Jersey Joe Walcott

Born Arnold Raymond Cream, 1/31/14 in Merchantville, NJ, but changed his name to Joe Walcott after his father's favorite fighter. His first recorded pro bout was in 1930. During the depression, he would leave boxing to take any job he could to feed his family, but remained on short call to fight for anything he could earn.
His break came after WWII when there were so few heavyweights to fill fight cards that even a semi-retired fighter like Walcott could get fights. Within three years he was actually a contender for the title.
In what was first scheduled to be only an exhibition (The New York State Athletic Commission forced the promoter to make it a sanctioned bout), Jersey Joe stepped in as a 10-1 underdog against the champion, Joe Louis. But in the first round, Walcott suckered Louis with a right-hand lead and dropped the champ. In the fourth he dropped Louis again! But in the later rounds, Walcott made the mistake of retreating, thinking he had the fight won and only needed to be careful. When the bell ended the 15 round affair, Louis started to leave the ring before the decision was announced, believing that he had lost, but was persuaded to remain. He was given the victory on a controversial split decision. Walcott would lose again to Louis and twice to Ezzard Charles before his dream came true. In his third fight with Charles, he caught the champ with what Charles called, "a sucker punch", a left hook that knocked Ezzard out. He would drop Marciano with the same punch but lose his title to Rocky, who, unlike Charles, did not stay down. Record: 53-18-1 (33)

1930 9 Sep Cowboy Wallace NJ KO1 10 Oct Jimmy O'Toole NJ KO4 24 Oct Frankie Matthews NJ KO4 1931 20 Apr Carl Mays NJ KO2 1933 5 May Bob Norris NJ KO1 28 Jul Henry Taylor NJ KO1 16 Nov Henry Taylor PA L6 1935 1 Jan Al Lang NJ KO1 2 Feb Lew Alva NJ KO3 1 Oct Pat Roland NJ KO4 29 Oct Joe King NJ KO1 26 Nov Roxie Allen NJ KO7 1936 21 Jan Al Ettore NJ KOby8 16 Mar Willy Reddish PA W10 28 Apr Joe Colucci NJ KO4 16 Jun Lou Lapage NY KO6 22 Jun Phill Johnson PA KO3 14 Jul Billy Ketchell NJ D10 1 Aug Young Passarell NJ W8 15 Aug Billy Ketchell NJ W10 1 Sep Billy Ketchell NJ L10 1937 22 May Tiger Jack Fox NY KOby8 3 Sep Joe Lipps NJ KO2 25 Sep Elmer Ray NY KO3 9 Oct George Brothers NY L8 1938 10 Jan Fred Fiducia PA W8 20 Jan Jim Whitest PA W8 25 Mar Art Sykes PA KO4 12 Apr Lorenzo Pack NJ KO4 10 May Tiger Jack Fox NJ L10 14 Jun Roy Lazer NJ L8 23 Dec Bob Tow NJ W8 1939 14 Aug Al Boros NJ W8 18 Nov Curtis Sheppard NY W8 1940 19 Jan Tiger Red Lewis PA KO6 12 Feb Abe Simon NJ KOby6 1941 27 Jun Columbus Gant TN KO3 1944 7 Jun Felix Del Paoli NJ W8 28 Jun Ellis Singleton NJ KO3 1945 11 Jan Jackie Saunders NJ KO2 25 Jan Skippy Allen NJ L8 2 Aug Joe Baksi NJ W10 20 Sep Johnny Denson NJ KO2 23 Oct Steve Dudas NJ KO5 12 Nov Lee Q Murray MD WDSQ9 10 Dec Curtis Sheppard MD KO10 1946 30 Jan Skippy Allen NJ KO3 25 Feb Jimmy Bivens OH W10 20 Mar Al Blake NJ KO4 24 May Lee Oma NY W10 16 Aug Tommy Gomez NY KO3 28 Aug Joey Maxim NJ L10 15 Nov Elmer Ray NY L10 1947 6 Jan Joey Maxim PA W10 3 Apr Elmer Ray FL W10 23 Jun Joey Maxim CA W10 5 Dec Joe Louis NY L15 (For World Heavyweight Championship) 1948 25 Jun Joe Louis NY KOby11 (For World Heavyweight Championship) 1949 22 Jun Ezzard Charles IL L15 (For NBA Heavyweight Championship) 14 Aug Olle Tandberg Sweden KO5 1950 8 Feb Harold Johnson PA KO3 3 Mar Omelio Agramonte NY KO7 13 Mar Johnny Shkor PA KO1 28 May Hein Hoff Germany W10 24 Nov Lex Layne NY L10 1951 7 Mar Ezzard Charles MI L15 (For World Heavyweight Championship) 18 Jul Ezzard Charles PA KO7 (Won World Heavyweight Championship) 1952 5 Jun Ezzard Charles PA W15 (Retained World Heavyweight Championship) 23 Sep Rocky Marciano PA KOby13 (Lost World Heavyweight Championship) 1953 15 May Rocky Marciano IL KOby1 (For World Heavyweight Championship)
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