Willie Pep Article from 1958

[GhostofDempsey]

Found a good read in an old boxing magazine from 1958. He was in the home stretch of his long career. Would only fight once more the following year and not again until 1965. I had to break the pages up, hopefully it’s legible.

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[GhostofDempsey]

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[GhostofDempsey]

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[GhostofDempsey]

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[GhostofDempsey]

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[GhostofDempsey]

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[Willie Pep 229]

Thank you !

Traveling in a Pullman Car now that's style.

[QueensburyRules]

- -From Toots Shors' to Duncan Hines Diners quite the fall from The Graces, but Willie wouldn't have it any other way.

Hard to believe such a sprite could ever knockdown a monster like Saddler, but there it is...

[Willie Pep 229]

I never knew this . . . after Saddler defeated Pep the second time in Fall of 1950 he vacated the title and it remained open until Hogan Bessy wins it in summer 1957. That's a long period with no champ.

I wonder if there was an NBA champion during that period? Wikipedia starts it list after the name change (to the WBA) in 1963.

[GhostofDempsey]

I never knew this . . . after Saddler defeated Pep the second time in Fall of 1950 he vacated the title and it remained open until Hogan Bessy wins it in summer 1957. That's a long period with no champ.

I wonder if there was an NBA champion during that period? Wikipedia starts it list after the name change (to the WBA) in 1963.

I thought Saddler vacated the title in ‘57 when he retired from an eye injury. He was still champion while he was in the army from ‘52–54, defended the title in ‘55. So there was a long stretch where the title was not defended.