Willie Pep

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox boxer Guglielmo Papaleo (Middletown - September 19, 1922 – November 23, 2006) was an American professional boxer, better known as Willie Pep, who held the World Featherweight championship twice between the years of 1942 and 1950.

Papaleo was born in an Italian family: his father, Salvatore, was from Rosolini, Sicily, Italy; whereas his mother, Maria Marchese, was from nearby Melilli, Sicily, Italy.

Pep boxed a total of 1,956 rounds in the 241 bouts during his 26-year career, a considerable number of rounds and bouts even for a fighter of his era. His final record was 229–11–1 with 65 knockouts. Pep, known for his speed, finesse and elusiveness, is considered to be one of the best fighters of the 20th century; after his 199th win, Kid Campeche described his experience by saying, "Fighting Willie Pep is like trying to stomp out a grass fire."<ref>Heinz, W.C., The Top of His Game, Library of America, 2015, pg 434</ref> Pep is widely considered one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="history">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pep was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Pep was voted as the No. 1 featherweight of the 20th century by the Associated Press<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and ranked the No. 1 featherweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is currently ranked by BoxRec as the 28th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Boxing career

Amateur career

Pep first fought as an amateur in 1937. At the time, amateur boxers from Connecticut were allowed to fight for money. It was during the Great Depression and Pep's father was earning $15 per week at the Works Progress Administration. Pep worked as a shoeshine boy in downtown Hartford alongside Johnny Duke. Both boys joined a gym together and became sparring partners. Willie was soon earning more in one night of fighting each week. When his parents found out he was boxing, his mother was worried for him, but his father said that if he was making so much fighting on Fridays, maybe he should see about fighting on Tuesdays as well. "My old man, he was a sports fan" Pep later quipped.<ref>Pep, Willie and Robert Sacchi. (2008) "Willie Pep Remembers Friday's Heroes", 5–6. Arborhouse, Bloomington, IN. Template:ISBN</ref>

In 1938 Pep fought Sugar Ray Robinson in the attic of a feed store in Norwich, Connecticut.<ref>Stanley, Bill. "The night Willie Pep fought Sugar Ray Robinson", "The Day", New London, 20 October 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2012.</ref> According to Pep's later telling, Robinson was an amateur champion in the state of New York, where amateurs were not paid, so he took a pseudonym to get bouts for money in Connecticut. Because of this, Pep did not know who he was fighting at the time. Before the fight he was told his unknown opponent was not good, but he recalls quickly learning otherwise once the bout began and Robinson was "all over me".<ref>Pep, Willie and Robert Sacchi. (2008) "Willie Pep Remembers Friday's Heroes", 7. Arborhouse, Bloomington, IN. Template:ISBN</ref>

Professional career

Pep started boxing professionally on July 10, 1940, beating James McGovern by a decision in four rounds in Hartford, Connecticut. Like many boxers of the first half of the 20th century, Pep concentrated his early fighting career on boxing in New England, and he split his first 25 contests between Connecticut and Massachusetts. He was undefeated during that span and for fight number 26, he finally headed west, beating Eddie Flores by a knockout in the first round at Thompsonville, Michigan. A couple of fights later, he travelled further west and made his California debut, beating Billy Spencer by a decision in four rounds at Los Angeles.

By the time Pep stepped up his quality of opposition he was undefeated at 41–0, and he met former world champion Joey Archibald in 1942. He beat Archibald by a decision in ten rounds and, in his next bout, challenged Abe Denner for the New England-area featherweight title. He won the fight by a decision in 12, and his status among the world's top featherweights continued to climb. He won ten more bouts to reach 52–0, including a rematch win over Archibald, before he was given his first world championship try, in October. He became the World Featherweight Champion by outpointing the defending world champ Chalky Wright over the 15 round distance. He fought twice more to finish the year, winning both by knockout.

Pep began 1943 by winning six bouts in a row to find himself with a record of 62–0. But in his seventh bout of 1943, he suffered his first defeat, at the hands of Sammy Angott, another world champion boxer. Angott beat Pep over the ten round distance, by decision. Ten days later, Pep was back in the ring, beating Bobby McIntyre by a decision. He closed 1943 winning five fights in a row, including two over future world champion Sal Bartolo and one over Jackie Wilson. The second win over Bartolo was in a defense of the world title.

1944 was a very good year for Pep. He won all 16 of his bouts that year, including wins over bantamweight champions Willie Joyce and Manuel Ortiz. He fought and beat Wright two more times, with Pep's featherweight title on the line once. He also made his first fight abroad, beating fringe contender Jackie Lemus in Canada.

