BoxRec - User contributions [en]

Rodney Toney

2022-12-13T18:58:48Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:2246 1037223411888 2588 n.jpg|left|photo]]
<boxer>6022</boxer>
Rodney "The Punisher" Toney is a former top ten Ring-rated contender in the middleweight division. He is the son of ex-fighter Harold "Honey" Combs, a 2004 inductee into Ohio's Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame Association. Toney was born in Boston and raised in the Georgetowne section of Hyde Park, where he became a local legend as a street-fighting teenager. Toney learned the fundamentals of the Sweet Science at the feet of his father and at the Boston YMCA with trainer Pete Cone. He was a Massachusetts Novice Champion, three-time Open Class Champion, Diamond Belt Champion, and four-time New England Regional Champion in the 165 lb class. In 1992, he was scouted by Terry Norris's handlers to join First Fighters Squadron in Campo, CA.

Toney was a trainer at The Ring Boxing Club (closed as of 2021) in Boston, MA for over ten years and is still training amateurs in Boston.

In Arpil 2019, he was inducted into the Ring 4 Boxing Hall of Fame.

Roscoe Gregory

2022-08-26T02:06:52Z

Scalinatella:

<boxer>89817</boxer>
== New York Golden Gloves Champion ==
Roscoe "Go-Go" Gregory won the 1962 135lb New York Golden Gloves Sub-Novice Championship. Gregory defeated Larry Kirkland of the Bayonne Police Athletic League in the finals to win the Championship. Gregory trained at the Police Athletic Leagues 73rd Precinct in New York.

[[Category:New York Daily News Golden Gloves Champions|Gregory,Roscoe]]

Cocoa Kid

2021-12-25T23:50:46Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Cocoa Kid2.JPG|left|325px|thumb]]
[[Image:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 2012 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio
[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/kid_cocoa.html]]]
<boxer>009418</boxer>
'''Managers:''' [[Walter Travers]], [[Pete Reilly]], [[Sammy Shack]],
[[Lou Caroby]], [[Bernie Bernstein]]

'''Cocoa Kid''' was rated in the top ten by [[The Ring Magazine|''The Ring'']] magazine as a lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight between 1933 and 1947. He was one among a set of feared African American fighters now known as Murderers' Row who engaged in fierce rivalries among themselves while champions looked the other way. Cocoa Kid is noted for his rivalry with Holman Williams, whom he faced thirteen times -- winning eight, losing three, and drawing in two.

Cocoa Kid made the cover of the Oct. 9, 1943 [[The Knockout]] magazine.

He claimed to have been born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to an African American mariner from Atlanta, Georgia and a Puerto Rican mother of Spanish descent, though a census report has been found that indicates that his mother, Myrtice Stacy, was native of Atlanta. He was orphaned when his father disappeared with the ship USS ''Cyclops'' during WWI and his mother died soon afterward. He was raised by a confirmed native of Mayaguez named Antonia Arroyo and an African American of West Indian descent named E.W. Robinson. Robinson was his first manager when he began boxing in Atlanta at fourteen years old. In 1932, former Connecticut state senator Harry Durant saw him in West Palm Beach and sponsored his move to New Haven where he began campaigning as Cocoa Kid.

The best evidence indicates that Cocoa Kid's legal name was "Herbert Lewis Hardwick." It has been well-established that he was named for his father. Cocoa Kid was known as "Lew Hardwick" in Atlanta and his grandmother called him "Louie." His uncle told the New Haven Register in February 1932 that his name was "Herbert Louis [Lewis] Hardwick." A New Haven phone directory has him listed as "Louis E. Harwick" in 1933. He went by "Lewis" but would later identify as Puerto Rican and Latinize his name from Louis to Luis. He also used the names Elberto and Humberto at different times. According to the Holyoke Daily Transcript-Telegram (5/24/1933), he was born "Elberto Louis Harwick" [without the "d"] though this is questionable. He was using the name "Arroyo" in the 1940s and was obviously immersed in Spanish culture, likely as a result of his devotion to Antonia Arroyo--whom he referred to as his mother.

For the whole tragic story of Cocoa Kid, see the 2nd edition of Springs Toledo's "Murderers' Row: In Search of Boxing's Greatest Outcasts" (2020).

Cocoa Kid was inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2012.

[[Category:Boxers with more than 200 bouts|Kid, Cocoa]][[Category:IBHOF Members|Kid, Cocoa]]
[[Category:New England Champions|Kid, Cocoa]]
[[Category:Murderers' Row]]

Cocoa Kid

2021-12-25T23:49:56Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Cocoa Kid2.JPG|left|325px|thumb]]
[[Image:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 2012 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio
[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/kid_cocoa.html]]]
<boxer>009418</boxer>
'''Managers:''' [[Walter Travers]], [[Pete Reilly]], [[Sammy Shack]],
[[Lou Caroby]], [[Bernie Bernstein]]

'''Cocoa Kid''' was rated in the top ten by [[The Ring Magazine|''The Ring'']] magazine as a lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight between 1933 and 1947. He was one among a set of feared African American fighters now known as Murderers' Row who engaged in fierce rivalries among themselves while champions looked the other way. Cocoa Kid is noted for his rivalry with Holman Williams, whom he faced thirteen times -- winning eight, losing three, and drawing in two.

Cocoa Kid made the cover of the Oct. 9, 1943 [[The Knockout]] magazine.

He claimed to have been born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to an African American mariner from Atlanta, Georgia and a Puerto Rican mother of Spanish descent, though a census report has been found that indicates that his mother, Myrtice Stacy, was native of Atlanta. He was orphaned when his father disappeared with the ship USS ''Cyclops'' during WWI and his mother died soon afterward. He was raised by a confirmed native of Mayaguez named Antonia Arroyo and an African American of West Indian descent named E.W. Robinson. Robinson was his first manager when he began boxing in Atlanta at fourteen years old. In 1932, former Connecticut state senator Harry Durant saw him in West Palm Beach and sponsored his move to New Haven where he began campaigning as Cocoa Kid.

The best evidence indicates that Cocoa Kid's legal name was "Herbert Lewis Hardwick." It has been well-established that he was named for his father. Cocoa Kid was known as "Lew Hardwick" in Atlanta and his grandmother called him "Louie." His uncle told the New Haven Register in February 1932 that his name was "Herbert Louis [Lewis] Hardwick." A New Haven phone directory has him listed as "Louis E. Harwick" in 1933. He went by "Lewis" but would later identify as Puerto Rican and Latinize his name from Louis to Luis. He also used the names Elberto and Humberto at different times. According to the Holyoke Daily Transcript-Telegram (5/24/1933), he was born "Elberto Louis Harwick" [without the "d"] though this is questionable. He was using the name "Arroyo" in the 1940s and was obviously immersed in Spanish culture, likely as a result of his devotion to Antonia Arroyo who he called his mother.

For the whole tragic story of Cocoa Kid, see the 2nd edition of Springs Toledo's "Murderers' Row: In Search of Boxing's Greatest Outcasts" (2020).

Cocoa Kid was inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2012.

[[Category:Boxers with more than 200 bouts|Kid, Cocoa]][[Category:IBHOF Members|Kid, Cocoa]]
[[Category:New England Champions|Kid, Cocoa]]
[[Category:Murderers' Row]]

Roberto Duran

2021-06-08T16:20:46Z

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[[File:Roberto Duran1.JPG|left|250px]]
{{ibhof |url=http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/duran.html}}
<boxer>000080</boxer>
*'''Managers:''' Carlos Eleta, Luis Spada, Carlos Hibbard
*'''Trainers:''' Nestor "Plomo" Quinones, [[Ray Arcel]], [[Pepe Correa]]
*'''Cut Man:''' [[Freddie Brown]]
*'''[[:Category:Roberto Duran Gallery|Roberto Duran Gallery]]
==Career Overview==
[[File:DuranLeonardI81442485.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Roberto Duran vs. Sugar Ray Leonard on June 20, 1980]]
*At the age of 21, Duran stopped [[Ken Buchanan]] in thirteen rounds to win the [[WBA]] Lightweight Championship on June 26, 1972. Duran dropped Buchanan at the end of the thirteenth round with an apparent low blow. Duran was given a TKO victory when Buchanan was ruled unfit to continue. Duran was ahead 8-3-1 on two scorecards and 9-3 on the other.
*On November 17, 1972, Duran suffered his first defeat, losing to [[Esteban De Jesús]] by a ten-round unanimous decision in a non-title fight. Duran was dropped in the first round by a left hook.
*Duran avenged his loss to De Jesús on March 16, 1974. Duran, who was dropped by a left hook in the first round, put De Jesús down for the count in the eleventh round to successfully defend the WBA title.
*On January 21, 1978, Duran fought Esteban De Jesús for the third time. Duran stopped De Jesús, the [[WBC]] Lightweight Champion, in twelve rounds to unify the WBA and WBC titles. This was Duran's last fight as a lightweight. He vacated the title and moved up to welterweight.
*On June 20, 1980, Duran defeated [[Sugar Ray Leonard]] by a fifteen-round unanimous decision to win the WBC Welterweight Championship. Duran won by one point on two scorecards and two points on the other.
*Duran had a rematch with Leonard on November 25, 1980. Leonard regained the title when Duran quit in the eighth round. Duran said he quit because of stomach cramps, but many believe he quit out of frustration over Leonard's slick boxing and taunting. The bout has become known as the "No Mas" fight.
*On January 30, 1982, Duran challenged [[Wilfred Benitez]] for the WBC Super Welterweight Championship and lost by a fifteen-round unanimous decision. In his next fight, Duran lost to [[Kirkland Laing]] by a ten-round split decision in [[The Ring Magazine]]'s 1982 [[Ring Magazine Upset of the Year|Upset of the Year]].
*After stopping [[Pipino Cuevas]] in four rounds, Duran got another title shot. On June 16, 1983, his 32nd birthday, Duran stopped [[Davey Moore (Light Middleweight)|Davey Moore]] in eight rounds to win the WBA Junior Middleweight Championship.
*On November 10, 1983, Duran fought [[Marvin Hagler|Marvelous Marvin Hagler]] for the Undisputed World Middleweight Championship. Duran was attempting to become the first fighter to win world titles in four weight classes. Hagler won by a fifteen-round unanimous decision, winning by one point on two scorecards and two points on the other.
*Duran was stripped of the WBA Junior Middleweight Championship for not fighting the #1 contender, [[Mike McCallum]]. Instead, Duran fought [[Thomas Hearns]] for the WBC Super Welterweight Championship on June 15, 1984, and was knocked out in two rounds.
*On [[Iran Barkley vs. Roberto Duran|February 24, 1989]], Duran defeated [[Iran Barkley]] by a twelve-round split decision to win the WBC Middleweight Championship. Duran became the third fighter in history to win world titles in four weight classes. The Ring Magazine named the bout [[Ring Magazine Fight of the Year|Fight of the Year]] for 1989.
*Duran fought Sugar Ray Leonard for the WBC Super Middleweight Championship on December 7, 1989. Duran opened cuts over both of Leonard's eyes late in the fight, but Leonard outboxed Duran to win by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision.
*On October 4, 2001, the 50-year-old Duran was injured after the car in which he was a passenger crashed on a highway in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His injuries included broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Duran announced his retirement in January 2002. "I can't return to fight anymore because this (recovering from the injuries) is going to take a lot more time," Duran said.

