Category Archives: History

ROCKY MARCIANO – Undefeated Heavyweight Champion

David Martinez, Heavyweights, History

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Rocky Marciano had forty-nine professional fights as a heavyweight with 49 wins, No Losses and No Draws. He never lost a professional fight and that is something many have tried to emulate without success.

Born Rocco Francis Marchegiano on September 1, 1923 in Brockton, Massachusetts, he was the eldest of six children whose parents were poor Italian immigrants. In 1943, during World War II, he was drafted into the US Army. He served overseas and was stationed in Wales with a Combat Engineer outfit. It was while finishing out his time in the service, at Ft. Lewis, Washington, that he started boxing and began to compile a winning record. Upon discharge, he returned home and began earning a living as a factory worker.

Although he was successful as an amateur boxer, Rocky’s first love was baseball and he had dreams of playing in the Major Leagues. He was known as a standout catcher on the baseball fields of Brockton and was good enough to earn a tryout with the Chicago Cubs organization. Fortunately for boxing … the Cubs didn’t feel he was major league caliber and sent him packing. It was then that he returned to boxing with a vengeance!

Rumor has it, “Rocky Marciano” was born one night when a ring announcer couldn’t pronounce Rocco Marchegiano! A quick change and the name stuck! Rechristened Rocky Marciano, he made his pro debut on March 17, 1947 and went undefeated in his first thirty-five fights scoring 31 of those wins by KO. Along the way he beat two up and coming big names in the heavyweight division, Roland LaStarza who had 37 Wins, No Losses and No Draws, until he stepped into the ring with Rocky and Rex Layne who had 34 Wins against only 1 Loss and 2 Draws.

Continue reading ROCKY MARCIANO – Undefeated Heavyweight Champion →

THE RING – A Boxing Venue, Not To Be Forgotten

David Martinez, History

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Although  I wasn’t even born, nor were my parents, an old boxing venue that has always intrigued me is The Ring at Blackfriars, in London, England.

The building, built in 1783, was formerly a Nonconformist chapel and was octagonal in shape with the intent that no devils could hide in the corners. When it was no longer used as a place of worship, it was taken over by former Commonwealth British Empire lightweight champion Dick Burge and he transformed it into a boxing arena in May 1910. Several shows would take place there on a weekly basis.

Burge passed away a few short years later, on March 15, 1918, after contracting pneumonia at the age of 50. Before his death, he asked his wife Bella to ensure that their venue would be kept intact. She did, and kept the shows coming, which essentially resulted in her becoming the world’s first female boxing promoter.

Bella did an excellent job and was loved by the local community, where the pioneering lady promoter would earn the nickname “Bella of Blackfriars“.

Continue reading THE RING – A Boxing Venue, Not To Be Forgotten →

Billy Papke

David Martinez, History, Middleweights

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

One of the most underrated middleweights, and one that had a quadrilogy of memorable bouts with Stanley Ketchel, was William Herman Papke.

Born in Spring Valley, Illinois on September 17, 1886, he was the son of German immigrants, and was nicknamed  the “Kewanee Thunderbolt” and the “Illinois Thunderbolt”.

He was as tough as nails and a true competitor in the ring, winning the world middleweight championship during his career.

The four-bout series with Ketchel was one of the most grueling collection of fights in middleweight history.

Continue reading Billy Papke →

Tiger Flowers

David Martinez, History, Middleweights

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Theodore “Tiger” Flowers was the first African-American to become middleweight champion. Born on August 5, 1895 in Camille, Georgia, Flowers’ nickname, “The Georgia Deacon”, was most appropriate because he always carried his own Bible with him. A deeply religious man, he would recite a passage from Psalm 144 before every bout.

Flowers began his professional career in 1918 at the age of twenty-three and was actually introduced to boxing while working at the shipyards in Philadelphia during World War I when he wandered into a gym that was owned by former light heavyweight champion Philadelphia Jack O’Brien.

O’Brien was not prejudiced and allowed all colors and creeds to train in his gym, and he became very impressed with Flower’s natural talent, encouraging him to become a prize fighter.

A southpaw, Flowers won his first 25 bouts before losing by a sixth round knockout to Panama Joe Gans in August 1921. After four successful wins, he would meet Gans in a rematch four months later in December and would lose again by a fifth round knockout.

In 1922, Flowers engaged in 20 bouts, mostly wins, but did suffer knockout losses to Kid Norfolk, Lee Anderson, Sam Langford, and the Jamaica Kid, followed by another knockout loss to Kid Norfolk.

In 1923, Flowers had sixteen bouts with a record of 13 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. His only losses were by stoppage to Kid Norfork and Fireman Jim Flynn.

Continue reading Tiger Flowers →

The Marquis of Queensberry Rules

David Martinez, History

By David Martinez  / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Arguably, the most important piece of boxing writing was by John Graham Chambers in 1865, a member of the Amateur Athletic Club in London, England.

