BoxRec

Will be remembered fondly one of the old school

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=43

amazing record.

arguably one of the 10 best in boxing history.

What amazes me is how competitive he remained when past his peak. He fought for 15 more years after he lost his last title fight to Sandy Saddler, the one guy out there who really had his number.

Incredible fighter, I've not seen much of him fighting, but I've always been in awe of his record and reputation.

Thing was, he could actually punch as well, but he chose to fight a style where he wouldn't take much punishment, and lived a long healthy life as a result.

Excuse my ignorance but i didn't even realise Willie was still with us R.I.P. to a true legend, ask a fight fan the ultimate defensive master and Pep's name more often than not arises. Won a round without throwing a punch!

R.I.P 'Will o' the Wisp'

Absolute master boxer. James, I definately encourage you to get any of the boxers editions that featured Pep. Fantastic fight.

Actually, I'm the same as Steve - somehow thought he had died years ago. I hope his final years were healthy ones... its nice to see a boxer live till a ripe old age.

I was the same, maybe i read somewhere he was ill a few years ago, and just assumed he had passed away then.
I've watched that boxers editions DVD and he was masterful in defence, but also staying in range to land his own punches. Upper body movement is great and also he never really stays in one place , always circling and moving.

topper123 wrote:I was the same, maybe i read somewhere he was ill a few years ago, and just assumed he had passed away then.
I've watched that boxers editions DVD and he was masterful in defence, but also staying in range to land his own punches. Upper body movement is great and also he never really stays in one place , always circling and moving.

Yes, and remember the era he was fighting in. He was ahead of his time.

didnt he survive a plane crash as well?

headhunter wrote:didnt he survive a plane crash as well?

Yes, just read up on it, the plane crashed in January 1947, Willie was told that he wouldn't be able to box again.
He came back 6 months later in June and unbelivably still managed 11 fights in 1947. Winning them all

Quite simply the man was a Great.

The plane crash in 1947 was very serious, 5people died when the plane over shot the run way and landed in woods.

Pep broke his leg and the 5th and 6th vertebrae in his back...and he was back defending his title within mths.

R.I.P. Willie Pep

Archie moore was also in a terrible car crash, he was hospitalised for months and went down to 9 stone in weight due to an infection he picked up and almost died. He had really bad abdominal injuries and actually fought his first few fights back with a bent number plated hidden under his trunks to protect his abdomen!

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Archie moore was also in a terrible car crash, he was hospitalised for months and went down to 9 stone in weight due to an infection he picked up and almost died. He had really bad abdominal injuries and actually fought his first few fights back with a bent number plated hidden under his trunks to protect his abdomen!

Great story..

but..

It was a perforated ulcer that caused all the trouble..after the Eddie Booker fight actually..

FelixThurman came up with the idea of inserting the licence plate into the protector to protect the scar where the surgeon had made the cut.

Been looking at Pep's record over the last couple of days. Before the plane crash he'd only lost one and drawn one of one hundred and eleven bouts. What a fighter the man must have been.

tonyevs wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Archie moore was also in a terrible car crash, he was hospitalised for months and went down to 9 stone in weight due to an infection he picked up and almost died. He had really bad abdominal injuries and actually fought his first few fights back with a bent number plated hidden under his trunks to protect his abdomen!

Great story..

but..

It was a perforated ulcer that caused all the trouble..after the Eddie Booker fight actually..

FelixThurman came up with the idea of inserting the licence plate into the protector to protect the scar where the surgeon had made the cut.

Is that right, I know he was in a car wreck. I read a very old autobiography of Archie's written in the mid 60's some time ago, and I'm sure he said that the infection was something he picked up in hospital after the car crash, though having said that my memory isn't so shit hot. I definetly remember there being something about a car crash in there.