==Professional Record==
*Has defeated 15 opponents (12 by KO) in World Title fights.
**1 opponent (0 by KO) for the World Middleweight Title.
**1 opponent (1 by KO) for the World Super Welterweight Title.
**1 opponent (0 by KO) for the World Welterweight Title.
**12 opponents (11 by KO) for the World Lightweight Title.
*Has a record of 16-5 (13 KOs) in World Title fights.
*Has a record of 12-12 (7 KOs) against former world titleists.
**Won against [[Ernesto Marcel]], [[Hiroshi Kobayashi]], [[Ken Buchanan]], [[Guts Ishimatsu]], [[Esteban De Jesus]] (twice), [[Saoul Mamby]], [[Carlos Palomino]], [[Ray Leonard]], [[Pipino Cuevas]], [[Davey Moore (Light Middleweight)|Davey Moore]], [[Iran Barkley]], and [[Jorge Fernando Castro]].
**Lost against Esteban De Jesus, Ray Leonard (twice), [[Wilfred Benitez]], [[Marvin Hagler]], [[Thomas Hearns]], [[Vinny Pazienza]] (twice), [[Hector Camacho]] (twice), Jorge Fernando Castro, and [[William Joppy]].

==Awards & Recognition==
*Duran received [[The Ring Magazine]] [[Ring Magazine Comeback of the Year|Comeback of the Year]] award for 1983 and 1989. He is the only fighter to win it twice.
*The Associated Press ranked Duran as the greatest lightweight and the 7th greatest fighter of the 20th century in 1999.
*The Ring Magazine ranked Duran as the [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|greatest lightweight of all-time]] in 2001.
*The Ring Magazine ranked Duran as the [[The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years|5th best fighter of the past 80 years]] in 2002.
*Duran was inducted into the [[World Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2006 and the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2007.

==External Links==
*[http://www.cmgww.com/sports/duran/index.html Official Web site]
* ''See also'', 2016 bio-pic ''[[Hands of Stone]]''

{{start box}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Ken Buchanan]]|
title=[[WBA Lightweight Champion]]|
after=[[Ernesto Espana]]|
years=1972 Jun 26 – 1979 Jan '''Vacated'''
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Esteban De Jesus]]|
title=[[WBC Lightweight Champion]]|
after=[[Jim Watt]]|
years=1978 Jan 21 – 1979 Jan '''Vacated'''
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Sugar Ray Leonard]]|
title=[[WBC Welterweight Champion]]|
after=[[Sugar Ray Leonard]]|
years=1980 Jun 20 – 1980 Nov 25
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Davey Moore (Light Middleweight)|Davey Moore]]|
title=[[WBA Light Middleweight Champion]]|
after=[[Mike McCallum]]|
years=1983 Jun 16 – 1984 '''Stripped'''
}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Iran Barkley]]|
title=[[WBC Middleweight Champion]]|
after=[[Julian Jackson]]|
years=1989 Feb 24 – 1990 '''Vacated'''
}}
{{end box}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duran, Roberto}}
[[Category:World Lightweight Champions]]
[[Category:World Welterweight Champions]]
[[Category:World Light Middleweight Champions]]
[[Category:World Middleweight Champions]]
[[Category:Four Division World Champions]]
[[Category:Panamanian World Champions]]
[[Category:The Ring Magazine Champions]]
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members]]
[[Category:Duran Family]]

Rodney Toney

2020-04-16T19:10:04Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:2246 1037223411888 2588 n.jpg|left|photo]]
<boxer>6022</boxer>
Rodney "The Punisher" Toney is a former top ten Ring-rated contender in the middleweight division. He is the son of ex-fighter Harold "Honey" Combs, a 2004 inductee into Ohio's Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame Association. Toney was born in Boston and raised in the Georgetowne section of Hyde Park, where he became a local legend as a street-fighting teenager. Toney learned the fundamentals of the Sweet Science at the feet of his father and at the Boston YMCA with trainer Pete Cone. He was a Massachusetts Novice Champion, three-time Open Class Champion, Diamond Belt Champion, and four-time New England Regional Champion in the 165 lb class. In 1992, he was scouted by Terry Norris's handlers to join First Fighters Squadron in Campo, CA.

Toney is now a trainer at The Ring Boxing Club in Boston, MA.

In Arpil 2019, he was inducted into the Ring 4 Boxing Hall of Fame.

Rodney Toney

2020-04-16T19:09:32Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:2246 1037223411888 2588 n.jpg|left|photo]]
<boxer>6022</boxer>
Rodney "The Punisher" Toney is a former top ten Ring-ranked contender in the middleweight division. He is the son of ex-fighter Harold "Honey" Combs, a 2004 inductee into Ohio's Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame Association. Toney was born in Boston and raised in the Georgetowne section of Hyde Park, where he became a local legend as a street-fighting teenager. Toney learned the fundamentals of the Sweet Science at the feet of his father and at the Boston YMCA with trainer Pete Cone. He was a Massachusetts Novice Champion, three-time Open Class Champion, Diamond Belt Champion, and four-time New England Regional Champion in the 165 lb class. In 1992, he was scouted by Terry Norris's handlers to join First Fighters Squadron in Campo, CA.

Toney is now a trainer at The Ring Boxing Club in Boston, MA.

In Arpil 2019, he was inducted into the Ring 4 Boxing Hall of Fame.

Bert Lytell

2020-03-27T20:17:42Z

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[[File:Bert Lytel .1945.jpg|250px|frame|left|Photo 08/10/1945]]
<boxer>10007</boxer>
'''Manager''': [[Sammy Aaronson]], [[Tiny Patterson]], [[Bernie Bernstein]]. Later in his career, [[Frank Sheppard]] became one of his managers.

During his professional career, newspapers claimed that Bert Lytell was born in either Oakland or Fresno, California. However, U.S. Census records show that he was born in Victoria, Texas and that his real name was "Calvin Coolidge Lytle." His birthdate was also believed to be 5/24/1924 (Lytell himself was claiming that date by the late 1940s) but his military records state that he was actually born on 1/24/1924, which is also supported by the U.S Census record. Calvin enlisted in the naval reserves at San Antonio, Texas in March 1942 and was discharged in March 1944 in New York City. He resided in New York City for the bulk of his professional career. Lytell had an older brother named Loyal Lytle. Loyal moved to Oakland, California after his discharge from the army and Lytell was close to his brother and his brother's children. This may be the reason why Lytell claimed California as his home. Lytell lived in Oakland in the early 50s, moved back east, and then returned to Oakland -probably in the late 1960s.

Springs Toledo's series about Bert Lytell appears in "Murderers' Row: In Search of Boxing's Greatest Outcasts" (Tora, 2017; 2020).
[[Category:African American Boxers|Lytell, Bert]]
[[Category:Murderers' Row]]

Cocoa Kid

2020-03-27T20:17:10Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Cocoa Kid2.JPG|left|325px|thumb]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 2012 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio
[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/kid_cocoa.html]]]
<boxer>009418</boxer>
'''Managers:''' [[Walter Travers]], [[Pete Reilly]], [[Sammy Shack]],
[[Lou Caroby]], [[Bernie Bernstein]]

'''Cocoa Kid''' was rated in the top ten by [[The Ring Magazine|''The Ring'']] magazine as a lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight between 1933 and 1947. He was one among a set of feared African American fighters now known as Murderers' Row who engaged in fierce rivalries among themselves while champions looked the other way. Cocoa Kid is noted for his rivalry with Holman Williams, whom he faced thirteen times -- winning eight, losing three, and drawing in two.

Cocoa Kid made the cover of the Oct. 9, 1943 [[The Knockout]] magazine.

He was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mother of Spanish descent and an African American mariner from Atlanta, Georgia whose name was Lewis Herbert Hardwick. While still an infant, he and his mother were brought to Atlanta. He was orphaned after his father disappeared with the ship USS ''Cyclops'' during WWI. His mother died soon afterward. He was raised by maternal aunt Antonia Arroyo and an African American of West Indian descent named E.W. Robinson. Robinson was his first manager when he began boxing in Atlanta at fourteen years old. In 1932, former Connecticut state senator Harry Durant saw him in West Palm Beach and sponsored his move to New Haven where he began campaigning as Cocoa Kid.

The best evidence indicates that Cocoa Kid's legal name was "Herbert Lewis Hardwick." It has been well-established that he was named for his father. Cocoa Kid was known as "Lew Hardwick" in Atlanta and his grandmother called him "Louie." His uncle told the New Haven Register in February 1932 that his name was "Herbert Louis [Lewis] Hardwick." A New Haven phone directory has him listed as "Louis E. Harwick" in 1933. He went by "Lewis" but would later identify more with his Puerto Rican heritage and Latinize his name from Louis to Luis and use the names Elberto and Humberto at different times. According to the Holyoke Daily Transcript-Telegram (5/24/1933), he was born "Elberto Louis Harwick" [without the "d"] though this has not been confirmed. The name "Arroyo" was his mother's maiden name. He does not seem to use it until the 1940s, despite the fact that the use of duel surnames is a custom in Spanish culture.

For the whole tragic story of Cocoa Kid, see Springs Toledo's "Murderers' Row: In Search of Boxing's Greatest Outcasts" (Tora, 2017; 2020).

Cocoa Kid was inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2012.

[[Category:Boxers with more than 200 bouts|Kid, Cocoa]][[Category:IBHOF Members|Kid, Cocoa]]
[[Category:New England Champions|Kid, Cocoa]]
[[Category:Murderers' Row]]

Joe McDonald

2020-02-25T18:53:51Z

Scalinatella:

<human>244359</human>
* 1948 Bay State 135-lb Champion
* 1948 MA-RI 135-lb Champion
* 1948 135-lb New England Golden Gloves Champion
* 1948 NEAAU 135-lb Champion

Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury (2nd meeting)

2020-02-22T00:50:37Z

Scalinatella:

<fight>2424982</fight>
*vacant ''The Ring'' heavyweight title
*the winner will be recognized as the true heavyweight champion of the world by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board

File:Joe McDonald.jpeg

2020-02-13T15:34:32Z

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Ring 4 Hall of Fame

2020-02-10T22:51:33Z

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Ring 4 was incorporated in 1947 and is the only boxing organization in Massachusetts. It is one of the few Rings still in existence and it welcomes veteran boxers into its fold. It holds an annual banquet, Christmas party and monthly meetings, though its purpose is not to assist former boxers, in a financial pattern, who have fallen on hard times; as that is handled through the Massachusetts State Boxers Fund Board. Ring 4 does, however, cater to certain needs of those less fortunate, such as dues, banquet tickets and other minor situations.

Elected Officers for the year 2020
* Mickey Finn, President
* Ken Flora, Vice President
* Charley Dwyer, Secretary
* Bobby Bower, Treasurer
* Board of Directors - Chairman Bob Zwahlen, Buddy Ford, Eddie Fitzgerald, Jimbo Curran

Charley Burley

2019-10-26T21:05:39Z

Scalinatella: /* The Black Murderers' Row */

[[File:Charley Burley cropped.jpeg|left|250px]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Class of 1992 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/burley.html click]]]
<boxer>009004</boxer>
*'''Managers:''' Phil Goldstein and Lou Brown (1936-1940), [[Luke Carney]] (1941), [[Tommy O'Loughlin]] (1942-1946), Morris Slutsky (1945-1946) [[Charley Rose]], then [[Lew Burston]] & [[Jersey Jones]] (1946-1948), [[George Armstrong]] (1948-1949), Harry Roth (1949-1950) 
*'''Trainer:''' Hiawatha Grey 
*'''[[:Category:Charley Burley Gallery|Charley Burley Gallery]]
==Amateur Career==
*At age 12, Burley joined the Kay Boys Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he took up boxing under the tutelage of local trainers Leonard Payne and Howard Turner.
*Burley won a [[Golden Gloves]] Junior title at lightweight and a Golden Gloves Senior title at welterweight.
*Burley lost to [[Leo Sweeney]] in the welterweight final of the National [[AAU]] Tournament.
*In 1936, Burley was invited to Chicago to attend the box-offs for the Summer [[Olympics]] in Berlin, Germany, but he declined as he objected to the racial and religious persecution taking place in Germany. Instead, he received an invitation to represent the United States at the Workers' Games, which were being held in Barcelona, Spain, as an alternative to the Olympics. However, the Workers' Games never took place because of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

==Professional Career==
*On August 22, 1938, Burley defeated [[Cocoa Kid]] by a fifteen-round unanimous decision to win the "Colored" World Welterweight Championship.
*On April 6, 1944, Burley defeated [[Jack Chase]] by a ninth-round knockout to win the California State Middleweight Championship.
*Burley defeated future World Champions [[Fritzie Zivic]], [[Billy Soose]] and [[Archie Moore]].
*Burley fought [[Holman Williams]] seven times between 1939 and 1945. Burley won three, Williams won three and one was a [[no contest]].
*BoxRec lists Burley's record as 83-12-2 with 1 no contest, and the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] lists his record as 84-11-2 with 1 no contest.
*Burley was never stopped in 98 professional fights.

