BOXING: Jersey Joe Walcott was definition of perseverance

By Jake the Truth Wilson Boxinginsider.com Columnist

In the ring, Jersey Joe Walcott was definition of perseverance. He won the heavyweight title in his fifth try, accomplishing the feat at the age of 37. He held the record for oldest heavyweight champion until 45-year-old George Foreman won the crown in 1994. And he did all this despite a very dissapointing beginning to his career.

Born Arnold Cream in Merchantville, New Jersey, Walcott took the name of his boxing idol, Joe Walcott, the welterweight champion from Barbados. He turned pro in 1930 at the age of 16 and embarked on a slow, but steady, rise to the top. His patience definitely ended up paying off.

Walcott wound up a loser in his early bouts against world-class competition. He lost a pair of fights to Tiger Jack Fox and was knocked out by contender Abe Simon. But that would change in 1945 when Walcott reeled off victories against such top heavyweights as Joe Baksi, Lee Q. Murray, Curtis Sheppard and Jimmy Bivins. He closed out 1946 with a pair of losses to former light heavyweight champ Joey Maxim and heavyweight contender Elmer Ray, but promptly avenged those defeats in 1947.

Walcott, considered an excellent boxer and slick defensive fighter who knew all the tricks of the ring, challenged Joe Louis for the title in December of 1947 at Madison Square Garden. He dropped the champion twice but lost a 15-round split decision to "The Brown Bomber." That was truly one of the greatest fights in boxing history. The very next year, Louis defeated him again, knocking Walcott out in 11 rounds. When Louis retired, Walcott and Ezzard Charles met for the vacant NBA heavyweight title in 1949 with Charles emerging victorious in a 15-round decision battle.

Walcott beat future Hall-of-Famer Harold Johnson in 1950 and would duel twice more with Charles in 1951. Charles bested Walcott again in the first match earning a 15-round decision. But in the rematch, Walcott scored a seventh-round knockout, courtesy of his left hook, to finally win the heavyweight title. Walcott, already a 20 year veteran of professional boxing, had accomplished the impossible. Walcott would meet Charles a fourth time, earning a decision in his first title defense.

Then he would meet Rocky Marciano for his second defense.Jersey Joe had a commanding lead all the way through the fight, and was on the edge of winning. It seemed as if the elderly champion would once again succesfully defend his crown. Then in round 13 Walcott was against the ropes, and Marciano pursued, BOOM! Marciano caught Walcott with one of the most devastating right hands of all time. That punch was the beginning of the legendary Marciano era, and the end of Walcott's short stint as champion of the world. After Marciano knocked him out in the first round of their 1953 rematch, Walcott retired. His retirement marked the end of a legend who lived in the shadow of maybe the greatest heavyweight of all time in Joe Louis.

After retiring, Walcott remained active in boxing as a referee and later as the chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. He never wanted to be away from the sport he loved. Jersey Joe was truly a legend in the fight game, and will always be remembered as that.

Article courtesy of Boxinginsider.com