On June 6, 1944, he fought near featherweight contender, and rated lightweight Julie Kogon before a record crowd of 7,751 in an extraordinary bout in Hartford, Connecticut, and won soundly in an eight-round decision. Pep was given eight rounds by one of the judges. One fascinating fact about this fight that is not well known, is that Kogon was threatened before the fight by two armed men. They stated that the Kogon would not win the fight and it would be thrown or else him and his family would not survive.<ref>"Willie Pep Gains Nod Over Kogon", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, pg. 12, 7 June 1944</ref><ref>"Pep Outpoints Julie Kogon", Star-Gazette, Elmira, New York, pg. 11, 7 June 1944</ref><ref>Kogon was in the featherweight range at 130 in "Pep Defeats Julie Kogon", The Troy Record, Troy, New York, pg. 16, 7 June 1944</ref>

He had eight fights in 1945, winning seven and drawing one. He beat former world champion Phil Terranova to retain the title, and had a ten-round draw with Jimmy McAllister.

In 1946, Pep had 18 fights, and won all of them, including a 12-round knockout of Bartolo and a three-round knockout of Wright. He had a six-fight knockout win streak during a span that year.

Despite being severely injured in a plane crash on January 5, Pep fought 10 bouts in 1947, again going undefeated. Many thought he had lost something as a fighter, especially after unexpectedly struggling in fights against Archie Wilmer (Pep won a majority decision) and Pedro Biesca (Pep was floored in the fourth round). He defended the world featherweight belt once that year, knocking out Jock Leslie in twelve rounds at Flint, Michigan.

Nineteen forty-eight was a year that would become important in Pep's life: He won 15 bouts before going into what would be the first fight of his four-fight series with Sandy Saddler. He retained the title by beating Humberto Sierra by a knockout in 10 and he beat former world champion Paddy DeMarco, also in ten, but by decision. Then, on October 29, he lost the world featherweight title to Saddler in a fourth-round knockout.

After two wins, he and Saddler met in 1949. On their rivalry's second installment, Pep recovered the World Featherweight Championship by beating Saddler in a 15-round decision, and then he engaged in a series of exhibition and ten round bouts before defending the crown against Eddie Campo, winning by a knockout in the seventh. He finished that year beating former bantamweight champion Harold Dade by a decision in ten at St. Louis.

In 1950, he won nine fights before meeting Saddler for a third time. Those nine bouts included defenses against Charlie Riley, knocked out in five, and France's Ray Famechon, beaten by decision in 15. Then came the third fight with Saddler. Pep once again lost his World Featherweight Championship to Saddler, being unable to come out for the eighth round due to a separated shoulder suffered at the end of the seventh round. Pep was ahead on all scorecards (5–2, 5–2, 4–2).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Nineteen fifty-one brought a hint of controversy to Pep's life. He won eight bouts in a row to start the year, but his ninth bout, the last chapter of the rivalry with Saddler, was his most important bout that year. Pep quit because blood from his right eye was bothering him. According to Nat Fleischer in The Ring, December 1951, this was an extremely dirty fight, with "wrestling, heeling, eye gouging, tripping, thumbing- in fact every dirty trick known to the old timers..." Referee Ray Miller "let the bout get out of hand..." "The pattern of the 'contest' never varied. Pep wouldn't make a fight of it and Sandy couldn't. Pep too frequently backed around the ring and Saddler just as often missed as he kept boring in trying to corner his man. Then when he did, the rowdy tactics got under way and ended only when either both were sprawled on the canvas still wrestling each other, or the referee was outside the ring trying pull the boys apart or both fighters and official were entangled in a pretzel formation on the ring floor." Pep was ahead on the scorecards of the officials after eight rounds, but he quit after nine rounds, "declaring he no longer could continue because of severe pains caused by a deep cut over the right eye."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1952, Pep had 12 fights, winning 11. He was knocked out in six by Tommy Collins, but also held two wins over Billy Lima that year.

Pep won all 11 fights in 1953, and entered 1954 on a 17-fight winning streak. After beating David Seabrooke by a decision, he lost to fringe contender Lulu Perez by TKO after a delayed reaction to a punch. Pep ended up winning three more bouts before the end of the year.

Pep went on boxing for five more years, retiring in 1960, and then he came back in 1964 and boxed for two more years. During that last period of his boxing career, he won 43 bouts and lost only five, but his only opponent of note during that time was Hogan Kid Bassey, a future World Featherweight Champion who knocked Pep out in nine rounds. Pep boxed in Caracas, Venezuela, losing to Sonny Leon by a decision in 10, and in his last fight, in 1966, he lost to Calvin Woodland by a decision in six.

Pep had a record of 229 wins, 11 losses and one draw, with 65 wins by knockout.

