Jersey Joe Walcott

Arnold Raymond Cream (January 31, 1914 – February 25, 1994), best known as Jersey Joe Walcott, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1930 to 1953. He held the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), National Boxing Association (NBA), and The Ring heavyweight titles from 1951 to 1952, and broke the record for the oldest man to win the title, at the age of 37. That record would hold for over three decades until it was eventually broken in 1994 by 45-year-old George Foreman. Despite holding the world heavyweight title for a relatively short period of time, Walcott was regarded among the best heavyweights in the world during the 1940s and 1950s.

After retiring from boxing, Walcott did some acting, playing small parts in a few movies and television shows. He also refereed several boxing matches, but after the controversial ending to the second fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, Walcott was not asked to referee again. From 1971 to 1974, Walcott held the elected position of Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey, the first African-American to do so. From 1975 to 1984, he was the chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission.

Early life

Walcott was born in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey.<ref>Mitchell, John N. "Jersey Joe Walcott to be immortalized on Camden Waterfront", The Philadelphia Tribune, September 28, 2019. Accessed June 7, 2020. "Walcott was born in Pennsauken on Jan. 31, 1914."</ref> His father was an immigrant from St. Thomas, Danish West Indies. His mother was from Jordantown (Pennsauken Township), New Jersey. Walcott was only 15 years old when his father died. He quit school and worked in a soup factory to support his mother and 11 younger brothers and sisters. Later he married Lydia Cream, and the two had six children together.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

From a relatively young age Walcott began training as a boxer. He took the name of his boxing idol, Joe Walcott, a welterweight champion from Barbados. He added "Jersey" to distinguish himself and show where he was from.

Boxing career

Walcott debuted as a professional boxer at the young age of 16 on September 9, 1930, fighting Eddie "Cowboy" Wallace and winning by a knockout in round one.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After this first victory, Walcott fought on and off throughout the rest of the decade (Walcott lacked professional management and a regular training routine, causing him to struggle during his early career).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although he defeated a young Elmer Ray, he lost two bouts to Tiger Jack Fox and was knocked out by heavyweight contender Abe Simon in 1940. After losing to Simon, Walcott was inactive for over four years. During World War II, Walcott secured a wartime job, and did not fight again until 1944, winning two matches against local fighters Felix Del Paoli<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Ellis Singleton.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web

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File:Jersey Joe Walcott 1937.jpg

Jersey Joe Walcott in 1937

It was during these fights that Walcott was noticed by local boxing manager Felix Bocchicchio, who saw great potential in the fighter. Although Bocchicchio had a criminal history, he was well connected in the boxing scene and was able to provide Walcott and his family with financial stability, so that Walcott could now focus on fighting full time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also got Walcott professional trainers, Nick and Dan Florio (two brothers who worked with several world champions).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Together they got Walcott on a professional routine and diet, while improving his footwork and counter punching to turn him into a very crafty fighter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Now under professional management, Walcott resumed his boxing career in 1945. He quickly rose through the heavyweight ranks, defeating top contenders including Joe Baksi, Jimmy Bivins, Lee Oma and Tommy Gómez. Despite closing out 1946 with losses to future light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim and a rematch with top ranked heavyweight contender Elmer Ray, he promptly avenged both of those defeats in 1947 and rose to the rank of #1 heavyweight contender.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Walcott vs Louis

Now the top contender, Walcott fought heavyweight champion Joe Louis on December 5, 1947. At 33 years of age Walcott broke the record as the oldest man to fight for the world heavyweight title, although he was only four months older than Louis at the time. At this point, Louis had been champion for over ten years and this would be his 24th title defense.

Walcott fought very well, dropping Louis in round one and again in round four, but lost a highly controversial 15-round split decision. Most boxing writers felt Walcott deserved the win; a debate ensued, and sportswriters carried the topic throughout America. The lone official to vote for Walcott, referee Ruby Goldstein, was cast as a hero. Letters and telegrams poured in to the Goldstein household, praising his judgment. There was talk of an investigation being assembled for rule revisions in judging. Louis went into seclusion for a couple of days, then quieted dissent with the following: "I know Ruby. He calls them as he sees them and that should be good enough for anybody."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

What controversy remained was the kind that builds the gate, and Jersey Joe was rightfully granted a rematch on June 25, 1948. The heavily anticipated fight proved to also be competitive. Walcott dropped Louis once again, this time in the third round, but Louis went on to rally, and ultimately prevailed, scoring a knockout in round 11. The bout was Louis' record 25th and final title defense before announcing his first retirement. The rematch was also the world's first closed-circuit telecast (CCTV) sports broadcast, distributed via theatre television.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Walcott vs Charles

File:Jersey Joe Walcott vs Ezzard Charles 1951.jpg

Walcott (left) and Ezzard Charles (right) during their second heavyweight title fight in March 1951

On June 22, 1949, Walcott got another chance to become a world champion when he faced the highly skilled Ezzard Charles for the NBA heavyweight title left vacant by Louis. Charles prevailed, winning a unanimous decision over 15 rounds. Walcott, disappointed but eager to see his dream of being a champion come true, fought on, and in 1950 he won four of his five bouts, including a third-round knockout of future world light heavyweight champion Harold Johnson.

