Dud Eades

Name: Dud Eades
Birth Name: George Arden Eades
Hometown: Pasadena, California, USA
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Died: 2001-11-27 (Age:96)
Pro Boxer: Record

Trainer: Otto Vaughts

Biography

Dud Eades (legal name George Arden Eades) was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 9, 1905. His family moved to Pasadena, California when he was a child, and he was based in Pasadena during his fight career. He began boxing at the age of nineteen at the Y.M.C.A. Later, he and his brother knocked out a wall in their garage to make room for a gym. Among the boxers who trained at Dud's garage gym were Battling Siki, Canto Robledo, Andy Dummler, Jack Haywood, Russell Smith and Rusty Linville.

On May 26, 1926 Dud had his first fight, against Billy Bayon in the Pasadena Arena. He knocked out Bayon in the third round. He went on to win a four-round decision against Danny Solis on June 10, 1926, and again on July 2, 1926. For the next two years he fought mostly around Pasadena, California, "with indifferent success." In 1928 he decided to travel to Oregon and Washington, picking pears and doing pick-and-shovel work along the way. He won a fight against Andy Lewis in Longview, Washington; had a draw against Johnny LaRose in Portland, Oregon; and won against Pat Paddleford in Medford, Oregon. In late December 1928 he headed south again after an ankle fracture sidelined him.

Dud spent the early part of 1929 working a played-out gold mine near Oricle, Arizona. Returning to Pasadena, he fought with less success, losing to Doc Snell, Cecil Payne, Baby Sal Sorio, Young Peter Jackson, and Richie King. He traveled east and fought Battling Gizzy in Ohio, but lost the decision on July 1, 1930. His last fights were with Homer Gaines and Ignacio Fernandez. He said Fernandez, whom he fought on August 28, 1930, was "the toughest man I ever fought... I never hit a man so hard, time and again and right on the jaw. Several times I thought he would fall, but he always came back and took the round." He fought Homer Gaines twice in 1931, and lost the decision both times.

Homer Gaines was the only man Dud ever lost to twice. His second loss was on May 21, 1931. The next day he got a job as a wiper on a ship heading for Panama. Dud spent the next forty years in the U.S. Merchant Marines, working as an engineer and traveling throughout the world, but boxing remained his first love. He retired in Southern California and was an active member of the Cauliflower Alley Club for many years.

Dud was able to meet Ignacio Fernandez once again when they were both in their seventies. Fernandez remembered him well and they became very close. They corresponded until Fernandez passed away in Manila, Philippines.

Moving to Seattle, Washington in the late 1990s, Dud died on November 27, 2001. He is remembered and missed by his daughter, Ellen, and two grandsons.