Chambers wrote twelve rules to govern the conduct of boxing matches which would end the governed structure of bare-knuckle fighting.

John Sholto Douglas, eighth Marquis of Queensberry, was responsible for putting these rules into effect and gained fame with his sponsorship and by lending his name to the title. The new rules thus would supersede the Revised London Prize Ring Rules, which were written by Jack Broughton in 1743.

The first fight that applied Queensberry Rules was the heavyweight championship when Jim Corbett knocked out John L. Sullivan in twenty-one rounds to win the title at the Olympic Club in New Orleans on September 7, 1892.

Continue reading The Marquis of Queensberry Rules →

THE REFEREE MAGAZINE

David Martinez, History

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Back when I was a kid in the fifties, I came across a magazine called The Referee that was either at my father’s barber shop or at the newsstands nearby.

It was in 1961 that I would start to obtain these magazines to educate myself with boxing and wrestling. It was mainly a west coast publication that was published to serve as a fight program with updates for the upcoming various events. It was available at fight venues as well as news-stands.

Although, I do not have every issue, the issues I have are certainly treasured collectables.

Continue reading THE REFEREE MAGAZINE →

Sam Langford

David Martinez, Heavyweights, History

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Born on March 3, 1883 in Weymouth, Nova Scotia, Canada was one of  the all time greats in boxing, Sam Langford.

Langford was known as The Boston Tar Baby, and was not a big heavyweight in stature; he stood 5’7″ with a career weight range of 126 to 190 pounds. He was powerfully built with a waist of 32 inches, a chest of 44 inches, and a 74 inch reach.

Langford started his professional career as a featherweight in 1902. The following year, he defeated Joe Gans and drew with Jack Blackburn.

Langford is considered to be the greatest boxer to never have won a world title.  On September 5, 1904, he fought welterweight champion Joe Walcott in a non-title bout that resulted in a 15 round decision draw. In that fight, Langford knocked Walcott down in round three and was well ahead after eight rounds before Walcott would come on to win the later rounds.

Continue reading Sam Langford →

Oddities in Boxing

David Martinez, History

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Boxing has certainly had its share of odd events. In no particular order of preference here are ten that have always stood out to me.

1 – November 6, 1993 / Las Vegas, Nevada … Holyfield vs. Bowe II, a fan James Miller lands by parachute into the ring during round 7 causing a 21 minute delay in their heavyweight championship fight.

2 – December 4, 1912 / Paris, France … Georges Bernard fell asleep at the end of the sixth round during his middleweight title fight with Billy Papke.

3 – September 13, 1975 / Caracas, Venezuela Luis Etaba defeated Rafael Lovera by 4th round knockout to win WBC junior flyweight title, only to learn afterwards Lovera had never fought a professional fight before and only fought that one fight in his career.

4 – December 13,  1887 … “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey retained his middleweight title by knockout in the 45th round over John Reagan. The bout took place in two rings. It Started in Huntington, Long Island and after the ring was flooded by nearby river, in the 8th round, both fighters boarded a tug boat and continued their bout 20 miles away in another ring.

5 – January 15, 1977 /  Las Vegas, Nevada … Howard Smith wins a 10 round decision over Henry Clark. In round one, the original referee (Ferd Hernandez) suffered a epileptic seizure causing a fifteen minute delay before new referee (Richard Greene) was brought and the fight resumed. On a side note, prior to becoming a referee, Fred Hernandez boxed professionally and once scored a 10 round split decision win over an aging 44 year old Sugar Ray Robinson in 1965.

Continue reading Oddities in Boxing →

Boxers Who Have Never Been Knocked Out

David Martinez, History, Rankings

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

There are many boxers who have retired having never been knocked out in their respective careers.

The most logical rating formula for compiling such a list would be to judge them according to the quality and level of their competition, or by their total number of fights.

However, I have chosen to rate each on their greatness as a fighter; how I see them pound-for-pound at the height, peak, prime, pinnacle of their great careers.

Arguably, you could move them around, changing the order as you wish; but this likely would be the group at the top of most lists.

Continue reading Boxers Who Have Never Been Knocked Out →

Freddie Welsh

David Martinez, History, Lightweights

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

One of Britain’s greatest boxers, is certainly Freddie Welsh.  Born by the name Frederick Hall Thomas, on March 5, 1886, in Pontypridd, South Wales, United Kingdom.  Welsh started his professional career in 1905 in Philadelphia.  He would later win the lightweight championship by 20 round decision over Willie Ritchie on July 7, 1914.   He would go on to hold the title until 1917, when he then lost to Benny Leonard by knockout in 9 rounds.

After the Leonard fight, Welsh went on to serve in United States Army during World War I, and helped disabled veterans at Walter Reed Hospital.  After being discharged at the rank of captain, he returned to the ring after a three year layoff resumed his boxing career in December 1920 .

Welsh would only fight six bouts in 16 months winning four, with one draw and losing a 10 round decision in his final fight, and he would retire in April 1922.

Continue reading Freddie Welsh →