Boxing style

Willie Pep was renowned for his elusive, near-untouchable style. His fighting approach was built on impeccable reflexes, lightning-fast footwork, and an uncanny ability to evade punches with minimal effort. Unlike traditional fighters, who relied on blocking or trading blows, Pep used lateral movement, subtle upper-body slips shoulder rolls, and precise pivots to make opponents miss entirely.<ref name="foot">Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref name="master">Template:Cite web</ref> His footwork allowed him to circle the ring effortlessly, frustrating aggressors by staying just out of reach.<ref name="foot"/><ref name="master"/> This allowed him to counter with sharp, accurate strikes when openings appeared.<ref name="foot"/><ref name="master"/>

By constantly evading punches, he drained opponents’ confidence and energy, forcing them into mistakes.<ref name="master"/> His lack of knockout power was offset by his ability to outscore foes with rapid, precise combinations after dodging their attacks.<ref name="foot"/><ref name="master"/> Though his career spanned over two decades, his reliance on defense over brawling kept him remarkably fresh, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s purest boxers. Fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr. later emulated elements of his elusive, cerebral approach.<ref name="master"/>

Post-career

After retiring, he and Saddler were involved in a series of exhibition bouts, and in 1980, Pep sued Sports Illustrated for running a story suggesting that he threw his fight with Perez. Pep lost the lawsuit, the jury deliberating just 15 minutes.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Pep remained active in boxing after hanging up the gloves, serving as an inspector and referee.

In 1977, Pep was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

In March 2006, Pep resided at a nursing home in Connecticut, diagnosed with dementia pugilistica, before his death on November 23, 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is buried in Rocky Hill, CT. He left four children, William "Billy" Papaleo, Mary Papaleo, Michael Papaleo and Melissa Papaleo, and three stepchildren, April, L.J., Holly Miller.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honors

In 1945, Pep was voted Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine.

The Sporting News recognized Pep as the Fighter of the Decade for the 1940s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1990.

Pep was ranked sixth on Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years in 2002. Pep was also named the third greatest fighter of all time by Bert Sugar.

Pep was ranked 5th on ESPN's 50 Greatest Boxers Of All Time list in 2007.

Willie Pep was voted as the Greatest Featherweight Ever by the Houston Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The HBHOF is a voting body composed totally of current and former fighters.

In 2011, the city of Middletown, Connecticut constructed the Willie Pep Skatepark named in honor of Pep.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Film

In 2023, The Featherweight, a feature film based on Pep's life, premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. Directed by Robert Kolodny, the biographical film stars James Madio as Willie Pep and focuses primarily on the period before Pep's 1965 comeback. Lawrence Gilliard Jr. portrays Sandy Saddler, Stephen Lang plays Pep's trainer Bill Gore, Keir Gilchrist is Pep's son Billy, Ron Livingston is Pep's manager Bob Kaplan and Ruby Wolf portrays Pep's young wife Linda.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

"No-punch" round

There are claims that Pep won the third round in his fight against Jackie Graves in a fight on July 25, 1946, without throwing a punch. The "no-punch" winning round is disputed; several contemporary newspaper articles make no mention of it,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and an account in The Minneapolis Star describes the third round as "toe to toe slugging with Pep inflicting his best punishment with a right to the body".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Pep supposedly tipped off a few ringside reporters before the bout and told them he would win the third round without throwing "a punch of anger."<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Professional boxing record