==Murderers' Row==
*Burley was among a group of feared and avoided black fighters in the 1940s referred to as "Killing Row" or "Murderers' Row" a term coined by writer [[Budd Schulberg]]. The group included [[Eddie Booker]], [[Jack Chase]], [[Cocoa Kid]], [[Bert Lytell]], [[Lloyd Marshall]], [[Aaron Wade|Aaron "Tiger" Wade]] and [[Holman Williams]].
*[[George Gainford]], manager of [[Sugar Ray Robinson]], admitted that he "bypassed" Burley "because his style was such he would have counteracted Robinson's." He asked [[Ray Arcel]], "Can't you get me someone besides Burley?"
*[[Johnny Ray]], manager of [[Billy Conn]], shouted at matchmaker Art Rooney, who proposed Burley as an opponent, "No! No! No! I don't want Burley. You can have him for Christmas, for New Year's, or your Aunt Tillie's birthday. But never mention his name again."
*[[Fritzie Zivic]], who lost two out of three fights to Burley, had his manager, [[Luke Carney]], take over Burley's contract to ensure he would never have to face him again.

==Exhibition Matches ==
*Burley fought a scheduled eight-round exhibition on October 18, 1949, against Jack Burns of Reno, Nevada. Burley, weighing 158, knocked out the 198-pound Burns in four rounds.
*Burley fought two exhibitions on October 21, 1949, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Burley knocked out Jack Brennan of Kansas City, Missouri, in three rounds and knocked out George Hayes of Creston, Iowa, in one round. The bouts were part of a barnstorming trip in which fighters were offered a purse to go the distance with Burley.

== Honors & Recognition ==
* Inducted into [[The Ring Magazine]] [[Ring Magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame|Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1983.
* Inducted into the [[World Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1987.
* Inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1992.
* Ranked 39th on The Ring Magazine's 2002 list [[The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years]].
* Ranked 86th on The Ring Magazine's 2003 list [[The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!]]
* Ranked 6th on The Ring Magazine's 2004 list [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|The Greatest Middleweights of All-Time]].
* Ranked 4th on The Ring Magazine's 2008 list [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|The Greatest Welterweights of All-Time]].
* Legendary trainer [[Eddie Futch]] said, "Charley Burley was the finest all-around fighter I ever saw."

Charles Duane Burley is buried at the Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh. Section: 6, Single Grave: 308.

== External Links ==
* Cyber Boxing Zone Bio & Record: [http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/burley.htm]
* CharleyBurley.com: [http://charleyburley.com/index.htm]
* Boxing's Greatest Fighters: [http://books.google.com/books?id=qRAFvgU2WjsC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=%22charley+burley%22+gainford&source=bl&ots=BWenfWQixD&sig=_Atxka3p6OsNfy3-bD6SjXQ4dO4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kwBIUaHUCZG84AOY1ICYDw&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22charley%20burley%22%20gainford&f=false]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Burley, Charley}}
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members]]

File:Eddie Caminero.jpeg

2019-09-15T14:10:14Z

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Frankie Jerome

2019-09-08T21:50:55Z

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[[File:FrankieJerome24.JPG|left|thumb|325px]]
<boxer>042505</boxer>
'''Frankie Jerome''', considered one of the 1920s [[The Golden Bantams|"Golden Bantams"]], was the brother of fellow boxer [[George Doherty]].

*Managed by Lou Brix, trained by Whitey Bimstein

Kid Norfolk

2019-07-19T15:49:12Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Kid Norfolk.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Kid Norfolk]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 2007 Old Timer Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/oldtimer/norfolk.html click]]]
<boxer>11318</boxer>
'''Manager:''' [[Leo P. Flynn]] 
[[:Image:Norfolk.Kid.jpg|Photo #2]]

'''Kid Norfolk','' born William Ward, was born in August 1896 in Norfolk, VA. He moved to Panama as a teenager, and adopted the name 'Kid Norfolk' after city of his birth. He retired in 1926 at age 29. He died on April 26, 1969 and is buried at Old St. Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx, section 21, range 18, grave 101 with his beloved wife Maria.

U.S. Passport Application #134287, dated October 29, 1919, states that Kid Norfolk resided in Panama from July 1915 until March 1916.

==External Links==
* For details of his life, see Springs Toledo's "191 Edgecombe": [https://www.city-journal.org/html/191-edgecombe-16042.html]
*[http://cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/norfolk.htm CyberBoxingZone Bio]
*[http://www.harrygreb.com/kidnorfolkbiopage.html]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norfolk, Kid}}
[[Category:African American Boxers]]
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]

Kid Norfolk

2019-07-19T15:47:28Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Kid Norfolk.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Kid Norfolk]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 2007 Old Timer Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/oldtimer/norfolk.html click]]]
<boxer>11318</boxer>
'''Manager:''' [[Leo P. Flynn]] 
[[:Image:Norfolk.Kid.jpg|Photo #2]]

'''Kid Norfolk','' born William Ward, was born in August 1896 in Norfolk, VA. He moved to Panama as a teenager, and adopted the name 'Kid Norfolk' after city of his birth. He retired in 1926 at age 29. He died on April 26, 1969 and is buried at Old St. Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx, section 21, range 18, grave 101 with his beloved wife Maria.

U.S. Passport Application #134287, dated October 29, 1919, states that Kid Norfolk resided in Panama from July 1915 until March 1916.

==External Links==
*[https://www.city-journal.org/html/191-edgecombe-16042.html]
*[http://cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/norfolk.htm CyberBoxingZone Bio]
*[http://www.harrygreb.com/kidnorfolkbiopage.html]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norfolk, Kid}}
[[Category:African American Boxers]]
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]

Fraser Scott

2019-06-03T12:21:48Z

Scalinatella:

[[file:9811.jpg|250px|left]]
<boxer>009811</boxer>
'''Manager''': [[Joe West]]

Fraser Scott was a Middleweight contender of the late 1960's, who achieved a high rating with a cut-induced stoppage of former Light Middleweight champion [[Denny Moyer]]. Scott then unsuccesfully challenged [[Nino Benvenuti]] for the World Middleweight title, when he was disqualified in the 7th round in controversial fashion. Scott, who claimed he was fighting out of a crouch, had been accused of headbutting by the Italian referee. As was sometimes the case with American fighters, fighting in Europe, this was caused in part by differences in styles in Europe and America, with American fighters getting punished in some cases for fighting out of a crouch by foreign referees.

Scott also penned an autobiographical book about his boxing career entitled; ''Weigh-in: The Selling of a Middleweight'', published in 1974.

Silent Martin

2018-07-07T16:58:28Z

Scalinatella:

[[file:Martin.Silent.jpg|left|Silent Martin]]
<boxer>011305</boxer>

* Greb [http://www.harrygreb.com/silentmartin.html Martin Page]
* Martin was a deaf-mute, as was manager F.W. Meinkin who reportedly used sign language in the corner.

[[Category:Deaf Boxers|Martin, Silent]]

Silent Martin

2018-07-07T16:57:12Z

Scalinatella:

[[file:Martin.Silent.jpg|left|Silent Martin]]
<boxer>011305</boxer>

* Greb [http://www.harrygreb.com/silentmartin.html Martin Page]
* Martin was a deaf-mute, as was his handler F.W. Meinkin.

[[Category:Deaf Boxers|Martin, Silent]]

Charley Burley

2018-05-06T18:39:18Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Charley-burley.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Charley Burley]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 1992 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/burley.html click]]]
[[File:WBHF Logo.jpg|right|thumb|200px|World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee]]
<boxer>009004</boxer>
*'''Managers:''' Phil Goldstein and Lou Brown (1936-1940), [[Luke Carney]] (1941), [[Tommy O'Loughlin]] (1942-1946), Morris Slutsky (1945-1946) [[Charley Rose]], then [[Lew Burston]] & [[Jersey Jones]] (1946-1948), [[George Armstrong]] (1948-1949), Harry Roth (1949-1950) 
*'''Trainer:''' Hiawatha Grey 
*'''[[:Category:Charley Burley Gallery|Charley Burley Gallery]]
 
==Amateur Career==
*At age 12, Burley joined the Kay Boys Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he took up boxing under the tutelage of local trainers Leonard Payne and Howard Turner.
*Burley won a [[Golden Gloves]] Junior title at lightweight and a Golden Gloves Senior title at welterweight.
*Burley lost to [[Leo Sweeney]] in the welterweight final of the National [[AAU]] Tournament.
*In 1936, Burley was invited to Chicago to attend the box-offs for the Summer [[Olympics]] in Berlin, Germany, but he declined as he objected to the racial and religious persecution taking place in Germany. Instead, he received an invitation to represent the United States at the Workers' Games, which were being held in Barcelona, Spain, as an alternative to the Olympics. However, the Workers' Games never took place because of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

==Professional Career==
*On August 22, 1938, Burley defeated [[Cocoa Kid]] by a fifteen-round unanimous decision to win the "Colored" World Welterweight Championship.
*On April 6, 1944, Burley defeated [[Jack Chase]] by a ninth-round knockout to win the California State Middleweight Championship.
*Burley defeated future World Champions [[Fritzie Zivic]], [[Billy Soose]] and [[Archie Moore]].
*Burley fought [[Holman Williams]] seven times between 1939 and 1945. Burley won three, Williams won three and one was a [[no contest]].
*BoxRec lists Burley's record as 83-12-2 with 1 no contest, and the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] lists his record as 84-11-2 with 1 no contest.
*Burley was never stopped in 98 professional fights.

==The Black Murderers' Row==
*Burley was among a group of feared and avoided black fighters in the 1940s referred to as "The Black Murderers' Row," a term coined by writer [[Budd Schulberg]]. The group included [[Eddie Booker]], [[Jack Chase]], [[Cocoa Kid]], [[Bert Lytell]], [[Lloyd Marshall]], [[Aaron Wade|Aaron "Tiger" Wade]] and [[Holman Williams]].
*[[George Gainford]], manager of [[Sugar Ray Robinson]], admitted that he "bypassed" Burley "because his style was such he would have counteracted Robinson's." He asked [[Ray Arcel]], "Can't you get me someone besides Burley?"
*[[Johnny Ray]], manager of [[Billy Conn]], shouted at matchmaker Art Rooney, who proposed Burley as an opponent, "No! No! No! I don't want Burley. You can have him for Christmas, for New Year's, or your Aunt Tillie's birthday. But never mention his name again."
*[[Fritzie Zivic]], who lost two out of three fights to Burley, had his manager, [[Luke Carney]], take over Burley's contract to ensure he would never have to face him again.

