Was Pep's 3-round KO of Chalky Wright his "Ali-Williams moment"?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by bolo specialist, Jul 23, 2024.


  1. bolo specialist

    bolo specialist Boxing Addict Full Member

    4,078
    8,146
    Jun 10, 2024
    Ali-Williams has attained a sort of mythical status in the annals of boxing history b/c it's widely perceived as the fight where Ali reached his absolute peak shortly before his banishment, after which he never really regained 100% of his old form.

    Pep had a similar turning point in his career when he suffered serious injuries in a plane crash. Although he continued to be an elite fighter for some time afterward, those who saw him fight (& basic logic/common sense dictates) that he never fully regained his pre-crash form.

    Which brings me to the KO of Wright (& my point). This was Pep's final fight before his plane crash, & he entered it while on the best KO/stoppage streak of his career (7 out of his previous 8 fights, which included a beatdown of Sal Bartolo in a title defense). Although Wright had extended Pep the distance several times before, this time he was overwhelmed & blasted out in 3. Although Wright was on the downside of his career (as Williams was when he faced Ali), he had still been good enough to beat quality fighters like Johnny Bratton, Enrique Bolanos, & Willie Joyce over the previous 2 years.

    Unfortunately, unlike Ali-Williams, there's no footage (at least that I'm aware of) of Pep-Wright that immortalizes what was very possibly Pep's best & last truly prime fight. If there were, I think it would be the kind of fight that future generations would forever point to & say, "This is the night in which he could've beaten anyone in his weight range."
     
  2. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

    5,062
    9,777
    Dec 17, 2018
    Good post and an interesting concept.

    It's likely that this was the best ever version of Pep, yes.

    Chalky Wright was a damn fine FW, too.
     
    bolo specialist, Fireman Fred and Jel like this.