Template:Abbr	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Age	Location	Notes
241	Template:No2Loss	Template:Nowrap	Calvin Woodland	UD	6	Mar 16, 1966	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
240	Template:Yes2Win	229–10–1	Ray Coleman	KO	5 (10)	Oct 25, 1965	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
239	Template:Yes2Win	228–10–1	Sergio Musquiz	TKO	5 (10)	Oct 14, 1965	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
238	Template:Yes2Win	227–10–1	Tommy Haden	TKO	3 (10), Template:Small	Oct 4, 1965	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
237	Template:Yes2Win	226–10–1	Willie Little	TKO	3 (10)	Oct 1, 1965	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
236	Template:Yes2Win	225–10–1	Johnny Gilmore	PTS	6	Sep 28, 1965	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
235	Template:Yes2Win	224–10–1	Benny 'Red' Randall	UD	10	Jul 21, 1965	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
234	Template:Yes2Win	223–10–1	Johnny Gilmore	UD	6	May 21, 1965	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
233	Template:Yes2Win	222–10–1	Jackie Lennon	UD	6	Apr 26, 1965	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
232	Template:Yes2Win	221–10–1	Harold McKeever	UD	8	Mar 11, 1959	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
231	Template:No2Loss	220–10–1	Sonny Leon	UD	10	Jan 26, 1959	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
230	Template:No2Loss	220–9–1	Hogan 'Kid' Bassey	TKO	9 (10)	Sep 20, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
229	Template:Yes2Win	220–8–1	Al Duarte	UD	10	Aug 26, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
228	Template:Yes2Win	219–8–1	Jesse Rodriguez	UD	10	Aug 9, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
227	Template:Yes2Win	218–8–1	Luis Carmona	UD	10	Aug 4, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
226	Template:Yes2Win	217–8–1	Bobby Bell	UD	10	Jul 17, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
225	Template:Yes2Win	216–8–1	Bobby Soares	UD	10	Jul 1, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
224	Template:Yes2Win	215–8–1	Pat McCoy	UD	10	Jun 23, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
223	Template:Yes2Win	214–8–1	Bobby Singleton	UD	10	May 20, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
222	Template:Yes2Win	213–8–1	Jimmy Kelly	UD	10	Apr 29, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
221	Template:Yes2Win	212–8–1	Cleo Ortiz	UD	10	Apr 14, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
220	Template:Yes2Win	211–8–1	George Stephany	PTS	10	Apr 8, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
219	Template:Yes2Win	210–8–1	Prince Johnson	UD	10	Mar 31, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
218	Template:No2Loss	209–8–1	Tommy Tibbs	SD	10	Jan 14, 1958	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
217	Template:Yes2Win	209–7–1	Jimmy Connors	UD	10	Dec 17, 1957	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
216	Template:Yes2Win	208–7–1	Russell Tague	UD	10	Jul 23, 1957	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
215	Template:Yes2Win	207–7–1	Manny Castro	UD	10	Jul 16, 1957	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
214	Template:Yes2Win	206–7–1	Manny Castro	UD	10	May 10, 1957	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
213	Template:Yes2Win	205–7–1	Cesar Morales	UD	10	Apr 23, 1957	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
212	Template:Yes2Win	204–7–1	Hector Bacquettes	TKO	5 (10)	Jul 4, 1956	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
211	Template:Yes2Win	203–7–1	Russell Tague	RTD	6 (10), Template:Small	Jun 19, 1956	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
210	Template:Yes2Win	202–7–1	Manuel Armenteros	RTD	6 (10), Template:Small	May 22, 1956	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
209	Template:Yes2Win	201–7–1	Jackie Blair	PTS	10	Apr 17, 1956	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
208	Template:Yes2Win	200–7–1	Buddy Baggett	UD	10	Mar 27, 1956	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
207	Template:Yes2Win	199–7–1	Kid Campeche	UD	10	Mar 16, 1956	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
206	Template:Yes2Win	198–7–1	Andy Arel	UD	10	Dec 28, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
205	Template:Yes2Win	197–7–1	Leo Carter	TKO	4 (?), Template:Small	Dec 13, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
204	Template:Yes2Win	196–7–1	Henry 'Pappy' Gault	UD	10	Nov 29, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
203	Template:Yes2Win	195–7–1	Charley Titone	UD	10	Oct 10, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
202	Template:Yes2Win	194–7–1	Henry 'Pappy' Gault	UD	10	Sep 27, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
201	Template:Yes2Win	193–7–1	Jimmy Ithia	TKO	6 (10), Template:Small	Sep 13, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
200	Template:Yes2Win	192–7–1	Hector Rodriguez	PTS	10	Jul 12, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
199	Template:Yes2Win	191–7–1	Mickey Mars	TKO	7 (10), Template:Small	Jun 14, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
198	Template:Yes2Win	190–7–1	Joey Cam	TKO	3 (10), Template:Small	Jun 1, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
197	Template:Yes2Win	189–7–1	Gil Cadilli	UD	10	May 18, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
196	Template:No2Loss	188–7–1	Gil Cadilli	SD	10	Mar 30, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
195	Template:Yes2Win	188–6–1	Charley Titone	UD	10	Mar 22, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