==Exhibition Matches ==
*Burley fought a scheduled eight-round exhibition on October 18, 1949, against Jack Burns of Reno, Nevada. Burley, weighing 158, knocked out the 198-pound Burns in four rounds.
*Burley fought two exhibitions on October 21, 1949, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Burley knocked out Jack Brennan of Kansas City, Missouri, in three rounds and knocked out George Hayes of Creston, Iowa, in one round. The bouts were part of a barnstorming trip in which fighters were offered a purse to go the distance with Burley.

== Honors & Recognition ==
* Inducted into [[The Ring Magazine]] [[Ring Magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame|Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1983.
* Inducted into the [[World Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1987.
* Inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1992.
* Ranked 39th on The Ring Magazine's 2002 list [[The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years]].
* Ranked 86th on The Ring Magazine's 2003 list [[The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!]]
* Ranked 6th on The Ring Magazine's 2004 list [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|The Greatest Middleweights of All-Time]].
* Ranked 4th on The Ring Magazine's 2008 list [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|The Greatest Welterweights of All-Time]].
* Legendary trainer [[Eddie Futch]] said, "Charley Burley was the finest all-around fighter I ever saw."

Charles Duane Burley is buried at the Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh. Section: 6, Single Grave: 308.

== External Links ==
* Cyber Boxing Zone Bio & Record: [http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/burley.htm]
* CharleyBurley.com: [http://charleyburley.com/index.htm]
* Boxing's Greatest Fighters: [http://books.google.com/books?id=qRAFvgU2WjsC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=%22charley+burley%22+gainford&source=bl&ots=BWenfWQixD&sig=_Atxka3p6OsNfy3-bD6SjXQ4dO4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kwBIUaHUCZG84AOY1ICYDw&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22charley%20burley%22%20gainford&f=false]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Burley, Charley}}
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members]]

Aaron Wade

2018-02-23T10:40:00Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Wadelittletiger8030.jpg]]

<boxer>009996</boxer>
'''Division''': Middleweight 
'''Managers''': [[Dell Van Liew]], [[Herb Levin]] and [[Dolph Thomas]]

Aaron "Little Tiger" Wade was the first African American golden gloves champion in Peoria, Illinois and reportedly had over 600 amateur fights. He turned professional in 1935 and followed older brother Bruce "Big Tiger" Wade to California in 1936. The youngest Wade brother, Leroy Wade, was also a professional fighter. All three were known for power, though it was Aaron who was the most successful and the most dangerous. Though he stood a little over 5'5, he fought in three divisions -welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight and entered the top-ten after defeating Bert Lytell in 1945.

Springs Toledo uncovered evidence that Wade took a dive in the last bout of his career against Sugar Ray Robinson. After his career ended, Wade descended into alcoholism but later overcame it and devoted his life to helping the less fortunate in the Fillmore section of San Francisco as a Christian minister. Wade died of a heart attack in 1985. He was 68 years old.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wade, Aaron}}
[[Category:African American Boxers]]

File:Wadelittletiger8030.jpg

2018-02-23T10:36:56Z

Scalinatella:

Aaron Wade

2018-02-21T11:35:44Z

Scalinatella: /* External Link */

[[File:SugarTiger.jpeg|left|thumb|420px|Tiger Wade sparring with [[Sugar Ray Robinson]]]]
<boxer>009996</boxer>
'''Division''': Middleweight 
'''Managers''': [[Dell Van Liew]], [[Herb Levin]] and [[Dolph Thomas]]

Aaron "Little Tiger" Wade was the first African American golden gloves champion in Peoria, Illinois and reportedly had over 600 amateur fights. He turned professional in 1935 and followed older brother Bruce "Big Tiger" Wade to California in 1936. The youngest Wade brother, Leroy Wade, was also a professional fighter. All three were known for power, though it was Aaron who was the most successful and the most dangerous. Though he stood a little over 5'5, he fought in three divisions -welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight and entered the top-ten after defeating Bert Lytell in 1945.

Springs Toledo uncovered evidence that Wade took a dive in the last bout of his career against Sugar Ray Robinson. After his career ended, Wade descended into alcoholism but later overcame it and devoted his life to helping the less fortunate in the Fillmore section of San Francisco as a Christian minister. Wade died of a heart attack in 1985. He was 68 years old.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wade, Aaron}}
[[Category:African American Boxers]]

Jack Chase

2018-02-21T11:34:32Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:JackChase.JPG|left|thumb|300px]]
<human>009995</human>
Managers: [[Bill Mathews]], [[Babe Shosky]], Joe Magnone (Colorado) and [[Johnny Kelloff]] (California).

* '''Jack Chase''' was inactive in 1938-1940 while serving time at Canon City Prison, Colorado.
* He fought as "Young Joe Louis" until 1942, when he began using "Jack Chase."
* His birth date is commonly and erroneously listed as 1/27/1915. He was actually born a year earlier. There is no birth certificate available but the earliest records U.S. Census reports from 1920 and 1930 and his reformatory/penitentiary records before his professional career began indicate that he was older than he later claimed and that his birthday was 1/27/1914.
*Although he was touted as having been unbeaten in 48 bouts by 1936, it is highly unlikely that he had any professional bouts before January 30, 1936. He had an extensive juvenile record reaching back to the age of 12 and he was in prison from Sept. 1933 until December 1935.
*He fought, consistently it seems, as Young Joe Louis from January 1936 until he went to prison for the second time in early 1938. The papers publicized his birth name. Soon after his release (and after the Gillespie tragedy when the papers again used his birth name) he seems to have waffled about what name he fought under. By 1942, he had settled on "Jack Chase."
*The ''World-Independent'''s tale of the tape before the Montoya fight (6/30/36), listed Young Joe Louis at 5'11. Reformatory and Penitentiary records list him as 5'9 or 5'10.
*Chase's first manager in Colorado was Bill Mathews. His first promoter was Babe Shosky, who was the mover and shaker on the Walsenburg boxing scene. In 1944, at the earliest, Chase was under the control of Johnny Kelloff. Circa 1945, he went back to an unnamed Colorado manager but returned to Kelloff by the time he finally beat Kenny Watkins in his third try. The newspapers credit Kelloff for his improved performance.
*Jack Chase's story appears in Springs Toledo's "Murderers' Row: In Search of Boxing's Greatest Outcasts" (Tora, 2017).
[[Category:African American Boxers|Chase, Jack]]
[[Category:Colorado State Champions|Chase, Jack]]
[[Category:California State Champions|Chase, Jack]]

Bert Lytell

2018-02-21T11:33:35Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Bert Lytel .1945.jpg|250px|frame|left|Photo 08/10/1945]]
<boxer>10007</boxer>
'''Manager''': [[Sammy Aaronson]], [[Tiny Patterson]], [[Bernie Bernstein]]. Later in his career, [[Frank Sheppard]] became one of his managers.

During his professional career, newspapers claimed that Bert Lytell was born in either Oakland or Fresno, California. However, U.S. Census records show that he was born in Victoria, Texas and that his real name was "Calvin Coolidge Lytle." His birthdate was also believed to be 5/24/1924 (Lytell himself was claiming that date by the late 1940s) but his military records state that he was actually born on 1/24/1924, which is also supported by the U.S Census record. Calvin enlisted in the naval reserves at San Antonio, Texas in March 1942 and was discharged in March 1944 in New York City. He resided in New York City for the bulk of his professional career. Lytell had an older brother named Loyal Lytle. Loyal moved to Oakland, California after his discharge from the army and Lytell was close to his brother and his brother's children. This may be the reason why Lytell claimed California as his home. Lytell lived in Oakland in the early 50s, moved back east, and then returned to Oakland -probably in the late 1960s.

Springs Toledo's series about Bert Lytell appears in "Murderers' Row: In Search of Boxing's Greatest Outcasts" (Tora, 2017).
[[Category:African American Boxers|Lytell, Bert]]

Cocoa Kid

2018-02-21T11:32:15Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Cocoa Kid2.JPG|left|325px|thumb]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 2012 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio
[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/kid_cocoa.html]]]
<boxer>009418</boxer>
'''Managers:''' [[Walter Travers]], [[Pete Reilly]], [[Sammy Shack]],
[[Lou Caroby]], [[Bernie Bernstein]]

'''Cocoa Kid''' was rated in the top ten by [[The Ring Magazine|''The Ring'']] magazine as a lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight between 1933 and 1947. He was one among a set of feared African American fighters now known as Murderers' Row who engaged in fierce rivalries among themselves while champions looked the other way. Cocoa Kid is noted for his rivalry with Holman Williams, whom he faced thirteen times -- winning eight, losing three, and drawing in two.

Cocoa Kid made the cover of the Oct. 9, 1943 [[The Knockout]] magazine.

He was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mother of Spanish descent and an African American mariner from Atlanta, Georgia whose name was Lewis Herbert Hardwick. While still an infant, he and his mother were brought to Atlanta. He was orphaned after his father disappeared with the ship USS ''Cyclops'' during WWI. His mother died soon afterward. He was raised by maternal aunt Antonia Arroyo and an African American of West Indian descent named E.W. Robinson. Robinson was his first manager when he began boxing in Atlanta at fourteen years old. In 1932, former Connecticut state senator Harry Durant saw him in West Palm Beach and sponsored his move to New Haven where he began campaigning as Cocoa Kid.

The best evidence indicates that Cocoa Kid's legal name was "Herbert Lewis Hardwick." It has been well-established that he was named for his father. Cocoa Kid was known as "Lew Hardwick" in Atlanta and his grandmother called him "Louie." His uncle told the New Haven Register in February 1932 that his name was "Herbert Louis [Lewis] Hardwick." A New Haven phone directory has him listed as "Louis E. Harwick" in 1933. He went by "Lewis" but would later identify more with his Puerto Rican heritage and Latinize his name from Louis to Luis and use the names Elberto and Humberto at different times. According to the Holyoke Daily Transcript-Telegram (5/24/1933), he was born "Elberto Louis Harwick" [without the "d"] though this has not been confirmed. The name "Arroyo" was his mother's maiden name. He does not seem to use it until the 1940s, despite the fact that the use of duel surnames is a custom in Spanish culture.

For the whole tragic story of Cocoa Kid, see Springs Toledo's "Murderers' Row: In Search of Boxing's Greatest Outcasts" (Tora, 2017).

Cocoa Kid was inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2012.

[[Category:Boxers with more than 200 bouts|Kid, Cocoa]][[Category:IBHOF Members|Kid, Cocoa]]
[[Category:New England Champions|Kid, Cocoa]]

Rodney Toney

2018-01-20T23:26:01Z

Scalinatella:

Rodney Toney

2018-01-20T23:25:10Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:2246 1037223411888 2588 n.jpg]]
<boxer>6022</boxer>
Rodney "The Punisher" Toney is a former top ten Ring-ranked contender in the middleweight division. He is the son of ex-fighter Harold "Honey" Combs, a 2004 inductee into Ohio's Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame Association. Toney was born in Boston and raised in the Georgetowne section of Hyde Park, where he became a local legend as a street-fighting teenager. Toney learned the fundamentals of the Sweet Science at the feet of his father and at the Boston YMCA with trainer Pete Cone. He was a Massachusetts Novice Champion, three-time Open Class Champion, Diamond Belt Champion, and four-time New England Regional Champion in the 165 lb class. In 1992, he was scouted by Terry Norris's handlers to join First Fighters Squadron in Campo, CA.

Toney is now a trainer at The Ring Boxing Club in Boston, MA.

