Jersey Joe Walcott

Born into extreme poverty in 1914, Jersey Joe Walcott began boxing at the age of 16 to help feed his hungry family. After ten years, without proper training and with little to show for his efforts beyond some frightful beatings, Walcott quit the ring. A chance meeting with a fight promoter who recognized the potential in his iron chin and hard punch turned Walcott’s fortunes around, launching one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history. This biography details Walcott’s youth, his dismal early career, and his legendary climb to become the heavyweight champion of the world at age 37, at the time the oldest man ever to win the coveted title. Along the way, he battled some of the most feared champions of his day, including Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, and Rocky Marciano. With numerous period photographs and a foreword from Walcott’s grandson, this work provides an intimate look at one of the grittiest, most determined boxers of the 20th century.

James Curl is a member of the International Boxing Research Organization and has written articles for IBRO Journal and East Side Boxing. He lives in Rancho Cordova, California.

James Curl

Foreword by Vincent Cream II

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 239
Bibliographic Info: 29 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6822-5
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8963-3
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Foreword by Vincent Cream II      1
Preface      3

1. The Journey Begins      7
2. Roxie Allen, Jack Blackburn and Typhoid Fever      15
3. Sparring with the Brown Bomber      23
4. “Tiger” Jack Fox and Hard Times      29
5. Early Retirement      37
6. Bocchicchio      44
7. Stepping up the Competition      52
8. Win Some, Lose Some      58
9. Louis-Walcott I      69
10. Louis-Walcott II      86
11. The Cincinnati Cobra      97
12. Sweden, Omelio, and Johnny Shkor      108
13. Germany and Rex Layne      119
14. Winning the Title      132
15. Bringing the Title Home      147
16. Walcott-Marciano I: The Build-Up      159
17. Walcott-Marciano I: The Fight      165
18. Walcott-Marciano II: The Rematch      181
19. The 1950s and Hollywood      189
20. The 1960s and the Phantom Punch      194
21. The New Sheriff      199
22. The Passing of a Legend      204

Appendix: Jersey Joe Walcott’s Fight Record      207
Chapter Notes      211
Bibliography      221
Index      225

“a very good read”—Examiner.com.