On March 7, 1951, he and Charles fought another title fight. Charles had defeated Louis the previous year, and was now the undisputed heavyweight champion. Walcott fought well, but was hurt in the ninth round when he was dropped by a sharp left hook. Walcott survived the round but once again Charles won a 15-round decision to retain his world title.

Despite losing four title shots, only four months later, Walcott joined a small handful of boxers who claimed the world title on their fifth try. Charles fought Walcott in another title fight on July 18, 1951, in Pittsburgh. This time Walcott gave his best performance of their entire series of fights, winning most of the rounds and knocking out Charles in the seventh round to finally become world heavyweight champion at the age of 37.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This made him the oldest man ever to win the world heavyweight crown, a distinction he would hold until George Foreman won the title at age 45 in 1994. Walcott retained his title in a fourth and final fight with his arch-rival Charles on June 5, 1952, this time winning a close 15-round decision.

Losing the Title

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File:Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott 1953.jpg

Walcott (right) and Marciano (left) before their 1953 rematch

On September 23, 1952, Wacott put his title on the line for the second time, and this time his opponent was the undefeated Rocky Marciano. In the first round, Walcott floored Marciano with a left hook; the first time in his career that Rocky had ever been down. After twelve intense rounds, Walcott stood well ahead on two of the three official scorecards, leaving Marciano needing a knockout to win. In the thirteenth round, with Marciano pressuring Walcott against the ropes, simultaneously each threw a right hand. Marciano landed first and flush on Walcott's jaw with a devastating right hook and a powerful left followup. The title changed hands in an instant. Walcott collapsed with his left arm hanging over the ropes, slowly sinking to the canvas, where he was counted out. An immediate rematch was set for May 15, 1953 in Chicago. The second time around Walcott was again defeated by Marciano by a knockout, this time in the first round. It would be Walcott's last bout.

Life after boxing

Walcott did not go away from the celebrity scene after boxing. In 1956, he co-starred with Humphrey Bogart and Max Baer in the boxing drama The Harder They Fall. In 1963, he tried professional wrestling, losing to Lou Thesz. Thesz pinned Walcott in the fifth round, but has stated that Walcott knocked him (Thesz) down and most likely out in that fifth round. As he fell to the floor, he relied on instinct, grabbing Walcott's knees, taking him down with him and stretching him out for the pin.

Walcott also refereed several notable fights, but in 1965 he oversaw the controversial world heavyweight championship rematch between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston. Walcott lost the count as Ali circled around a floored Liston and Walcott tried to get him back to a neutral corner. Walcott then looked outside of the ring (presumably to the ringside count keeper) as Ali and Liston went at each other, before Walcott instructed them to keep on fighting. Walcott then approached the fighters and abruptly stopped the fight. This incident effectively ended his career as a referee, although he eventually returned to officiate two more fights in the late 1970s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He died in 1994 at the age of 80.Template:Cn

Political career

After retiring, Walcott worked for the Camden County corrections department.<ref name=UPI>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1968, he ran for Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey, but lost in the Democratic primary to Spencer H. Smith Jr.<ref name=AP /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That same year he was named director of community relations for Camden.<ref name=UPI />

In 1971, he ran again for Camden County Sheriff. He defeated Republican William Strang in the general election.<ref name=UPI /> He was the first African-American to serve as Sheriff in Camden County.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He served as chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission from 1975 until 1984, when he stepped down at the mandatory retirement age of 70. Walcott was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

Honors

In 2013, Walcott was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.<ref>The Star Ledger. section four. page 4. August 24, 2014</ref>

Partial filmography

• The Harder They Fall (1956) - George
• The Super Fight (1970) - Himself (voice)