194	Template:Yes2Win	187–6–1	Myrel Olmstead	UD	10	Mar 11, 1955	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
193	Template:Yes2Win	186–6–1	Mario 'Eladio' Colon	PTS	10	Nov 1, 1954	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
192	Template:Yes2Win	185–6–1	Til LeBlanc	UD	10	Aug 18, 1954	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
191	Template:Yes2Win	184–6–1	Mike Tourcotte	UD	10	Jul 24, 1954	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
190	Template:No2Loss	183–6–1	Lulu Perez	TKO	2 (10), Template:Small	Feb 26, 1954	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
189	Template:Yes2Win	183–5–1	Davey Seabrook	UD	10	Jan 19, 1954	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
188	Template:Yes2Win	182–5–1	Tony Longo	UD	10	Dec 15, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
187	Template:Yes2Win	181–5–1	Billy Lima	TKO	2 (10)	Dec 8, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
186	Template:Yes2Win	180–5–1	Davey Allen	PTS	10	Dec 4, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
185	Template:Yes2Win	179–5–1	Sonny Luciano	UD	10	Nov 21, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
184	Template:Yes2Win	178–5–1	Pat Marcune	TKO	10 (10), Template:Small	Jun 5, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
183	Template:Yes2Win	177–5–1	Jackie Blair	UD	10	May 13, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
182	Template:Yes2Win	176–5–1	Noel Paquette	UD	10	Apr 7, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
181	Template:Yes2Win	175–5–1	Joey Gambino	UD	10	Mar 31, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
180	Template:Yes2Win	174–5–1	Pepe Alvarez	PTS	10	Feb 10, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
179	Template:Yes2Win	173–5–1	Dave Mitchell	UD	10	Jan 27, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
178	Template:Yes2Win	172–5–1	Billy Lauderdale	UD	10	Jan 19, 1953	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
177	Template:Yes2Win	171–5–1	Jorge Sanchez	PTS	10	Dec 5, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
176	Template:Yes2Win	170–5–1	Fabela Chavez	UD	10	Nov 19, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
175	Template:Yes2Win	169–5–1	Manny Castro	TKO	5 (10), Template:Small	Nov 5, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
174	Template:Yes2Win	168–5–1	Billy Lima	UD	10	Oct 20, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
173	Template:Yes2Win	167–5–1	Armand Savoie	UD	10	Oct 1, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
172	Template:Yes2Win	166–5–1	Bobby Woods	UD	10	Sep 11, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
171	Template:Yes2Win	165–5–1	Billy Lima	UD	10	Sep 3, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
170	Template:No2Loss	164–5–1	Tommy Collins	TKO	6 (10), Template:Small	Jun 30, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
169	Template:Yes2Win	164–4–1	Claude Hammond	UD	10	May 21, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
168	Template:Yes2Win	163–4–1	Buddy Baggett	KO	5 (10)	May 10, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
167	Template:Yes2Win	162–4–1	Kenny Leach	PTS	10	May 5, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
166	Template:Yes2Win	161–4–1	Santiago Gonzalez	UD	10	Apr 29, 1952	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
165	Template:No2Loss	160–4–1	Sandy Saddler	RTD	9 (15), Template:Small	Sep 26, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
164	Template:Yes2Win	160–3–1	Rodolfo Gonzales	UD	10	Sep 4, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
163	Template:Yes2Win	159–3–1	Jesus Compos	UD	10	Jun 4, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
162	Template:Yes2Win	158–3–1	Eddie Chavez	MD	10	Apr 27, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
161	Template:Yes2Win	157–3–1	Baby Neff Ortiz	TKO	5 (10), Template:Small	Apr 17, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
160	Template:Yes2Win	156–3–1	Pat Iacobucci	UD	10	Mar 26, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
159	Template:Yes2Win	155–3–1	Carlos Chávez	UD	10	Mar 5, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
158	Template:Yes2Win	154–3–1	Eddie Webb	TKO	2 (10), Template:Small	Feb 26, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
157	Template:Yes2Win	153–3–1	Tommy Baker	TKO	4 (10), Template:Small	Jan 30, 1951	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
156	Template:No2Loss	152–3–1	Sandy Saddler	RTD	8 (15), Template:Small	Sep 8, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
155	Template:Yes2Win	152–2–1	Proctor Heinhold	UD	10	Aug 2, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
154	Template:Yes2Win	151–2–1	Bobby Bell	UD	10	Jul 25, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
153	Template:Yes2Win	150–2–1	Bobby Timpson	UD	10	Jun 26, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
152	Template:Yes2Win	149–2–1	Terry Young	UD	10	Jun 1, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
151	Template:Yes2Win	148–2–1	Asuncion Llanos	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	May 15, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
150	Template:Yes2Win	147–2–1	Ray Famechon	UD	15	Mar 17, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
149	Template:Yes2Win	146–2–1	Jimmy Warren	UD	10	Feb 22, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
148	Template:Yes2Win	145–2–1	Roy Andrews	UD	10	Feb 6, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
147	Template:Yes2Win	144–2–1	Charley Riley	KO	5 (15), Template:Small	Jan 16, 1950	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
146	Template:Yes2Win	143–2–1	Harold Dade	UD	10	Dec 12, 1949	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
