I've been reading up on him, I knew he was good, but I didnt know know he was THAT good. Maybe the 2nd best welter of the forties at least. I wonder why he never won a title. It's strange that a fighter of this calibre is so underrated, He took Ray Robinson on and took him the full fight. He wrote an autobiography but sadly died before it was released, last I heard his wife was going to release it along with a DVD of a film of his 1948 bout with Robinson. Another equally rare film exists of his fight with Frankie Fernandez. When he became #1 contender for the welterweight title, Robinson said he wanted no part of him because in their first bout, it was very close, thats how good he was. Just a final thought, for you film collectors this guy is selling the full 25 minute film of the bout of Robinson and Bernard Docusen. Theres also ten minutes of it on youtube, he had amazing boxing skills and was easily a top welter of the forties. www.sweetfights.com
This thread can't be complete without the following links: http://www.bernarddocusen.com http://www.myspace.com/bernarddocusen http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joseph-Bernard-Docusen/107747652579809
Hi, I'm Pat Docusen, Bernard's oldest child. My dad wrote his memoris in his early 50's and tucked them away in an old suitcase. I found them, made them in bookform along with pictures and had it hardbound by Denver Publiching Company. I only had 100 made and dad signed all of them months before his death. They sold pretty quickly. I have everything on a CD, though, for any future printings. The DVD's of the Robinson and Fernandez fights are copies that I think were made from my dad's original movie reel without his permission. In fact, we have the original film reel. In the early 90's while I was living in Chicago, without my knowledge, my nephew asked my parents if he could send the reel to a fan he met on the internet. He said that fan would make a VHS from the movie. This fan evidently made copies and sold them and that's why they are out there today. This original film was filmed by a friend of my dad's. He was filming it standing on a cardboard box and at one point he fell off and you will see where the camera is a little distorted for a few seconds. This was the ONE and ONLY film of Robinson -- no one else filmed it. I was so disappointed when I found out that my nephew had put it in the hands of a so-called fan who betrayed my dad by selling it to make money off him. I have since made DVD's from the original film that we have sold. One of the Robinson fight and one of the Fernandez fight. My dad has been honored by being inducted into the New Orleans Boxing Hall of Fame and the California Boxing Hall of Fame. He will be inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame sometime this year. My hopes are that he will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame since he accomplished what NO other fighter accomplished. Flyweight Champion of the South - 13 years old Southern A.A.U. Diamond Glove title - 14 years old National A.A.U. Diamond Glove Champion - 14 1/2 years old (had to be 16 to qualify, but his manager lied about his age) - Boston, MA Turned professional at 15 years old and won the Professional Featherweight Championship of the south at 15.
Hey Al, how ya been? Yeah, I guess I'm pretty transparent. Yeah, he did, fought Herbie Kronowitz. Pretty sure Kid Gavilan was on that card, too, with Vinnie Rossano. You doin' ok these days, Al?
P Docusen. I was around when your dad fought at Welterweight. He was a hell of a fighter, fighting in a golden age of boxing.Besides the incomparable Robinson,at Welter ,there w as your dad, Tommy Bell,Johnny Bratton, Jimmy Doyle [poor guy], Freddie Dawson, and a guy your dad should have fought ,but were never hooked up with ,Kid Gavilan...Your uncle Maxie was a top fighter also in the lightweight division..But with Robinson at Welter, and Ike Williams at 135,it was tough to dethrone these guys...But today your dad would have been a champion. No doubt...You should be proud...
From the limited footage I've seen of Bernard Docusen, he looks like a very good fighter. Good enough to give a prime Ray Robinson a very tough 15-round fight. He wasn't ever in Robinson's class as a puncher, so it shows how much skill and durability he possessed at the time. Some great information on this thread. :good