Spike Webb
Name: Spike Webb
Birth Name: Hamilton Murrel Webb
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland, USA
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Died: 1963-07-02 (Age:74)
Pro Boxer: Record
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Hamilton Murrel Webb (Spike Webb) began professional fighting, age 14, at the Eureka Athletic Club in Baltimore, Maryland. As an ex-U.S. Army sergeant in 1919, he became an associate professor and boxing coach at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, for thirty-five years.
"Spike Webb ranks as one of the two or three top men in boxing for all time, either professional or amateur. He is an institution. The regard in which boxing holds him is a result of his way of life. He never asked anything for himself. He was always giving to others." Gene Tunney, 1961
"He taught guts to the mid-shipmen. The things learned from him enabled us to stick it out when the going got rough."Vice Admiral Robert B. Pirie" 1961.
"Spike Webb is the greatest psychologist I have ever known in my life."Admiral William F. Halsey
Webb's boxing accomplishments include:
- Fifty-three of his boxers were decorated by the end of World War Two.
- Captain of the extremely successful American Expeditionary Force boxing team in Europe during World War I, which included Gene Tunney.
- His teams won six intercollegiate boxing titles.
- At Annapolis his teams were undefeated for 12 seasons and won 26 individual crowns.
- Before the Navy abandoned boxing in 1941, and except for intramurals, his teams posted 93 victories, 14 defeats and 8 ties.
- Head coached the four United States Olympic teams of 1920, 1924, 1928 & 1932, winning 2 overall and 7 individual titles. Webb's Olympic proteges include Jackie Fields, Fidel LaBarba and Frankie Genaro, all gold medalists who went on to become professional World champions.
- Head coached New York Golden Gloves championship teams.
- Worked with notable fighters such as Lou Salica, Ken Overlin, Sugar Ray Robinson, Petey Sarron and Al Tribuani.
