Bill Slayton

Slayton (right) with Ken Norton

Bill Slayton grew up in Boyle Heights, a suburb of Los Angeles. His early athletic success came on the football field. A running back at Garfield High, he was first team All-City in 1940. He fought some at the amateur level, but is most widely recognized for his career as a trainer and manager. He operated the Broadway Gym in South Los Angeles. He also worked with Mickey Rourke in preparation for the movie "Homeboy" and appeared in the film as "Bill". He was voted "manager of the year" by Boxing Writers Association of America in 1977 and was given a lifetime achievement award by the Golden State Boxers Assn. in 2002. Slayton, a father of four, died in 2003 after a lengthy illness. He was 81. [1]

Trained/Managed

• Ken Norton
• Michael Dokes
• Lamon Brewster (Brewster dedicated his world title victory over Wladimir Klitschko to Slayton who had recently passed away)
• Lonnie Harris
• Jerry Quarry
• Mike Hunter
• Adolph Pruitt