145	Template:Yes2Win	142–2–1	Eddie Campo	TKO	7 (15), Template:Small	Sep 20, 1949	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
144	Template:Yes2Win	141–2–1	Jean Mougin	UD	10	Jul 12, 1949	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
143	Template:Yes2Win	140–2–1	Johnny LaRusso	UD	10	Jun 20, 1949	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
142	Template:Yes2Win	139–2–1	Al Pennino	UD	10	Jun 14, 1949	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
141	Template:Yes2Win	138–2–1	Luis Ramos	PTS	10	Jun 6, 1949	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
140	Template:Yes2Win	137–2–1	Sandy Saddler	UD	15	Feb 11, 1949	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
139	Template:Yes2Win	136–2–1	Teddy Davis	UD	10	Jan 17, 1949	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
138	Template:Yes2Win	135–2–1	Hermie Freeman	UD	10	Dec 20, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
137	Template:No2Loss	134–2–1	Sandy Saddler	KO	4 (15), Template:Small	Oct 29, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
136	Template:Yes2Win	134–1–1	Johnny LaRusso	PTS	10	Oct 19, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
135	Template:Yes2Win	133–1–1	Chuck Burton	PTS	8	Oct 12, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
134	Template:Yes2Win	132–1–1	Paddy DeMarco	UD	10	Sep 10, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
133	Template:Yes2Win	131–1–1	Johnny Dell	TKO	8 (10)	Sep 2, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
132	Template:Yes2Win	130–1–1	Teddy Davis	PTS	10	Aug 17, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
131	Template:Yes2Win	129–1–1	Teddy Davis	PTS	10	Aug 3, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
130	Template:Yes2Win	128–1–1	Young Junior	KO	1 (10)	Jul 28, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
129	Template:Yes2Win	127–1–1	Luther Burgess	UD	10	Jun 25, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
128	Template:Yes2Win	126–1–1	Miguel Acevedo	UD	10	Jun 17, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
127	Template:Yes2Win	125–1–1	Charley Lewis	UD	10	May 19, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
126	Template:Yes2Win	124–1–1	Leroy Willis	UD	10	May 7, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
125	Template:Yes2Win	123–1–1	Humberto Sierra	TKO	10 (15), Template:Small	Feb 24, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
124	Template:Yes2Win	122–1–1	Joey Angelo	UD	10	Jan 19, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
123	Template:Yes2Win	121–1–1	Jimmy McAllister	UD	10	Jan 12, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
122	Template:Yes2Win	120–1–1	Pedro Biesca	PTS	10	Jan 6, 1948	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
121	Template:Yes2Win	119–1–1	Lefty LaChance	TKO	8 (10)	Dec 30, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
120	Template:Yes2Win	118–1–1	Alvaro Estrada	UD	10	Dec 22, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
119	Template:Yes2Win	117–1–1	Archie Wilmer	MD	10	Oct 27, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
118	Template:Yes2Win	116–1–1	Jean Barriere	KO	1 (10), Template:Small	Oct 21, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
117	Template:Yes2Win	115–1–1	Jock Leslie	KO	12 (15), Template:Small	Aug 22, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
116	Template:Yes2Win	114–1–1	Humberto Sierra	UD	10	Jul 23, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
115	Template:Yes2Win	113–1–1	Paulie Jackson	UD	10	Jul 15, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
114	Template:Yes2Win	112–1–1	Jean Barriere	KO	4 (10), Template:Small	Jul 11, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
113	Template:Yes2Win	111–1–1	Leo LeBrun	PTS	8	Jul 8, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
112	Template:Yes2Win	110–1–1	Joey Fontana	KO	5 (10), Template:Small	Jul 1, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
111	Template:Yes2Win	109–1–1	Victor Flores	PTS	10	Jun 17, 1947	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
110	Template:Yes2Win	108–1–1	Chalky Wright	KO	3 (10), Template:Small	Nov 27, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
109	Template:Yes2Win	107–1–1	Tomas Beato	KO	2 (10)	Nov 15, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
108	Template:Yes2Win	106–1–1	Paulie Jackson	PTS	10	Nov 1, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
107	Template:Yes2Win	105–1–1	Lefty LaChance	TKO	3 (10), Template:Small	Sep 17, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
106	Template:Yes2Win	104–1–1	Walter Kolby	TKO	5 (10), Template:Small	Sep 4, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
105	Template:Yes2Win	103–1–1	Doll Rafferty	KO	6 (10), Template:Small	Aug 26, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
104	Template:Yes2Win	102–1–1	Jackie Graves	TKO	8 (10), Template:Small	Jul 25, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
103	Template:Yes2Win	101–1–1	Harold Gibson	TKO	7 (10), Template:Small	Jul 10, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
102	Template:Yes2Win	100–1–1	Sal Bartolo	KO	12 (15), Template:Small	Jun 7, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
101	Template:Yes2Win	99–1–1	Jimmy Joyce	PTS	8	May 27, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
100	Template:Yes2Win	98–1–1	Jose Aponte Torres	UD	10	May 22, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
99	Template:Yes2Win	97–1–1	Joey Angelo	UD	10	May 13, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
98	Template:Yes2Win	96–1–1	Ernie Petrone	PTS	10	May 6, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