Professional boxing record

Template:Abbr	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round(s), time	Date	Location	Notes
70	Template:No2Loss	49–20–1	Rocky Marciano	KO	1 (15), Template:Small	May 15, 1953	Template:Small	Template:Small
69	Template:No2Loss	49–19–1	Rocky Marciano	KO	13 (15), Template:Small	Sep 23, 1952	Template:Small	Template:Small
68	Template:Yes2Win	49–18–1	Ezzard Charles	UD	15	Jun 5, 1952	Template:Small	Template:Small
67	Template:Yes2Win	48–18–1	Ezzard Charles	KO	7 (15), Template:Small	Jul 18, 1951	Template:Small	Template:Small
66	Template:No2Loss	47–18–1	Ezzard Charles	UD	15	Mar 7, 1951	Template:Small	Template:Small
65	Template:No2Loss	47–17–1	Rex Layne	UD	10	Nov 24, 1950	Template:Small
64	Template:Yes2Win	47–16–1	Hein ten Hoff	UD	10	May 28, 1950	Template:Small
63	Template:Yes2Win	46–16–1	Johnny Shkor	KO	1 (10), Template:Small	Mar 13, 1950	Template:Small
62	Template:Yes2Win	45–16–1	Omelio Agramonte	TKO	7 (10), Template:Small	Mar 3, 1950	Template:Small
61	Template:Yes2Win	44–16–1	Harold Johnson	KO	3 (10), Template:Small	Feb 8, 1950	Template:Small
60	Template:Yes2Win	43–16–1	Olle Tandberg	TKO	5 (12), Template:Small	Aug 14, 1949	Template:Small
59	Template:No2Loss	42–16–1	Ezzard Charles	UD	15	Jun 22, 1949	Template:Small	Template:Small
58	Template:No2Loss	42–15–1	Joe Louis	KO	11 (15)	Jun 25, 1948	Template:Small	Template:Small
57	Template:No2Loss	42–14–1	Joe Louis	SD	15	Dec 5, 1947	Template:Small	Template:Small
56	Template:Yes2Win	42–13–1	Joey Maxim	SD	10	Jun 23, 1947	Template:Small
55	Template:Yes2Win	41–13–1	Elmer Ray	MD	10	Mar 4, 1947	Template:Small
54	Template:Yes2Win	40–13–1	Joey Maxim	Template:Abbr	10	Jan 6, 1947	Template:Small
53	Template:No2Loss	39–13–1	Elmer Ray	SD	10	Nov 15, 1946	Template:Small
52	Template:No2Loss	39–12–1	Joey Maxim	PTS	10	Aug 28, 1946	Template:Small
51	Template:Yes2Win	39–11–1	Tommy Gómez	TKO	3 (10), Template:Small	Aug 16, 1946	Template:Small
50	Template:Yes2Win	38–11–1	Lee Oma	Template:Abbr	10	May 24, 1946	Template:Small
49	Template:Yes2Win	37–11–1	Al Blake	TKO	4 (10), Template:Small	Mar 20, 1946	Template:Small
48	Template:Yes2Win	36–11–1	Jimmy Bivins	Template:Abbr	10	Feb 25, 1946	Template:Small
47	Template:Yes2Win	35–11–1	Johnny Allen	KO	3 (12), Template:Small	Jan 30, 1946	Template:Small
46	Template:Yes2Win	34–11–1	Curtis Sheppard	KO	10 (10), Template:Small	Dec 10, 1945	Template:Small
45	Template:Yes2Win	33–11–1	Lee Q. Murray	DQ	9 (10)	Nov 12, 1945	Template:Small	Template:Small
44	Template:Yes2Win	32–11–1	Steve Dudas	TKO	5 (10), Template:Small	Oct 24, 1945	Template:Small
43	Template:Yes2Win	31–11–1	Johnny Denson	KO	2 (10), Template:Small	Sep 20, 1945	Template:Small
42	Template:Yes2Win	30–11–1	Joe Baksi	PTS	10	Aug 2, 1945	Template:Small
41	Template:Yes2Win	29–11–1	Johnny Allen	PTS	8	Mar 15, 1945	Template:Small
40	Template:Yes2Win	28–11–1	Austin Johnson	PTS	6	Feb 22, 1945	Template:Small
39	Template:No2Loss	27–11–1	Johnny Allen	PTS	8	Jan 25, 1945	Template:Small
38	Template:Yes2Win	27–10–1	Jackie Saunders	TKO	2 (6), Template:Small	Jan 11, 1945	Template:Small
37	Template:Yes2Win	26–10–1	Ellis Singleton	KO	3 (8), Template:Small	Jun 28, 1944	Template:Small
36	Template:Yes2Win	25–10–1	Felix Del Paoli	PTS	8	Jun 7, 1944	Template:Small
35	Template:No2Loss	24–10–1	Abe Simon	KO	6 (8), Template:Small	Feb 12, 1940	Template:Small