File:2246 1037223411888 2588 n.jpg

2018-01-20T23:23:32Z

Scalinatella: Rodney Toney

Rodney Toney

2018-01-20T23:21:24Z

Scalinatella:

[[file:https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0078/0872/products/rodney_toney_large.jpg?v=1307155163|left|photo]]
<boxer>6022</boxer>
Rodney "The Punisher" Toney is a former top ten Ring-ranked contender in the middleweight division. He is the son of ex-fighter Harold "Honey" Combs, a 2004 inductee into Ohio's Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame Association. Toney was born in Boston and raised in the Georgetowne section of Hyde Park, where he became a local legend as a street-fighting teenager. Toney learned the fundamentals of the Sweet Science at the feet of his father and at the Boston YMCA with trainer Pete Cone. He was a Massachusetts Novice Champion, three-time Open Class Champion, Diamond Belt Champion, and four-time New England Regional Champion in the 165 lb class. In 1992, he was scouted by Terry Norris's handlers to join First Fighters Squadron in Campo, CA.

Toney is now a trainer at The Ring Boxing Club in Boston, MA.

Rodney Toney

2018-01-20T23:18:18Z

Scalinatella:

[[https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0078/0872/products/rodney_toney_large.jpg?v=1307155163]]
<boxer>6022</boxer>
Rodney "The Punisher" Toney is a former top ten Ring-ranked contender in the middleweight division. He is the son of ex-fighter Harold "Honey" Combs, a 2004 inductee into Ohio's Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame Association. Toney was born in Boston and raised in the Georgetowne section of Hyde Park, where he became a local legend as a street-fighting teenager. Toney learned the fundamentals of the Sweet Science at the feet of his father and at the Boston YMCA with trainer Pete Cone. He was a Massachusetts Novice Champion, three-time Open Class Champion, Diamond Belt Champion, and four-time New England Regional Champion in the 165 lb class. In 1992, he was scouted by Terry Norris's handlers to join First Fighters Squadron in Campo, CA.

Toney is now a trainer at The Ring Boxing Club in Boston, MA.

Sammy Fuller

2017-08-18T21:01:05Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:SamFuller33b.jpg|left|200px|thumb]]
<boxer>009435</boxer>
[[:Image:Fuller.Sammy.jpg|Photo #2]], [[:File:SamFuller33.jpg|Photo #3]], [[:File:Sammy Fuller43.jpg|Photo #4]]
 

'''Sammy Fuller''' claimed the World Light Welterweight title, by virtue of his May 20, 1932 12-round split decision victory over [[Jackie (Kid) Berg]]. However, Berg had lost recognition in most people's eyes on April 24, 1931, when he was knocked out by [[Tony Canzoneri]] in the third round. Fuller's claim came from the fact that Canzoneri, who was defending his Lightweight Title in the bout, had weighed in under the lightweight limit of 135 pounds along with Berg. Thus, the theory became that Berg's Light Welterweight Title was not really on the line. Fuller's claim to the title was ended completely when he lost to the generally-recognized World Light Welterweight Champion [[Barney Ross]] on November 17, 1933.

Described by the ''New York Times'' prior to his fight with [[Jimmy McLarnin]] as a "sturdy aggressive battler who punches well with either hands."

He later trained welterweight champion [[Tony DeMarco]] and middleweight contender [[Joe DeNucci]].

[[Category:Trainers|Fuller, Sammy]]

Tommy Sullivan

2017-04-06T00:25:45Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Sullivan Tommy.jpg|left|250px|thumb]] <boxer>047839</boxer>

'''Tommy Sullivan''' was ambushed and shot to death on December 22, 1957 as he walked past a cemetery on his way to work. Sullivan was killed after he left his home en route to work where he worked as a longshoreman. Witnesses said there were five-to-six shots fired from a slow-moving vehicle in which three or four persons were riding. No motive was determined for the slaying, but detectives said the ex-fighter might have been involved in a longshoreman's dispute. Source: NY Times (UP) Wireservice.

The Tommy Sullivan tragedy is investigated in Springs Toledo's "On the Boston Waterfront," published in City Journal (winter 2017). https://www.city-journal.org/html/boston-waterfront-14958.html

[[Category:murdered Boxers|Sullivan, Tommy]]

Tommy Sullivan

2017-04-06T00:24:43Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Sullivan Tommy.jpg|left|250px|thumb]] <boxer>047839</boxer>

'''Tommy Sullivan''' was ambushed and shot to death on December 22, 1957 as he walked past a cemetery on his way to work. Sullivan was killed after he left his home en route to work where he worked as a longshoreman. Witnesses said there were five-to-six shots fired from a slow-moving vehicle in which three or four persons were riding. No motive was determined for the slaying, but detectives said the ex-fighter might have been involved in a longshoreman's dispute. Source: NY Times (UP) Wireservice.

For the whole Tommy Sullivan story, see Springs Toledo's "On the Boston Waterfront," published in City Journal (winter 2017). https://www.city-journal.org/html/boston-waterfront-14958.html

[[Category:murdered Boxers|Sullivan, Tommy]]

Jack Chase

2017-02-26T19:11:25Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:JackChase.JPG|left|thumb|300px]]
<human>009995</human>
Managers: [[Bill Mathews]], [[Babe Shosky]], Joe Magnone (Colorado) and [[Johnny Kelloff]] (California).

* Chase was inactive in 1938-1940 while serving prison time at Canon City Prison, Colorado.
* He fought as "Young Joe Louis" until 1942, when he began using "Jack Chase."
* His birth date is commonly and erroneously listed as 1/27/1915. He was actually born a year earlier. There is no birth certificate available but the earliest records U.S. Census reports from 1920 and 1930 and his reformatory/penitentiary records before his professional career began indicate that he was older than he later claimed and that his birthday was 1/27/1914.
* Although he was touted as having been unbeaten in 48 bouts by 1936, it is highly unlikely that he had any professional bouts before January 30, 1936. He had an extensive juvenile record reaching back to the age of 12 and he was in prison from Sept. 1933 until December 1935.
* As per his name: He fought, consistently it seems, as Young Joe Louis from January 1936 until he went to prison for the second time in early 1938. The papers publicized his birth name. Soon after his release (and after the Gillespie tragedy when the papers again used his birth name) he seems to have waffled about what name he fought under. By 1942, he had settled on "Jack Chase."
* The ''World-Independent'''s tale of the tape before the Montoya fight (6/30/36), listed Young Joe Louis at 5'11. Reformatory and Penitentiary records list him as 5'9 or 5'10.
* Chase's first manager in Colorado was Bill Mathews. His first promoter was Babe Shosky, who was the mover and shaker on the Walsenburg boxing scene. In 1944, at the earliest, Chase was under the control of Johnny Kelloff. Circa 1945, he went back to an unnamed Colorado manager but returned to Kelloff by the time he finally beat Kenny Watkins in his third try. The newspapers credit Kelloff for his improved performance.

Jack Chase's story is told in Springs Toledo's ''Chasing Jack Chase.''

[[Category:African American Boxers|Chase, Jack]]
[[Category:Colorado State Champions|Chase, Jack]]
[[Category:California State Champions|Chase, Jack]]

Jack Chase

2017-02-26T19:10:41Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:JackChase.JPG|left|thumb|300px]]
<human>009995</human>
Managers: [[Bill Mathews]], [[Babe Shosky]], Joe Magnone (Colorado) and [[Johnny Kelloff]] (California).

* Chase was inactive in 1938-1940 while serving prison time at Canon City Prison, Colorado.
* He fought as "Young Joe Louis" until 1942, when he began using "Jack Chase."
* His birth date is commonly and erroneously listed as 1/27/1915. He was actually born a year earlier. There is no birth certificate available but the earliest records U.S. Census reports from 1920 and 1930 and his reformatory/penitentiary records before his professional career began indicate that he was older than he later claimed and that his birthday was 1/27/1914.
* Although he was touted as having been unbeaten in 48 bouts by 1936, it is highly unlikely that he had any professional bouts before January 30, 1936. He had an extensive juvenile record reaching back to the age of 12 and he was in prison from Sept. 1933 until December 1935.
* As per his name: He fought, consistently it seems, as Young Joe Louis from January 1936 until he went to prison for the second time in early 1938. The papers publicized his birth name. Soon after his release (and after the Gillespie tragedy when the papers again used his birth name) he seems to have waffled about what name he fought under. By 1942, he had settled on "Jack Chase."
* The ''World-Independent'''s tale of the tape before the Montoya fight (6/30/36), listed Young Joe Louis at 5'11. Reformatory and Penitentiary records list him as 5'9 or 5'10.
* Chase's first manager in Colorado was Bill Mathews. His first promoter was Babe Shosky, who was the mover and shaker on the Walsenburg boxing scene. In 1944, at the earliest, Chase was under the control of Johnny Kelloff. Circa 1945, he went back to an unnamed Colorado manager but returned to Kelloff by the time he finally beat Kenny Watkins in his third try. The newspapers credit Kelloff for his improved performance.

Jack Chase's story is told in Springs Toledo's ''Chasing Jack Chase.'' [http://www.thesweetscience.com/article-archive/2010/11462-chasing-jack-chase-part-i-the-dead-end-kid]

[[Category:African American Boxers|Chase, Jack]]
[[Category:Colorado State Champions|Chase, Jack]]
[[Category:California State Champions|Chase, Jack]]

Charley Burley

2015-08-02T00:44:22Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Charley-burley.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 1992 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/burley.html click]]]
[[File:WBHF Logo.jpg|right|thumb|200px|World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee]]
<boxer>009004</boxer>
*'''Managers''': Phil Goldstein and Lou Brown (1936-1940), [[Luke Carney]] (1941), [[Tommy O'Loughlin]] (1942-1946), Morris Slutsky (1945-1946) [[Charley Rose]], then [[Lew Burston]] & [[Jersey Jones]] (1946-1948), [[George Armstrong]] (1948-1949), Harry Roth (1949-1950) 
*'''Trainer:''' Hiawatha Grey 
*[[:File:ChasBurley.jpeg|Photo #2]], [[:File:Burley5097.jpg|Photo #3]], [[:File:Burley.Charley4.jpg|Photo #4]], [[:Image:Burley.Charley.jpg|Photo #5]], [[:File:Burley.Charley3.jpg|Photo #6]]
 
==Amateur Career==
*At age 12, Burley joined the Kay Boys Club in Pittsburgh where he took up boxing under the tutelage of local trainers Leonard Payne and Howard Turner.
*Burley won a [[Golden Gloves]] Junior title at lightweight and a Golden Gloves Senior title at welterweight.
*Burley lost to [[Leo Sweeney]] in the welterweight final of the National [[AAU]] Tournament.
*In 1936, Burley was invited to Chicago to attend the box-offs for the 1936 Berlin [[Olympics]], but declined as he objected to the racial and religious persecution taking place in Germany. Instead, he received an invitation to represent the United States at the Workers' Games, which were being held in Barcelona, Spain as an alternative to the Olympics. However, the Workers' Games never took place because of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

==Professional Career==
*Defeated [[Cocoa Kid]] by a fifteen-round unanimous decision to win the "Colored" World Welterweight Championship in 1938.
*Defeated [[Jack Chase]] by a ninth-round knockout to win the California Middleweight Championship in 1944.
*Defeated future World Champions [[Fritzie Zivic]], [[Billy Soose]], and [[Archie Moore]].
*Fought [[Holman Williams]] seven times between 1939 and 1945. Burley won three, Williams won three, and one was a [[no contest]].

==The Black Murderers' Row==
*Burley was among a group of feared and avoided black fighters in the 1940s referred to as "The Black Murderers' Row," a term coined by writer [[Budd Schulberg]]. The group included [[Eddie Booker]], [[Jack Chase]], [[Cocoa Kid]], [[Bert Lytell]], [[Lloyd Marshall]], [[Aaron Wade|Aaron "Tiger" Wade]], and [[Holman Williams]].
*[[George Gainford]], manager of [[Sugar Ray Robinson]], admitted that he "bypassed" Burley "because his style was such he would have counteracted Robinson's." He asked [[Ray Arcel]], "Can't you get me someone besides Burley?"
*[[Johnny Ray]], manager of [[Billy Conn]], shouted at matchmaker Art Rooney, who proposed Burley as an opponent, "No! No! No! I don't want Burley. You can have him for Christmas, for New Year's, or your Aunt Tillie's birthday. But never mention his name again."
*[[Fritzie Zivic]], who lost two out of three fights to Burley, had his manager, [[Luke Carney]], take over Burley's contract to ensure he would never have to face him again.

