Yup, that's what former heavyweight Tommy Garland told boxing historian JJ Johnston in an interview. He said he saw it happen himself. Here's Garland: http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:51516
Garland couldn't recall the exact date, but all three were training at Stillman's gym between Nov. 1946 and Feb. 1947.
Yup. Of the big boys only Curtis "Hatchetman" Sheppard seems to have ever had the better of Burley in sparring.
:roll::roll: How rumors/ghost stories get spread. Gotta love it. If Burley ever fought the Walcott who put Louis, Marciano, Charles on there rear ends, Burley would still be lying flat on his back counting the stars in the sky to this day. Walcott KO 2 Burley
Well the source for that one is Otty via Burley's daughter. So certainly not a "ghost" story, though I feel it's the weakest of these three. It's a matter of record that Burley caught on with Walcott, sparring him, and was dismissed without explanation though. I'd tend to pick the HW to beat the light-middle either way.
Meaningless,happens quite often since Gunboat Smith knocked Jack Johnon clear out of the ring while Gunboat was a sparring partner...
Credit. It doesn't count as credit for a fighter. Not that Burley needs more credit, his record is more than sufficient. :good