Boxing's Fantastic Fifties

The 1950's Boxing History: by Brian Zelley

* The   fifties began with the featherweight title

victory by Willie Pep  over Charley Riley and 

followed up by Joey Maxim  over Freddy Mills

in Ight-heavyweight title bout.

The fantastic fifties in boxing ended in December 1959

with a Joe Brown  victory over Dave Charnley  and a

Gene Fullmer win over SpiderWebb.

Between the January 1950 action and the 

December 1959 events, there were numerous

title bouts, champions and golden moments in

the fifties with the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson,

Archie Moore, and many boxers to challenge for

a title from those such as Billy Graham. Art Aragon and

Bobby Dykes to Ricardo Marino, Yvon Durelle and

Kenny Lane.  

Heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano  would make

the history books by retiring undefeated and champion

after his 1955 victory over Archie Moore. Marciano

won the title in September 1952 with a 13 round KO

over champion Jersey Joe Walcott. Floyd Patterson 

would defeat Archie Moore to win the vacant title.

Archie Moore was the light heavyweight champion

when he faced Marciano and Patterson.  One of his

 title fights that would become one of the all-time

classics which took place in December 1958 in

Montreal, Canada against the tough Yvon Durelle.

A rematch with Durelle took place in 1959 but fell 

short of being a classic with an early victory by

Moore.

Sugar Ray Robinson started the fifties as the
welterweight champion. His last welterweight 
title fight took place in August 1950 with a
decision over the popular golden boy of 
New Jersey, Charlie Fusari and the bout took
place in Jetsey City.  In 1951, Robinson would win 
the middleweight title in 13 rounds over the
one they called "the raging bull", Jake LaMotta.

Boxer Kid Gavilan would end up with the vacant
 complete welterweight title after a victory over
Johnny Bratton  who had earned partial recognition 
with a decision over Charlie Fusari.