost. He would hang on a few more years with chances to get a title shot vs. Patterson- but Moore and Pastrano were tough to handle as well.
I heard my father say through the years that he was not dejected of never getting a shot for the title Belt, as he said he made money in the Ring and TV fights ,so that to raise his family comfortably through the years. Personally- I think deep down-my father wanted Rocky bad. When asked by numerous reporters and writers what would happen if my father fought Rocky, my father replied each time fervantly, " Rocky was the hardest puncher he ever saw, but I think it would have been a helluva fight. " {My father felt confident that his left hook would prevail as Rocky had difficulty with left handed punches coming at him. The trick my father said was to avoid Rocky's punches at all costs-tough thing to do}
Thanks Again. CN Jr.
The Ezzard Charles-Charley Norkus fight (on youtube) was the biggest fight of my dads career- ranking wise.
My father was in place for a title shot versus Rocky Marciano after defeating Roland LaStarza and Charlie Powell and other ranked fighters in 1954. Al Weill told my dad to "sit tight and stay in shape". Rocky had some business with some other fighters first and see how it will all shake out. By not fighting in 1955, risk losing his gained ground, my father heeded Al's advice. As Marciano defeated Ezz Charles, it came down to this. If my father could beat Ezz Charles, he would get his title shot. If by defeating Charles, The Norkus-Marciano tilt could draw enough to bring in pay days for both fighters. My father went into Garden with his career hopes on line.
Easily outpointed, my father held his own and even closed Ezzard Charles right eye. He hoped to score a KO using his left hook. But Charles was too good. He knew his way around the Ring as a former Champion should. Though my father went the distance (and his biggest pay date yet so far) he felt he knew that any opportunity for a title shot vs. Rocky was lost. He would hang on a few more years with chances to get a title shot vs. Patterson- but Moore and Pastrano were tough to handle as well.
I heard my father say through the years that he was not dejected of never getting a shot for the title Belt, as he said he made money in the Ring and TV fights ,so that to raise his family comfortably through the years. Personally- I think deep down-my father wanted Rocky bad. When asked by numerous reporters and writers what would happen if my father fought Rocky, my father replied each time fervantly, " Rocky was the hardest puncher he ever saw, but I think it would have been a helluva fight. " {My father felt confident that his left hook would prevail as Rocky had difficulty with left handed punches coming at him. The trick my father said was to avoid Rocky's punches at all costs-tough thing to do}
Thanks Again. CN Jr.