==Exhibition Matches ==
*Fought a scheduled eight-round exhibition on October 18, 1949 against Jack Burns of Reno, Nevada. Burley, weighing 158, knocked out the 198-pound Burns in four rounds.
*Fought two exhibitions on October 21, 1949 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Burley knocked out Jack Brennan of Kansas City, Missouri in three rounds and knocked out George Hayes of Creston, Iowa in one round. The bouts were part of a barnstorming trip in which fighters were offered a purse to go the distance with Burley.

== Honors & Recognition ==
* Inducted into [[The Ring Magazine]] [[Ring Magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame|Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1983
* Inducted into the [[World Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1987
* Inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1992
* Ranked 39th on The Ring Magazine's 2002 list [[The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years]]
* Ranked 86th on The Ring Magazine's 2003 list [[The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!]]
* Ranked 6th on The Ring Magazine's 2004 list of [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|The Greatest Middleweights of All-Time]]
* Ranked 4th on The Ring Magazine's 2008 list of [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|The Greatest Welterweights of All-Time]]
* Legendary trainer [[Eddie Futch]] said, "Charley Burley was the finest all-around fighter I ever saw."
== External Links ==
* Cyber Boxing Zone Bio: [http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/burley.htm]
* Charley Burley and the Black Murderers' Row: [http://charleyburley.com/index.htm]
* Boxing's Greatest Fighters: [http://books.google.com/books?id=qRAFvgU2WjsC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=%22charley+burley%22+gainford&source=bl&ots=BWenfWQixD&sig=_Atxka3p6OsNfy3-bD6SjXQ4dO4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kwBIUaHUCZG84AOY1ICYDw&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22charley%20burley%22%20gainford&f=false]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Burley, Charley}}
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members]]

Charley Burley

2015-08-02T00:40:40Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:Charley-burley.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 1992 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/burley.html click]]]
[[File:WBHF Logo.jpg|right|thumb|200px|World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee]]
<boxer>009004</boxer>
*'''Managers''': [[Phil Goldstein]] and Lou Brown (1936-1940), [[Luke Carney]] (1941), [[Tommy O'Loughlin]] (1942-1946), Morris Slutsky (1945-1946) [[Charley Rose]], then [[Lew Burston]] & [[Jersey Jones]] (1946-1948), [[George Armstrong]] (1948-1949), Harry Roth (1949-1950) 
*'''Trainer:''' Hiawatha Grey 
*[[:File:ChasBurley.jpeg|Photo #2]], [[:File:Burley5097.jpg|Photo #3]], [[:File:Burley.Charley4.jpg|Photo #4]], [[:Image:Burley.Charley.jpg|Photo #5]], [[:File:Burley.Charley3.jpg|Photo #6]]
 
==Amateur Career==
*At age 12, Burley joined the Kay Boys Club in Pittsburgh where he took up boxing under the tutelage of local trainers Leonard Payne and Howard Turner.
*Burley won a [[Golden Gloves]] Junior title at lightweight and a Golden Gloves Senior title at welterweight.
*Burley lost to [[Leo Sweeney]] in the welterweight final of the National [[AAU]] Tournament.
*In 1936, Burley was invited to Chicago to attend the box-offs for the 1936 Berlin [[Olympics]], but declined as he objected to the racial and religious persecution taking place in Germany. Instead, he received an invitation to represent the United States at the Workers' Games, which were being held in Barcelona, Spain as an alternative to the Olympics. However, the Workers' Games never took place because of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

==Professional Career==
*Defeated [[Cocoa Kid]] by a fifteen-round unanimous decision to win the "Colored" World Welterweight Championship in 1938.
*Defeated [[Jack Chase]] by a ninth-round knockout to win the California Middleweight Championship in 1944.
*Defeated future World Champions [[Fritzie Zivic]], [[Billy Soose]], and [[Archie Moore]].
*Fought [[Holman Williams]] seven times between 1939 and 1945. Burley won three, Williams won three, and one was a [[no contest]].

==The Black Murderers' Row==
*Burley was among a group of feared and avoided black fighters in the 1940s referred to as "The Black Murderers' Row," a term coined by writer [[Budd Schulberg]]. The group included [[Eddie Booker]], [[Jack Chase]], [[Cocoa Kid]], [[Bert Lytell]], [[Lloyd Marshall]], [[Aaron Wade|Aaron "Tiger" Wade]], and [[Holman Williams]].
*[[George Gainford]], manager of [[Sugar Ray Robinson]], admitted that he "bypassed" Burley "because his style was such he would have counteracted Robinson's." He asked [[Ray Arcel]], "Can't you get me someone besides Burley?"
*[[Johnny Ray]], manager of [[Billy Conn]], shouted at matchmaker Art Rooney, who proposed Burley as an opponent, "No! No! No! I don't want Burley. You can have him for Christmas, for New Year's, or your Aunt Tillie's birthday. But never mention his name again."
*[[Fritzie Zivic]], who lost two out of three fights to Burley, had his manager, [[Luke Carney]], take over Burley's contract to ensure he would never have to face him again.

==Exhibition Matches ==
*Fought a scheduled eight-round exhibition on October 18, 1949 against Jack Burns of Reno, Nevada. Burley, weighing 158, knocked out the 198-pound Burns in four rounds.
*Fought two exhibitions on October 21, 1949 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Burley knocked out Jack Brennan of Kansas City, Missouri in three rounds and knocked out George Hayes of Creston, Iowa in one round. The bouts were part of a barnstorming trip in which fighters were offered a purse to go the distance with Burley.

== Honors & Recognition ==
* Inducted into [[The Ring Magazine]] [[Ring Magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame|Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1983
* Inducted into the [[World Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1987
* Inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1992
* Ranked 39th on The Ring Magazine's 2002 list [[The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years]]
* Ranked 86th on The Ring Magazine's 2003 list [[The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!]]
* Ranked 6th on The Ring Magazine's 2004 list of [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|The Greatest Middleweights of All-Time]]
* Ranked 4th on The Ring Magazine's 2008 list of [[Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time|The Greatest Welterweights of All-Time]]
* Legendary trainer [[Eddie Futch]] said, "Charley Burley was the finest all-around fighter I ever saw."
== External Links ==
* Cyber Boxing Zone Bio: [http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/burley.htm]
* Charley Burley and the Black Murderers' Row: [http://charleyburley.com/index.htm]
* Boxing's Greatest Fighters: [http://books.google.com/books?id=qRAFvgU2WjsC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=%22charley+burley%22+gainford&source=bl&ots=BWenfWQixD&sig=_Atxka3p6OsNfy3-bD6SjXQ4dO4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kwBIUaHUCZG84AOY1ICYDw&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22charley%20burley%22%20gainford&f=false]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Burley, Charley}}
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members]]

Charley Burley

2015-08-02T00:35:15Z

Scalinatella:

Aaron Wade

2014-04-20T20:24:04Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:SugarTiger.jpeg|left|thumb|420px|Tiger Wade sparring with [[Sugar Ray Robinson]]]]
<boxer>009996</boxer>
'''Division''': Middleweight 
'''Managers''': [[Dell Van Liew]] & [[Herb Levin]]

Aaron "Little Tiger" Wade was the first African American golden gloves champion in Peoria, Illinois and reportedly had over 600 amateur fights. He turned professional in 1935 and followed older brother Bruce "Big Tiger" Wade to California in 1936. The youngest Wade brother, Leroy Wade, was also a professional fighter. All three were known for power, though it was Aaron who was the most successful and the most dangerous. Though he stood a little over 5'5, he fought in three divisions -welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight and entered the top-ten after defeating Bert Lytell in 1945.

Springs Toledo uncovered evidence that Wade took a dive in the last bout of his career against Sugar Ray Robinson. After his career ended, Wade descended into alcoholism but later overcame it and devoted his life to helping the less fortunate in the Fillmore section of San Francisco as a Christian minister. Wade died of a heart attack in 1985. He was 68 years old.
== External Link ==
*''Battle Hymn--The Untold Story of Little Tiger Wade'', by Springs Toledo: [http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/articles-frontpage/18190-battle-hymn-the-untold-story-of-little-tiger-wade]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wade, Aaron}}
[[Category:African American Boxers]]

Aaron Wade

2014-04-20T17:53:48Z

Scalinatella:

[[File:SugarTiger.jpeg|left|thumb|420px|Tiger Wade sparring with [[Sugar Ray Robinson]]]]
<boxer>009996</boxer>
'''Division''': Middleweight 
'''Managers''': [[Dell Van Liew]] & [[Herb Levin]]

Aaron "Little Tiger" Wade was the first black golden gloves champion in Peoria, Illinois and reportedly had over 600 amateur fights. He turned professional in 1935 and followed older brother Bruce "Big Tiger" Wade to California in 1936. The youngest Wade brother, Leroy Wade, was also a professional fighter. All three were known for power, though it was Aaron who was the most successful and the most dangerous. Thought he stood a little over 5'5, he fought in three divisions -welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight and entered the top-ten after defeating Bert Lytell in 1945.

Springs Toledo uncovered compelling evidence that Wade took a dive in the last bout of his career against Sugar Ray Robinson. After his career ended, Wade descended into alcoholism but later overcame it and devoted his life to helping the less fortunate in the Fillmore section of San Francisco as a Christian minister. Wade died of a heart attack in 1985. He was 68 years old.
== External Link ==
*''Battle Hymn--The Untold Story of Little Tiger Wade'', by Springs Toledo: [http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/articles-frontpage/18190-battle-hymn-the-untold-story-of-little-tiger-wade]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wade, Aaron}}
[[Category:African American Boxers]]

Kid Charol

2013-01-26T23:47:55Z

Scalinatella:

[[file:Charol.Kid.jpg|left]]
<boxer>060076</boxer>
The first boxing hero in Cuba, and, according to a Kid Chocolate interview by Jonathan Rendall, "the best fighter who ever lived."

Luis Gutierrez (manager)

2013-01-15T00:13:42Z

Scalinatella: /* Manager */

== Manager ==
* Luis "Pincho" Gutierrez, also spelled "Luis Guiterrez"; correct surname in Spanish is "Gutierrez" (Gutiérrez)
* Managed [[Kid Chocolate]], [[Black Bill]], [[Tuzo Portuguez]], [[Nino Valdes]], and [[Relampago Saguero]], among others.

[[Category:Managers|Gutierrez, Luis]]

Luis Gutierrez (manager)

2013-01-15T00:13:00Z

Scalinatella: /* Manager */

== Manager ==
* Luis "Pincho" Gutierrez, also spelled "Luis Guiterrez"; correct surname in Spanish is "Gutierrez" (Gutiérrez)
* Managed [[Kid Chocolate]], [[Black Bill]], [[Tuzo Portuguez]], [[Nino Valdez]], and [[Relampago Saguero]], among others.

