Jersey Joe Walcott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jersey Joe Walcott |
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Walcott (left) with Robert Culp in television series Cain's Hundred, 1962
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Arnold Raymond Cream |
| Nickname(s) | Jersey Joe |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in |
| Reach | 74 in |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | January 31, 1914 Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | February 25, 1994 (aged 80) Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 70 |
| Wins | 49 |
| Wins by KO | 31 |
| Losses | 20 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey | |
| In office 1971–1974 |
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| Preceded by | Martin Segal |
| Succeeded by | Joseph W. Coyle |
| Personal details | |
| Resting place | Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery Pennsauken Township, New Jersey |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residences | Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Boxer |
Arnold Raymond Cream (born January 31, 1914 – died February 25, 1994), known to many as Jersey Joe Walcott, was an American professional boxer. He competed from 1930 to 1953. He became the heavyweight boxing champion of the world in 1951. He held titles from the NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring organizations. Walcott set a record as the oldest person to win the heavyweight title at 37 years old. This record was later broken by George Foreman in 1994. Even though he was champion for a short time, Walcott was seen as one of the best heavyweights in the 1940s and 1950s.
After his boxing career, Walcott acted in some movies and TV shows. He also worked as a referee for boxing matches. However, after a very talked-about fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, Walcott was not asked to referee again. From 1971 to 1974, Walcott was the Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey. He was the first African-American to hold this job. Later, from 1975 to 1984, he led the New Jersey State Athletic Commission.
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Early Life and Family Support
Walcott was born in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. His father came from St. Thomas, which was then part of the Danish West Indies. His mother was from Jordantown, New Jersey. Walcott was only 15 years old when his father passed away. He left school to work in a soup factory. He did this to help support his mother and his 11 younger brothers and sisters. At the same time, he started training to become a boxer. He chose his boxing name, "Joe Walcott," after his favorite boxer, Barbados Joe Walcott. He added "Jersey" to his name to show where he was from.
Boxing Career Highlights
Walcott started his professional boxing career on September 9, 1930. He won his first fight by knockout in the first round. After five more knockout wins, he had his first loss in 1933. He lost on points to Henry Wilson.
Before fighting for the world title, Walcott had a record of 45 wins, 11 losses, and 1 draw. Early in his career, he lost to some top boxers like Tiger Jack Fox and Abe Simon. But things changed in 1945. Walcott started beating strong heavyweights such as Joe Baksi, Lee Q. Murray, Curtis Sheppard, and Jimmy Bivins. In 1946, he lost twice to Joey Maxim and Elmer Ray. But he quickly won against them in rematches in 1947.
Fighting Joe Louis
On December 5, 1947, Walcott fought Joe Louis for the world heavyweight title. At 33, Walcott was the oldest man to fight for this title. He knocked Louis down in the first and fourth rounds. However, he lost the fight by a close decision after 15 rounds. Many people watching thought Walcott should have won. This caused a big discussion among sports writers. The referee, Ruby Goldstein, who voted for Walcott, was praised.
Because of the debate, Walcott was given a rematch on June 25, 1948. Louis knocked Walcott down again in the third round. Louis then won by knockout in the 11th round. This fight was also important because it was the first sports event shown on closed-circuit TV in theaters.
Chasing the Title: Walcott vs Charles
On June 22, 1949, Walcott had another chance to become world heavyweight champion. He fought Ezzard Charles for the title that Joe Louis had given up. Charles won the fight by decision after 15 rounds. Walcott was sad but kept working hard to achieve his dream. In 1950, he won four of his five fights. This included a knockout win against future light heavyweight champion Harold Johnson.
On March 7, 1951, Walcott and Charles fought for a second time. Charles won again by decision, keeping his world title. But on July 18, Walcott finally became world heavyweight champion! He knocked out Charles in seven rounds in Pittsburgh. He was 37 years old, making him the oldest person to win the heavyweight crown at that time. This record stood until George Foreman won the title at age 45 in 1994.
Losing the Title to Rocky Marciano
Walcott successfully defended his title once against Ezzard Charles. On September 23, 1952, he fought the undefeated Rocky Marciano. In the first round, Walcott knocked Marciano down. This was the first time Marciano had ever been knocked down in his career. After 12 rounds, Walcott was ahead on the judges' scorecards. Marciano needed a knockout to win.
In the 13th round, both fighters threw right hands. Marciano's punch landed first and hit Walcott hard. Walcott fell to the canvas and was counted out. Marciano won the title. An immediate rematch was set for May 15, 1953, in Chicago. This time, Marciano knocked Walcott out in the first round. This was Walcott's last boxing match.
Life After Boxing
After retiring from boxing, Walcott stayed in the public eye. In 1956, he acted in the boxing movie The Harder They Fall with Humphrey Bogart. In 1963, he tried professional wrestling. He lost to Lou Thesz, a famous wrestler.
In 1965, Walcott was the referee for the second heavyweight championship fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston. This fight had a confusing ending. Walcott seemed to lose count while Ali was circling Liston. Walcott then stopped the fight suddenly. After this match, Walcott was never a referee again.
Political Career and Public Service
After boxing, Walcott worked for the corrections department in Camden County. In 1968, he ran for Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey but did not win. That same year, he became the director of community relations for Camden.
In 1971, he ran for Camden County Sheriff again. This time, he won the election. He became the first African-American to serve as Sheriff in Camden County.
From 1975 to 1984, Walcott was the chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. He stepped down when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. Walcott was honored by being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
Honors and Recognition
In 2013, Jersey Joe Walcott was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. This honor recognized his achievements and contributions.
Movies and TV Shows
- The Harder They Fall (1956) - He played a character named George.
- The Super Fight (1970) - He appeared as himself (voice).
See also
- List of heavyweight boxing champions
