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The mention of the name Charley Burley will, more often than not, draw a blank expression from the faces of many so-called boxing buffs. While not totally unknown, Burley has not received the recognition he deserves. While fans of the sport extol the virtues of such fighters as Armstrong, Zale, Graziano, LaMotta Conn, and 'Sugar' Ray Robinson, all of who were his contemporaries, (and all of whom avoided him like the plague), Charley Burley is largely ignored and forgotten. This Pittsburgher has the distinction of being one of the finest fighters in the history of the game. But, like so many other talented black fighters, he will never be remembered as readily as many of boxings world champion's, simply because he himself was not a champion.
Often called the greatest fighter ever by such authorities as Eddie Futch, Ray Arcel and Archie Moore and his trainer Hiawatha Grey, (who went back to the days of Johnson and Ketchel), Burley fought some of the best fighters around, beating most of them. Even though he was consistently rated in the top ten for over a decade in the welterweight and middleweight divisions he never received a shot at any world title. In a career lasting from 1936 to 1950 he compiled a record of 83-12-2 with 1 no contest and 50 knockouts.
Charles Duane Burley was born in Bessemer, Pa., on September 6th 1917. His father was a black coal miner from ******ia, his mother a feisty white Irish woman from County Cork. Together, the Burley's had seven children, six girls and one boy; Charles junior was the second youngest and a real handful for his parents and his sisters. When the mines claimed his father in 1925 Charley and his family moved to Pittsburgh.
At age 12, Charley joined the Kay Boys Club where he took up boxing under the watchful eye of local trainers Leonard Payne and Howard Turner. Charley enjoyed the boxing as much as he enjoyed baseball, another sport at which he excelled, (he once received an offer to play for the Homestead Grays), and when he wasn't playing ball or plucking chickens for pennies, (a skill he learned in Bessemer), he could be found at the gym. City, State, and National Junior titles were won with comparative ease as he won a Golden Gloves Junior title at lightweight and a Golden Gloves Senior title at welterweight. He also contested the 1936 National Senior Championship finals in Cleveland when he lost to Leo Sweeney at welterweight. In later years, Sweeney, also from Pittsburgh, became a well-respected cop in the city.
In 1936, Charley was invited to Chicago to attend the box-offs for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but declined as he objected to the racial and religious persecution taking place in Germany. Instead he received an invitation to represent his country at the 'Workers Games' which were being held in Spain. These games were offered as an alternative to the XIth Olympiad, which were being held at the same time. Unfortunately politics also became involved with these games as General Franco staged some fighting of his own and started the Spanish Civil War. The games were cancelled the day before they were due to commence. Charley returned home, having never had the chance to lace on a glove for his country, and turned to the professional ranks.
In his first twelve months as a professional fighter, from September 1936 to September 1937, Charley was fed the usual diet of local 'talent' by his manager Phil Goldstein. Matched against boxers, punchers, tough nuts and glass jaws, he compiled a record of 12 wins with 8 kayos before losing to his 13th opponent, Eddie Dolan. Most of these fights took place under the au****es of the 'Pittsburgh Fight Club' of which Charley was one of the most talented members. 1938 saw Charley improve his win tally to 16, with 10 kayos, before he lost on points to local boy Fritzie Zivic, a veteran of over 70 fights. A rematch just over two months later saw Charley reverse the decision with a clear points win.
August 1938, saw Charley win the 'Colored' Welterweight Championship from the experienced and talented Louis 'Cocoa' Kid over 15 rounds in a thriller at Hickey Park. The 'Kid' was dropped in the second for a nine count and was in trouble again in the 15th and final round, but managed to hang on for the bell. The championship belt was commissioned by New Orleans promoter and former fighter Martin Burke and his partner Lew Raymond and had initially been contested by Cocoa Kid and the great Holman Williams. Since Henry Armstrong had won the 'real' welterweight championship in May 1938, Burley's "title" was redundant and was never contested again. To close out the year Charley added yet another future world champion to his list of victims when he beat middleweight Billy Soose over 10 rounds. With these wins, Burley opened 1939 as the 4th-ranked challenger for Armstrong's title.
The plague of all big punches, hand trouble, came to visit Charley during, and after, his January 1939 fight with Sonny Jones. After stopping the Canadian in the seventh round, Charley was forced to rest for five months after undergoing bone graft surgery. On his return to the ring he lost over 10 un-eventful rounds to grisly veteran Jimmy Leto at the Millvale arena, (a loss he later avenged).
By the following month Burley was back in action for a third and final meeting with Fritzie Zivic, (July 17th 1939). This fight would see Charley winning by the proverbial mile, prompting one newspaper reporter to state that 'Zivic was so far behind a telescope would be needed to see him.' It was Zivic however that went on to contest and win the welterweight title from Henry Armstrong even though he was ranked behind Charley in the ratings. In what can only be considered a smart business move Zivic and his manager Luke Carney took advantage of Burley and Goldsteins strained relationship and bought out Burley's contract. This not only prevented the two from meeting again in the ring it effectively froze Charley out of the world picture.