[[Category:Managers|Gutierrez, Luis]]

Sonny Liston

2012-09-08T00:47:23Z

Scalinatella: /* Mysteries Surrounding Birth */

[[File:Liston64Se.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Sonny Liston]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 1991 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/liston.html click]]]

[[File:WBHF Logo.jpg|right|thumb|200px|World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee]]
<boxer>009031</boxer>
'''Managers:''' [[Jack Nilon]], [[Joe (Pep) Barone]], [[Eddie Polino]], [[George Katz]], [[Frank Mitchell]], and [[Dick Sadler]] 
'''Trainers''': [[Willie Reddish]], Dick Sadler and [[Johnny Tocco]] 
'''Cut Men''': [[Joe Polino]] and [[Milt Bailey]] 
'''Officiating Record:''' [http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=401093&cat=referee Referee] 
'''[[:Category:Sonny Liston Gallery|Sonny Liston Gallery]]

 
== Mysteries Surrounding Birth==
Charles "Sonny" Liston claimed that his birth date was May 8, 1932. This date is, in all likelihood, inaccurate. We know that he was born in rural Arkansas, one of eleven children of his biological mother, Helen Baskin, and purportedly the twenty-fourth of twenty-five children sired by his father, Tobe Liston. His exact birth date is unclear, however, with his arrest records giving it as 1927 or 1928. Those dates are now confirmed as inaccurate. Birth records released by the National Archives for the Bureau of the Census for 1930 for Forrest City, Arkansas, where Liston was born, list Liston's parents, three sisters and three brothers, but NOT Charles (Sonny). His youngest brother, Curtis, was listed as six months old on those census documents filed in early 1930. Since Liston could only have been born in middle or late 1930 or afterwards, he could not have been older than 40 years old when he died, thus eliminating any of the controversy surrounding Liston's age, and making Sonny Liston no older than 33 when he fought Muhammad Ali for the first time in Liston's first defense of the World Heavyweight Championship on February 26, 1964.

The 1940 U.S. census lists one "Charles L" residing in the Liston household in Smith Township, Cross Co., Arkansas. His age is given as ten. According to Springs Toledo, that number probably indicates that he was in his ''tenth year''. To wit: his older brother Curtis was born in October 1929 but was listed at "eleven," though he was ten. Curtis's birth date tells us that Sonny's birth date was at least nine months later. The truth continues to evade the historian. Toledo holds that July 22, 1930 is a possible birth date and provides evidence to that end.

== Early Life and Amateur Career ==
Liston's childhood was one of poverty, pain, and illiteracy. Brutal and frequent beatings from his father caused Liston to pursue his mother to St Louis at age 13.

In St. Louis, Liston was in frequent trouble with the law. After many minor arrests, Liston was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to prison. During his stay, his talent was discovered by a Catholic priest. Through the actions of the Priest, Liston was paroled early and began a career in boxing.

In a brief amateur career, spanning less than a year, Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic gold medalist [[Ed Sanders]], and the Intercity Golden Gloves' championship by decision over [[Julius Griffin]].

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{{start box}}
{{succession box | title=[[Chicago Golden Gloves|Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions]] Heavyweight Champion | before= [[Ed Sanders]]| after= [[Garvin Sawyer]]| years= 1953}}

{{succession box |
before= [[Norvel Lee]]|
title= [[Intercity Golden Gloves|Intercity Golden Gloves]] Heavyweight Champion |
years= 1953 |
after= [[Len Kanthal]]}}
{{end box}}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

==Early Professional Career ==
Liston began his professional career with a first round knockout of Don Smith and built up a nine fight winning streak against mainly unremarkable opposition. He made his debut on national television against [[Johnny Summerlin]], winning a decision after eight rounds. He was handed his first defeat by awkward journeyman [[Marty Marshall]] on 7th September 1954. Whilst laughing at his opponent's unorthodox ring tactics, Liston was caught by a Marshall right hand and suffered a broken jaw, but still lasted the distance, losing on a split decision. He met Marshall again seven months later, this time winning by a sixth round TKO after flooring Marshall four times. Liston also won their rubber match in March 1956 to extend his record to 14-1. However, a few months later he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for assaulting a police officer and banned from boxing for the whole of 1957.

==Heavyweight Contender ==
Following his release from prison, Liston embarked on an rigorous campaign starting in 1958 which would see him level the entire heavyweight division and become the only logical contender to champion [[Floyd Patterson]]'s crown. But it would be four years before Liston finally earned a shot at the title, with Patterson's handlers citing Liston's links to organised crime as a reason to avoid the match-up. Liston knocked out [[Nino Valdes]] in three rounds and [[Wayne Bethea]] in one; he twice knocked out the hard punching [[Cleveland Williams]] (TKO3 and TKO2) in classic slugfests; [[Zora Folley]] (51-3-2) was knocked out in three, [[Mike DeJohn]] (37-5-1) in six, [[Roy Harris]] (30-1) in one and [[Albert Westphal]] in one. The only opponents to last the distance were [[Eddie Machen]] and [[Bert Whitehurst]] (the latter managed the feat twice, but was knocked through the ropes in the final ten seconds of their bout), although both adopted ultra-cautious tactics and Liston won comfortably on points. Finally, after years of pressure, Patterson defied his manager [[Cus D'Amato]] and signed to fight Liston.

==Heavyweight Champion ==
Liston and Patterson finally met in the ring on 25th September 1962 in Chicago. Once the bell rang, it soon became clear that Patterson lacked the strength or power to keep Liston away. Liston pinned Patterson on the ropes in the first round and felled the champion with a series of blows to the head. Patterson was unable to beat the count, and after 2:05 the bout was over. Liston was the new world champion. The rematch a year later lasted just four seconds longer, Liston again winning with a brutal first round knockout.

At around the same time, a brash and talented young heavyweight named [[Muhammad Ali|Cassius Clay]] emerged onto the boxing scene. In his bid to earn a title shot, Clay christened Liston a "big, ugly bear" and left bear traps outside his house. The bout took place on 25 February 1964. Despite Liston entering the ring as an 8-1 favourite, the quick and agile Clay proved an elusive target. Liston struggled to land clean blows, while Clay scored with quick combinations. After six rounds it was all over. Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh, claiming an injured shoulder, handing Clay the championship.

The rematch between Liston and Clay (by now known as Muhammad Ali) is among the most controversial bouts in heavyweight history. As the first round got underway, Liston was felled by a seemingly innocuous right hand thrown by Ali as he was moving backwards. Referee, former heavyweight champion [[Jersey Joe Walcott]], ushered Ali to a neutral corner but failed to pick up the count from the timekeeper. Liston got up and Walcott told the fighters to continue boxing, but [[Nat Fleischer]] shouted to Walcott from ringside that Liston had been down for more then ten seconds. Walcott stopped the fight. The so-called "phantom punch" (named the Anchor punch by Ali) remains controversial to this day, with rumours persisting that Liston took a dive, under pressure from either the mob or the Black Muslims.

==Post Championship ==
Following the bout with Ali, Liston remained inactive for the rest of 1965. He made a comeback in 1966, winning four consecutive bouts in Sweden promoted by [[Ingemar Johansson]]. He won a further seven consecutive bouts in 1968 against relatively obscure opposition, before suffering the only uncontroversial knockout loss of his career, when he was knocked unconscious by a vicious right hand from [[Leotis Martin]], a bout in which Liston was leading on all three scorecards. That would prove to be the penultimate fight of Liston's career. His final bout came against future heavyweight title challenger [[Chuck Wepner]] on 29th June 1970; Liston won by a tenth round TKO after Wepner was unable to continue due to heavy cuts.

==Mysteries Surrounding Death==
On Jan. 5, 1971, Liston's body was discovered by Geraldine, who had been away visiting family, in their Las Vegas home. Coroners determined he had died on December 30, 1970.

Liston had needle tracks in his arms, and heroin was present in his system. His wife and numerous friends, including referee [[Davey Pearl]], claimed he was deathly afraid of needles and could not have been a drug addict. Some believe mobsters murdered him by forcibly giving him a lethal overdose. At least one acquaintance suggested Liston was involved in a loan-sharking ring and was demanding a bigger stake.

Officially, Liston died of heart failure and lung congestion. The medical examiner ruled 'death by natural causes' and no further investigation was conducted.

His funeral was attended by many of boxing's dignitaries, including former heavyweight champion Joe Louis, who was a pall-bearer.

"Ultimately, the true cause of Sonny Liston's death was the mystery in him," Nick Tosches wrote in ''The Devil and Sonny Liston''. "He rode a fast dark train from nowhere, and it dumped him from that falling-off place at the end of the line."

== Media ==
*Liston appeared on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ed_Sullivan_Show "The Ed Sullivan Show"], performing his jump-roping talent, and made an appearance on ''The Jack Benny Program.''
*Liston was in the audience (seated next to [[Joe Louis]]), and introduced, during The Beatles' second appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," from Miami Beach, Florida, Feb. 16, 1964: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTSLChMGKy4]
*Liston also forayed into a career in acting. He appeared in the movies [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066095 ''Moonfire''], [http://www.imdb.com/tittle/tt0063049 ''Head''], and [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059253 ''Harlow'' (1965)].
*Also appeared in a television commercial for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braniff_International_Airways Braniff International Airways] with acclaimed new age artist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol Andy Warhol].

== External Links ==
*Grave Site: [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=632]
*Seconds Out Article: [http://www.secondsout.com/legends/legends_31480.asp]
*Cyber Boxing Zone Article: [http://cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/box2-00.htm#liston]
*Internet Movie Database: [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0514288/]
*ESPN Article: [http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Liston_Sonny.html]

== Published References ==
#A. S. Young, ''Sonny Liston: The Champ Nobody Wanted'' (1963).
#R. Burnes, "Heavyweight with a Past" ''Saturday Evening Post'', 13 August 1960, pp. 56-58.
#J. Flaherty, "A Right to the Jaw-That's Black Power" ''Esquire'', March 1969, pp. 112-14.
#B. J. Friedman, "Requeim for a Heavy" ''Esquire'', Aug. 1971, ppg. 55-57.
#L. V. Davis, "Sonny Liston"; in ''American National Biography'', pp. 733-34. (1999).

----
Books on Liston: [[Devil and Sonny Liston|''Devil and Sonny Liston'']]

{{start box}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Floyd Patterson]]|
title=[[WBA Heavyweight Champion]] [[NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion]]|
after=[[Muhammad Ali|Cassius Clay]]|
years=1962 Sep 25 – 1964 Feb 25
}}
{{Succession box|
before=Inaugural Champion|
title=[[WBC Heavyweight Champion]]|
after=[[Muhammad Ali|Cassius Clay]]|
years=1963 Feb 14 – 1964 Feb 25
}}
{{end box}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liston, Sonny}}
[[Category:Intercity Golden Gloves Champions]]
[[Category:Chicago Golden Gloves Champions]]
[[Category:World Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:American World Champions]]
[[Category:Referees]]
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members]]
[[Category:Actors]]

Sonny Liston

2012-09-08T00:46:32Z

Scalinatella: /* Mysteries Surrounding Birth */

[[File:Liston64Se.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Sonny Liston]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 1991 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/liston.html click]]]

[[File:WBHF Logo.jpg|right|thumb|200px|World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee]]
<boxer>009031</boxer>
'''Managers:''' [[Jack Nilon]], [[Joe (Pep) Barone]], [[Eddie Polino]], [[George Katz]], [[Frank Mitchell]], and [[Dick Sadler]] 
'''Trainers''': [[Willie Reddish]], Dick Sadler and [[Johnny Tocco]] 
'''Cut Men''': [[Joe Polino]] and [[Milt Bailey]] 
'''Officiating Record:''' [http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=401093&cat=referee Referee] 
'''[[:Category:Sonny Liston Gallery|Sonny Liston Gallery]]

 
== Mysteries Surrounding Birth==
Charles "Sonny" Liston claimed that his birth date was May 8, 1932. This date is, in all likelihood, inaccurate. We know that he was born in rural Arkansas, one of eleven children of his biological mother, Helen Baskin, and purportedly the twenty-fourth of twenty-five children sired by his father, Tobe Liston. His exact birth date is unclear, however, with his arrest records giving it as 1927 or 1928. Those dates are now confirmed as inaccurate. Birth records released by the National Archives for the Bureau of the Census for 1930 for Forrest City, Arkansas, where Liston was born, list Liston's parents, three sisters and three brothers, but NOT Charles (Sonny). His youngest brother, Curtis, was listed as six months old on those census documents filed in early 1930. Since Liston could only have been born in middle or late 1930 or afterwards, he could not have been older than 40 years old when he died, thus eliminating any of the controversy surrounding Liston's age, and making Sonny Liston no older than 33 when he fought Muhammad Ali for the first time in Liston's first defense of the World Heavyweight Championship on February 26, 1964.