34	Template:Yes2Win	24–9–1	Tiger 'Red' Lewis	TKO	6 (10), Template:Small	Jan 19, 1940	Template:Small
33	Template:Yes2Win	23–9–1	Curtis Sheppard	PTS	8	Nov 18, 1939	Template:Small
32	Template:Yes2Win	22–9–1	Al Boros	PTS	8	Aug 14, 1939	Template:Small
31	Template:Yes2Win	21–9–1	Bob Tow	PTS	8	Dec 23, 1938	Template:Small
30	Template:No2Loss	20–9–1	Roy Lazer	PTS	8	Jun 14, 1938	Template:Small
29	Template:No2Loss	20–8–1	Tiger Jack Fox	PTS	10	May 10, 1938	Template:Small
28	Template:Yes2Win	20–7–1	Lorenzo Pack	KO	4 (8), Template:Small	Apr 12, 1938	Template:Small
27	Template:Yes2Win	19–7–1	Art Sykes	KO	4 (8), Template:Small	Mar 25, 1938	Template:Small
26	Template:Yes2Win	18–7–1	Jim Whitest	PTS	8	Jan 20, 1938	Template:Small
25	Template:Yes2Win	17–7–1	Freddie Fiducia	PTS	8	Jan 10, 1938	Template:Small
24	Template:No2Loss	16–7–1	George Brothers	PTS	8	Oct 9, 1937	Template:Small
23	Template:Yes2Win	16–6–1	Elmer Ray	KO	3 (6), Template:Small	Sep 25, 1937	Template:Small
22	Template:Yes2Win	15–6–1	Joe Lipps	KO	2 (8)	Sep 3, 1937	Template:Small
21	Template:No2Loss	14–6–1	Tiger Jack Fox	KO	8 (10), Template:Small	May 22, 1937	Template:Small
20	Template:No2Loss	14–5–1	Billy Ketchell	PTS	10	Sep 1, 1936	Template:Small
19	Template:DrawDraw	14–4–1	Billy Ketchell	PTS	10	Jul 14, 1936	Template:Small
18	Template:Yes2Win	14–4	Phil Johnson	TKO	3 (6), Template:Small	Jun 22, 1936	Template:Small
17	Template:Yes2Win	13–4	Louis LePage	KO	3 (6), Template:Small	Jun 16, 1936	Template:Small
16	Template:Yes2Win	12–4	Joe Colucci	KO	4 (10), Template:Small	Apr 28, 1936	Template:Small
15	Template:Yes2Win	11–4	Willie Reddish	PTS	8	Mar 16, 1936	Template:Small
14	Template:No2Loss	10–4	Al Ettore	KO	8 (10), Template:Small	Jan 21, 1936	Template:Small
13	Template:Yes2Win	10–3	Roxie Allen	KO	8 (8), Template:Small	Nov 26, 1935	Template:Small
12	Template:Yes2Win	9–3	Al King	KO	1 (8), Template:Small	Oct 29, 1935	Template:Small
11	Template:Yes2Win	8–3	Pat Roland	TKO	4 (8), Template:Small	Oct 1, 1935	Template:Small
10	Template:Yes2Win	7–3	Lew Alva	KO	1 (8), Template:Small	Aug 26, 1935	Template:Small
9	Template:No2Loss	6–3	Henry Taylor	Template:Abbr	6	Nov 16, 1933	Template:Small
8	Template:Yes2Win	6–2	Henry Taylor	KO	1 (6), Template:Small	Jul 28, 1933	Template:Small
7	Template:Yes2Win	5–2	Bob Norris	KO	1 (6)	May 5, 1933	Template:Small	Template:Small
6	Template:Yes2Win	4–2	Carl Mays	KO	2 (6)	Apr 20, 1931	Template:Small
5	Template:No2Loss	3–2	Carl Mays	PTS	6	Mar 19, 1931	Template:Small
4	Template:Yes2Win	3–1	Frank Mitchell	TKO	4 (6)	Oct 24, 1930	Template:Small
3	Template:Yes2Win	2–1	Jimmy O'Toole	Template:Abbr	4 (6)	Oct 10, 1930	Template:Small
2	Template:No2Loss	1–1	K.O. Palmer	Template:Abbr	3 (6)	Sep 16, 1930	Template:Small	Template:Small
1	Template:Yes2Win	1–0	Eddie Wallace	Template:Abbr	1 (6)	Sep 9, 1930	Template:Small

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

• NYSAC heavyweight champion (200+ lbs)
• NBA (WBA) heavyweight champion (200+ lbs)

The Ring magazine titles

• The Ring heavyweight champion (200+ lbs)

Undisputed titles

• Undisputed heavyweight champion

See also

• List of heavyweight boxing champions

External links

• Template:Boxrec
• https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/NBA_World_Heavyweight_Title_Fights
• https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/NYSAC_World_Heavyweight_Title_Fights
• Jersey Joe Walcott - CBZ Profile
• Boxing Hall of Fame