97	Template:Yes2Win	95–1–1	Georgie Knox	TKO	3 (10), Template:Small	Apr 8, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
96	Template:Yes2Win	94–1–1	Jackie Wilson	UD	10	Mar 26, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
95	Template:Yes2Win	93–1–1	Jimmy McAllister	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	Mar 1, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
94	Template:Yes2Win	92–1–1	Jimmy Joyce	UD	10	Feb 13, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
93	Template:Yes2Win	91–1–1	Johnny Virgo	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	Jan 15, 1946	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
92	Template:DrawDraw	90–1–1	Jimmy McAllister	MD	10	Dec 13, 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
91	Template:Yes2Win	90–1	Harold Gibson	PTS	10	Dec 5, 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
90	Template:Yes2Win	89–1	Eddie Giosa	UD	10	Nov 26, 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
89	Template:Yes2Win	88–1	Mike Martyk	TKO	5 (10), Template:Small	Nov 5, 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
88	Template:Yes2Win	87–1	Paulie Jackson	PTS	8	Oct 30, 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
87	Template:Yes2Win	86–1	Phil Terranova	UD	15	Feb 19, 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
86	Template:Yes2Win	85–1	Willie Roache	PTS	10	Feb 5, 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
85	Template:Yes2Win	84–1	Ralph Walton	PTS	10	Jan 23, 1945	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
84	Template:Yes2Win	83–1	Chalky Wright	UD	10	Dec 5, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
83	Template:Yes2Win	82–1	Pedro Hernández	PTS	10	Nov 27, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
82	Template:Yes2Win	81–1	Charley Lewis	UD	10	Nov 14, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
81	Template:Yes2Win	80–1	Jackie Leamus	UD	10	Oct 25, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
80	Template:Yes2Win	79–1	Chalky Wright	UD	15	Sep 29, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
79	Template:Yes2Win	78–1	Charley Lewis	TKO	8 (10), Template:Small	Sep 19, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
78	Template:Yes2Win	77–1	Joey Peralta	UD	10	Aug 28, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
77	Template:Yes2Win	76–1	Lulu Costantino	UD	10	Aug 4, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
76	Template:Yes2Win	75–1	Manuel Ortiz	UD	10	Jul 17, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
75	Template:Yes2Win	74–1	Willie Joyce	UD	10	Jul 7, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
74	Template:Yes2Win	73–1	Julie Kogon	PTS	10	Jun 6, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
73	Template:Yes2Win	72–1	Joey Bagnato	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	May 23, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
72	Template:Yes2Win	71–1	Frankie Rubino	PTS	10	May 19, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
71	Template:Yes2Win	70–1	Jackie Leamus	UD	10	May 1, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
70	Template:Yes2Win	69–1	Harold 'Snooks' Lacey	PTS	10	Apr 20, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
69	Template:Yes2Win	68–1	Leo Francis	PTS	10	Apr 4, 1944	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
68	Template:Yes2Win	67–1	Sal Bartolo	UD	15	Jun 8, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
67	Template:Yes2Win	66–1	Jackie Wilson	UD	12	Apr 26, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
66	Template:Yes2Win	65–1	Angel Aviles	PTS	10	Apr 19, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
65	Template:Yes2Win	64–1	Sal Bartolo	SD	10	Apr 9, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
64	Template:Yes2Win	63–1	Bobby McIntire	UD	10	Mar 29, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
63	Template:No2Loss	62–1	Sammy Angott	UD	10	Mar 19, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
62	Template:Yes2Win	62–0	Lou Transparenti	KO	6 (10), Template:Small	Mar 2, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
61	Template:Yes2Win	61–0	Bill Speary	UD	10	Feb 15, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
60	Template:Yes2Win	60–0	Davey Crawford	UD	10	Feb 11, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
59	Template:Yes2Win	59–0	Allie Stolz	UD	10	Jan 29, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
58	Template:Yes2Win	58–0	Bill Speary	PTS	10	Jan 19, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
57	Template:Yes2Win	57–0	Vince Dell'Orto	PTS	10	Jan 4, 1943	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
56	Template:Yes2Win	56–0	Joey Silva	RTD	9 (10)	Dec 21, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
55	Template:Yes2Win	55–0	Jose Aponte Torres	TKO	7 (10)	Dec 14, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
54	Template:Yes2Win	54–0	Chalky Wright	UD	15	Nov 20, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
53	Template:Yes2Win	53–0	George Zengaras	PTS	10	Oct 27, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
52	Template:Yes2Win	52–0	Joey Archibald	UD	10	Oct 16, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
51	Template:Yes2Win	51–0	Bobby McIntire	UD	10	Oct 5, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
50	Template:Yes2Win	50–0	Vince Dell'Orto	PTS	10	Sep 22, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
49	Template:Yes2Win	49–0	Frank Franconeri	TKO	1 (8), Template:Small	Sep 10, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
48	Template:Yes2Win	48–0	Bobby Ivy	TKO	10 (10), Template:Small	Sep 1, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