The 1940 U.S. census lists one "Charles L" residing in the Liston household in Smith Township, Cross Co., Arkansas. His age is given as ten. According to Springs Toledo, that number probably indicates that he was in his ''tenth year''. To wit: his older brother Curtis was born in October 1929but was listed at "eleven," though he was ten. Curtis's birth date tells us that Sonny's birth date was at least nine months later. The truth continues to evade the historian. Toledo holds that July 22, 1930 is a possible birth date and provides evidence to that end.

== Early Life and Amateur Career ==
Liston's childhood was one of poverty, pain, and illiteracy. Brutal and frequent beatings from his father caused Liston to pursue his mother to St Louis at age 13.

In St. Louis, Liston was in frequent trouble with the law. After many minor arrests, Liston was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to prison. During his stay, his talent was discovered by a Catholic priest. Through the actions of the Priest, Liston was paroled early and began a career in boxing.

In a brief amateur career, spanning less than a year, Liston captured the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions on March 6, 1953, with a victory over 1952 Olympic gold medalist [[Ed Sanders]], and the Intercity Golden Gloves' championship by decision over [[Julius Griffin]].

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{{start box}}
{{succession box | title=[[Chicago Golden Gloves|Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions]] Heavyweight Champion | before= [[Ed Sanders]]| after= [[Garvin Sawyer]]| years= 1953}}

{{succession box |
before= [[Norvel Lee]]|
title= [[Intercity Golden Gloves|Intercity Golden Gloves]] Heavyweight Champion |
years= 1953 |
after= [[Len Kanthal]]}}
{{end box}}
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==Early Professional Career ==
Liston began his professional career with a first round knockout of Don Smith and built up a nine fight winning streak against mainly unremarkable opposition. He made his debut on national television against [[Johnny Summerlin]], winning a decision after eight rounds. He was handed his first defeat by awkward journeyman [[Marty Marshall]] on 7th September 1954. Whilst laughing at his opponent's unorthodox ring tactics, Liston was caught by a Marshall right hand and suffered a broken jaw, but still lasted the distance, losing on a split decision. He met Marshall again seven months later, this time winning by a sixth round TKO after flooring Marshall four times. Liston also won their rubber match in March 1956 to extend his record to 14-1. However, a few months later he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for assaulting a police officer and banned from boxing for the whole of 1957.

==Heavyweight Contender ==
Following his release from prison, Liston embarked on an rigorous campaign starting in 1958 which would see him level the entire heavyweight division and become the only logical contender to champion [[Floyd Patterson]]'s crown. But it would be four years before Liston finally earned a shot at the title, with Patterson's handlers citing Liston's links to organised crime as a reason to avoid the match-up. Liston knocked out [[Nino Valdes]] in three rounds and [[Wayne Bethea]] in one; he twice knocked out the hard punching [[Cleveland Williams]] (TKO3 and TKO2) in classic slugfests; [[Zora Folley]] (51-3-2) was knocked out in three, [[Mike DeJohn]] (37-5-1) in six, [[Roy Harris]] (30-1) in one and [[Albert Westphal]] in one. The only opponents to last the distance were [[Eddie Machen]] and [[Bert Whitehurst]] (the latter managed the feat twice, but was knocked through the ropes in the final ten seconds of their bout), although both adopted ultra-cautious tactics and Liston won comfortably on points. Finally, after years of pressure, Patterson defied his manager [[Cus D'Amato]] and signed to fight Liston.

==Heavyweight Champion ==
Liston and Patterson finally met in the ring on 25th September 1962 in Chicago. Once the bell rang, it soon became clear that Patterson lacked the strength or power to keep Liston away. Liston pinned Patterson on the ropes in the first round and felled the champion with a series of blows to the head. Patterson was unable to beat the count, and after 2:05 the bout was over. Liston was the new world champion. The rematch a year later lasted just four seconds longer, Liston again winning with a brutal first round knockout.

At around the same time, a brash and talented young heavyweight named [[Muhammad Ali|Cassius Clay]] emerged onto the boxing scene. In his bid to earn a title shot, Clay christened Liston a "big, ugly bear" and left bear traps outside his house. The bout took place on 25 February 1964. Despite Liston entering the ring as an 8-1 favourite, the quick and agile Clay proved an elusive target. Liston struggled to land clean blows, while Clay scored with quick combinations. After six rounds it was all over. Liston failed to answer the bell for the seventh, claiming an injured shoulder, handing Clay the championship.

The rematch between Liston and Clay (by now known as Muhammad Ali) is among the most controversial bouts in heavyweight history. As the first round got underway, Liston was felled by a seemingly innocuous right hand thrown by Ali as he was moving backwards. Referee, former heavyweight champion [[Jersey Joe Walcott]], ushered Ali to a neutral corner but failed to pick up the count from the timekeeper. Liston got up and Walcott told the fighters to continue boxing, but [[Nat Fleischer]] shouted to Walcott from ringside that Liston had been down for more then ten seconds. Walcott stopped the fight. The so-called "phantom punch" (named the Anchor punch by Ali) remains controversial to this day, with rumours persisting that Liston took a dive, under pressure from either the mob or the Black Muslims.

==Post Championship ==
Following the bout with Ali, Liston remained inactive for the rest of 1965. He made a comeback in 1966, winning four consecutive bouts in Sweden promoted by [[Ingemar Johansson]]. He won a further seven consecutive bouts in 1968 against relatively obscure opposition, before suffering the only uncontroversial knockout loss of his career, when he was knocked unconscious by a vicious right hand from [[Leotis Martin]], a bout in which Liston was leading on all three scorecards. That would prove to be the penultimate fight of Liston's career. His final bout came against future heavyweight title challenger [[Chuck Wepner]] on 29th June 1970; Liston won by a tenth round TKO after Wepner was unable to continue due to heavy cuts.

==Mysteries Surrounding Death==
On Jan. 5, 1971, Liston's body was discovered by Geraldine, who had been away visiting family, in their Las Vegas home. Coroners determined he had died on December 30, 1970.

Liston had needle tracks in his arms, and heroin was present in his system. His wife and numerous friends, including referee [[Davey Pearl]], claimed he was deathly afraid of needles and could not have been a drug addict. Some believe mobsters murdered him by forcibly giving him a lethal overdose. At least one acquaintance suggested Liston was involved in a loan-sharking ring and was demanding a bigger stake.

Officially, Liston died of heart failure and lung congestion. The medical examiner ruled 'death by natural causes' and no further investigation was conducted.

His funeral was attended by many of boxing's dignitaries, including former heavyweight champion Joe Louis, who was a pall-bearer.

"Ultimately, the true cause of Sonny Liston's death was the mystery in him," Nick Tosches wrote in ''The Devil and Sonny Liston''. "He rode a fast dark train from nowhere, and it dumped him from that falling-off place at the end of the line."

== Media ==
*Liston appeared on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ed_Sullivan_Show "The Ed Sullivan Show"], performing his jump-roping talent, and made an appearance on ''The Jack Benny Program.''
*Liston was in the audience (seated next to [[Joe Louis]]), and introduced, during The Beatles' second appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," from Miami Beach, Florida, Feb. 16, 1964: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTSLChMGKy4]
*Liston also forayed into a career in acting. He appeared in the movies [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066095 ''Moonfire''], [http://www.imdb.com/tittle/tt0063049 ''Head''], and [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059253 ''Harlow'' (1965)].
*Also appeared in a television commercial for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braniff_International_Airways Braniff International Airways] with acclaimed new age artist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol Andy Warhol].

== External Links ==
*Grave Site: [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=632]
*Seconds Out Article: [http://www.secondsout.com/legends/legends_31480.asp]
*Cyber Boxing Zone Article: [http://cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/box2-00.htm#liston]
*Internet Movie Database: [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0514288/]
*ESPN Article: [http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Liston_Sonny.html]

== Published References ==
#A. S. Young, ''Sonny Liston: The Champ Nobody Wanted'' (1963).
#R. Burnes, "Heavyweight with a Past" ''Saturday Evening Post'', 13 August 1960, pp. 56-58.
#J. Flaherty, "A Right to the Jaw-That's Black Power" ''Esquire'', March 1969, pp. 112-14.
#B. J. Friedman, "Requeim for a Heavy" ''Esquire'', Aug. 1971, ppg. 55-57.
#L. V. Davis, "Sonny Liston"; in ''American National Biography'', pp. 733-34. (1999).

----
Books on Liston: [[Devil and Sonny Liston|''Devil and Sonny Liston'']]

{{start box}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Floyd Patterson]]|
title=[[WBA Heavyweight Champion]] [[NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion]]|
after=[[Muhammad Ali|Cassius Clay]]|
years=1962 Sep 25 – 1964 Feb 25
}}
{{Succession box|
before=Inaugural Champion|
title=[[WBC Heavyweight Champion]]|
after=[[Muhammad Ali|Cassius Clay]]|
years=1963 Feb 14 – 1964 Feb 25
}}
{{end box}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liston, Sonny}}
[[Category:Intercity Golden Gloves Champions]]
[[Category:Chicago Golden Gloves Champions]]
[[Category:World Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:American World Champions]]
[[Category:Referees]]
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members]]
[[Category:Actors]]

Holman Williams

2012-05-03T14:30:06Z

Scalinatella:

[[file:WilliamsHol2.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Holman Williams]]
[[file:Ibhof-logo.jpg|thumb|right|Class of 2008 Modern Category Hall of Fame bio:[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/williamsholman.html click]]]
[[File:WBHF Logo.jpg|right|thumb|200px|World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee]]
<boxer>009968</boxer>
'''Managers:''' [[Julian Black]], [[John Roxborough]], [[Charley Rose]] 
[[:Image:Williams.Holman.jpg|Photo #2]]

Holman Williams is considered by many to have been the greatest technician that ever lived. Early in his career he was known as a boxer-puncher. Only after his hands were damaged did he become a defensive specialist concentrating his attack on the softer regions of his opponent's body.
 
*CBZ [http://cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/holman-w.html/ Bio]
*Elected into the [[World Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1996
*Elected into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 2008

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Holman}}
[[Category:African American Boxers]]
[[Category:IBHOF Members]]
[[Category:World Boxing Hall of Fame Members]]

Rodney Toney

2012-04-27T17:34:48Z

Scalinatella:

<boxer>6022</boxer>
Rodney "The Punisher" Toney is a former top ten Ring-ranked contender in the middleweight division. He is the son of ex-fighter Harold "Honey" Combs, a 2004 inductee into Ohio's Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame Association. Toney was born in Boston and raised in the Georgetowne section of Hyde Park, where he became a local legend as a street-fighting teenager. Toney learned the fundamentals of the Sweet Science at the feet of his father and at the Boston YMCA with trainer Pete Cone. He was a Massachusetts Novice Champion, three-time Open Class Champion, Diamond Belt Champion, and four-time New England Regional Champion in the 165 lb class. In 1992, he was scouted by Terry Norris's handlers to join First Fighters Squadron in Campo, CA.

Toney is now a trainer at The Ring Boxing Club in Boston, MA.