Great fight! Charlie Powell vs Norkus

I don't know where that comes from.

Roy Harris is from Texas. Last I checked, Texas was not part of Europe.

 

I noticed in the Valdes-London film that the commentator said that at 15 stone 6, (218 lbs.) Valdes was the heaviest he had ever been.

Nothing really to do with this thread, but I wonder even more if that 244 weight might be a typo.

 

Goddamn. What an athlete.

 

One of the best high school athletes in United States history

 

Good question...good job in bringing it up.

 

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Goodnight! DeJohn was a monster puncher

 

I solved it...he was 224lb


March 4, 1959

Nino Valdes was 'upset' {L TKO 8} by 4-1 Underdog - Charley Powell in Miami Beach.

34 year-old - Nino, who was riding '12' wins in '13 bouts' was supposedly 'one fight'
away from a Heavyweight Championship bout.

Nino came in at a flabby 224 lbs., and was not in top shape. 26 year-old - Charley Powell
with a record of 19-3-2 (12 KO's) was supposed to be a good work out for Nino, nothing more.

Nino fought very fast-paced, and by Round 6 was 'sucking wind'. Charley Powell scored
'3-knockdowns' over an exhausted and extremely tired Valdes in Round 8. Nino got up
after the 'third knockdown' but he was so tired, he nearly fell over.

8-months later (November 6, 1959), Charley lasted about 1-Minute against Mike DeJohn.

http://newspaperarchive.com/chester-times/1959-03-05/88855258-thumbnail.jpg

 

I believe Valdes was the better choice than London for a “tune up” title fight in early 1959. For one, London was coming off a loss while Valdes was coming off a 12-1 record in his last 13 fights. And a large heavyweight with a big punch, it would have been a good test for Patterson prior to fighting Liston.

Valdes also deserved the title shot vs Patterson with his 1957-1958 resurgence climbing up to a number 2 ranking by both the RING and NBA. Significantly higher ratings than London.

From 57-58, he knocked out 29-0 Erskine in one round, defeated RING top 10 bethea and Dejohn 2x, then had a monster knockout win over RING number 3 Harold carter who was on fire at the time, followed by a big knockout over summerlin



Cuban heavyweight Nino Valdes stopped Johnny Summerlin's bid for a possible shot at champion Floyd Patterson with a 5th round knockout last night. Valdes' manager, Bobby Gleason, immediately shouted he would post $5,000 and demand Patterson face the giant Cuban. Summerlin had just staggered Valdes with a right in the middle of the 5th round. The punch stung Valdes into action. Valdes leaped in and pounded Summerlin furiously with both hands to the head before crashing home a right and walking over the falling Summerlin. Summerlin tried to climb to his feet but tumbled back to the canvas and was trying to rise again when referee Johnny Weber tolled the final count." -United Press International

• Detroit promoter C.W. Smith claimed he had assurances befor the bout from Cus D'Amato, Patterson's manager, that Summerlin would have been considered for a title fight had he won.

Read this

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AJ&pg=2349,2023391&dq=ingemar+johansson&hl=en

Notice what Joe Louis says

“I blame Cus Damato for Patterson’s trouble. He never gave Floyd a chance to fight tough competition. So when Floyd got hit with a really good punch, he didn’t know what to do.”- Joe Louis

Very Interesting quote. How damato didn’t prepare him for the bigger punchers in the division by taking on weak hitters like Jackson, radamacher, Harris, and London

 

Since were talking average 50s fighters here’s norkus vs Marciano victim Keene Simmons

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Simmons to be frank, looks awful. A swarmer who didn’t throw punches. Guy is obviously strong, but he had no skills. I’m shocked the rock didn’t waste this guy early

 

Thanks for finding this. His brother Art Powell was a very good athlete also.

 

Excellent info from the fighters.

 

How was Brian the next best thing if he was only rated number 7 by the NBA and 9 by the RING in February of 59?

Clearly he wasn’t the next best thing



For the last time when Patterson London negotiations began, Valdes was rated number 2 in the world by both nba and ring

and of course, London quit on his stool vs a washed up 35 year old Valdes who had vision problems!

 

After Valdes knocked out RING number 3 carter, summerlin who was next in line for a title shot, and McMurtry in 1, he should have immediately been given the May 1959 title shot date instead of London