47	Template:Yes2Win	47–0	Nat Litfin	PTS	10	Aug 20, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
46	Template:Yes2Win	46–0	Pedro Hernandez	PTS	10	Aug 11, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
45	Template:Yes2Win	45–0	Joey Silva	RTD	7 (8)	Aug 1, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
44	Template:Yes2Win	44–0	Abe Denner	PTS	12	Jul 21, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small	Template:Small
43	Template:Yes2Win	43–0	Joey Archibald	PTS	10	Jun 23, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
42	Template:Yes2Win	42–0	Joey Iannotti	PTS	8	May 26, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
41	Template:Yes2Win	41–0	Aaron Seltzer	PTS	8	May 12, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
40	Template:Yes2Win	40–0	Curley Nichols	PTS	8	May 4, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
39	Template:Yes2Win	39–0	Spider Armstrong	KO	4 (8), Template:Small	Apr 14, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
38	Template:Yes2Win	38–0	Johnny Compo	PTS	8	Mar 18, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
37	Template:Yes2Win	37–0	Willie Roache	PTS	8	Feb 24, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
36	Template:Yes2Win	36–0	Angelo Callura	PTS	8	Feb 10, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
35	Template:Yes2Win	35–0	Abie Kaufman	PTS	8	Jan 27, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
34	Template:Yes2Win	34–0	Sammy Parrotta	PTS	4	Jan 16, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
33	Template:Yes2Win	33–0	'Mexican' Joe Rivers	TKO	4 (8)	Jan 8, 1942	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
32	Template:Yes2Win	32–0	Ruby Garcia	UD	4	Dec 12, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
31	Template:Yes2Win	31–0	Davey Crawford	UD	8	Nov 24, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
30	Template:Yes2Win	30–0	Buddy Spencer	UD	4	Nov 7, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
29	Template:Yes2Win	29–0	Connie Savoie	TKO	2 (8)	Oct 21, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
28	Template:Yes2Win	28–0	Carlos Manzano	PTS	8	Oct 9, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
27	Template:Yes2Win	27–0	Jackie Harris	TKO	1 (8)	Sep 25, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
26	Template:Yes2Win	26–0	Eddie Flores	KO	1 (8), Template:Small	Aug 11, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
25	Template:Yes2Win	25–0	Paul Frechette	TKO	3 (6)	Aug 5, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
24	Template:Yes2Win	24–0	Jimmy Gilligan	UD	8	Jul 15, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
23	Template:Yes2Win	23–0	Eddie DeAngelis	TKO	3 (8)	Jun 24, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
22	Template:Yes2Win	22–0	Harry Hintlian	UD	6	Jun 19, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
21	Template:Yes2Win	21–0	Johnny Cockfield	UD	6	May 12, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
20	Template:Yes2Win	20–0	Lou Puglese	KO	2 (6), Template:Small	May 6, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
19	Template:Yes2Win	19–0	Joey Silva	PTS	6	Apr 22, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
18	Template:Yes2Win	18–0	Henry Vasquez	UD	6	Apr 14, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
17	Template:Yes2Win	17–0	Joey Gatto	KO	2 (6)	Mar 31, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
16	Template:Yes2Win	16–0	Marty Shapiro	PTS	6	Mar 25, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
15	Template:Yes2Win	15–0	Ruby Garcia	UD	6	Mar 3, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
14	Template:Yes2Win	14–0	Ruby Garcia	UD	6	Feb 17, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
13	Template:Yes2Win	13–0	Don Lyons	KO	2 (6)	Feb 10, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
12	Template:Yes2Win	12–0	Augie Almeida	TKO	6 (6), Template:Small	Jan 28, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
11	Template:Yes2Win	11–0	Joe Echevarria	UD	6	Jan 13, 1941	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
10	Template:Yes2Win	10–0	Jimmy Mutone	KO	2 (6)	Dec 6, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
9	Template:Yes2Win	9–0	Frank Topazio	TKO	5 (6)	Nov 29, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
8	Template:Yes2Win	8–0	Carlo Daponde	TKO	6 (6)	Nov 22, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
7	Template:Yes2Win	7–0	James McGovern	PTS	4	Oct 24, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
6	Template:Yes2Win	6–0	Jimmy Ritchie	TKO	3 (6)	Oct 3, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
5	Template:Yes2Win	5–0	Jackie Moore	UD	6	Sep 19, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
4	Template:Yes2Win	4–0	Joey Marcus	UD	4	Sep 5, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
3	Template:Yes2Win	3–0	Tommy Burns	TKO	1 (4)	Aug 29, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
2	Template:Yes2Win	2–0	Joey Wasnick	KO	3 (4)	Aug 8, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small
1	Template:Yes2Win	1–0	Joey Marcus	UD	4	Jul 25, 1940	Template:Age in years and days	Template:Small

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

• NYSAC featherweight champion (126 lbs) (2×)
• NBA (WBA) featherweight champion (126 lbs) (2×)

The Ring magazine titles

• The Ring featherweight champion (126 lbs) (2×)

Regional/International titles

• New England featherweight champion (126 lbs)

Undisputed titles

• Undisputed featherweight champion (2×)

See also

• Lineal championship

External links

• Template:Boxrec
• Template:Find a Grave