After 1940, a year when he would lose only once in nine outings, to Jimmy Bivins on points, Charley was beginning to outgrow Pittsburgh and the confines of his contract with Zivic and his manager. After going 8-0 with 6 kayos in 1941, he moved with his wife and daughter to Minnesota. It was here that his new manager, Bobby Eton, and promoter Tommy O'Loughlin would attempt to gain Charley universal recognition as a legitimate title challenger. With a little help from the State Boxing Commission, who gave Charley special dispensation to compete in any weight division above his own, he embarked upon the busiest year of his career.
Often called the greatest fighter ever by such authorities as Eddie Futch, Ray Arcel and Archie Moore and his trainer Hiawatha Grey, (who went back to the days of Johnson and Ketchel), Burley fought some of the best fighters around, beating most of them. Even though he was consistently rated in the top ten for over a decade in the welterweight and middleweight divisions he never received a shot at any world title. In a career lasting from 1936 to 1950 he compiled a record of 83-12-2 with 1 no contest and 50 knockouts.
Charles Duane Burley was born in Bessemer, Pa., on September 6th 1917. His father was a black coal miner from ******ia, his mother a feisty white Irish woman from County Cork. Together, the Burley's had seven children, six girls and one boy; Charles junior was the second youngest and a real handful for his parents and his sisters. When the mines claimed his father in 1925 Charley and his family moved to Pittsburgh.
At age 12, Charley joined the Kay Boys Club where he took up boxing under the watchful eye of local trainers Leonard Payne and Howard Turner. Charley enjoyed the boxing as much as he enjoyed baseball, another sport at which he excelled, (he once received an offer to play for the Homestead Grays), and when he wasn't playing ball or plucking chickens for pennies, (a skill he learned in Bessemer), he could be found at the gym. City, State, and National Junior titles were won with comparative ease as he won a Golden Gloves Junior title at lightweight and a Golden Gloves Senior title at welterweight. He also contested the 1936 National Senior Championship finals in Cleveland when he lost to Leo Sweeney at welterweight. In later years, Sweeney, also from Pittsburgh, became a well-respected cop in the city.
In 1936, Charley was invited to Chicago to attend the box-offs for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but declined as he objected to the racial and religious persecution taking place in Germany. Instead he received an invitation to represent his country at the 'Workers Games' which were being held in Spain. These games were offered as an alternative to the XIth Olympiad, which were being held at the same time. Unfortunately politics also became involved with these games as General Franco staged some fighting of his own and started the Spanish Civil War. The games were cancelled the day before they were due to commence. Charley returned home, having never had the chance to lace on a glove for his country, and turned to the professional ranks.
In his first twelve months as a professional fighter, from September 1936 to September 1937, Charley was fed the usual diet of local 'talent' by his manager Phil Goldstein. Matched against boxers, punchers, tough nuts and glass jaws, he compiled a record of 12 wins with 8 kayos before losing to his 13th opponent, Eddie Dolan. Most of these fights took place under the au****es of the 'Pittsburgh Fight Club' of which Charley was one of the most talented members. 1938 saw Charley improve his win tally to 16, with 10 kayos, before he lost on points to local boy Fritzie Zivic, a veteran of over 70 fights. A rematch just over two months later saw Charley reverse the decision with a clear points win.
August 1938, saw Charley win the 'Colored' Welterweight Championship from the experienced and talented Louis 'Cocoa' Kid over 15 rounds in a thriller at Hickey Park. The 'Kid' was dropped in the second for a nine count and was in trouble again in the 15th and final round, but managed to hang on for the bell. The championship belt was commissioned by New Orleans promoter and former fighter Martin Burke and his partner Lew Raymond and had initially been contested by Cocoa Kid and the great Holman Williams. Since Henry Armstrong had won the 'real' welterweight championship in May 1938, Burley's "title" was redundant and was never contested again. To close out the year Charley added yet another future world champion to his list of victims when he beat middleweight Billy Soose over 10 rounds. With these wins, Burley opened 1939 as the 4th-ranked challenger for Armstrong's title.
The plague of all big punches, hand trouble, came to visit Charley during, and after, his January 1939 fight with Sonny Jones. After stopping the Canadian in the seventh round, Charley was forced to rest for five months after undergoing bone graft surgery. On his return to the ring he lost over 10 un-eventful rounds to grisly veteran Jimmy Leto at the Millvale arena, (a loss he later avenged).
By the following month Burley was back in action for a third and final meeting with Fritzie Zivic, (July 17th 1939). This fight would see Charley winning by the proverbial mile, prompting one newspaper reporter to state that 'Zivic was so far behind a telescope would be needed to see him.' It was Zivic however that went on to contest and win the welterweight title from Henry Armstrong even though he was ranked behind Charley in the ratings. In what can only be considered a smart business move Zivic and his manager Luke Carney took advantage of Burley and Goldsteins strained relationship and bought out Burley's contract. This not only prevented the two from meeting again in the ring it effectively froze Charley out of the world picture.
After 1940, a year when he would lose only once in nine outings, to Jimmy Bivins on points, Charley was beginning to outgrow Pittsburgh and the confines of his contract with Zivic and his manager. After going 8-0 with 6 kayos in 1941, he moved with his wife and daughter to Minnesota. It was here that his new manager, Bobby Eton, and promoter Tommy O'Loughlin would attempt to gain Charley universal recognition as a legitimate title challenger. With a little help from the State Boxing Commission, who gave Charley special dispensation to compete in any weight division above his own, he embarked upon the busiest year of his career.
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