This week in boxing history, PBC remembers a legendary trainer, highlights a breakthrough victory, marvels over a tireless champion and touches upon two heavyweight title bouts.
October 10, 2001 – Hall of Fame trainer Eddie Futch died in Las Vegas at the age of 1990.
Futch trained 22 world champions before retiring in 1998, including Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Ken Norton, Michael Spinks, Alexis Arguello and Riddick Bowe.
He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994.
October 11, 1923 – Tommy Loughran defeated Harry Greb in a 10-round bout in Boston.
It would be Loughran’s only win in six fights against Greb, with their final meeting on Oct. 13, 1924, ending in a 10-round split draw.
October 13, 1939 – Henry Armstrong gained a second-round KO of Howard Scott in Minneapolis to retain his world welterweight championship.
The victory was Armstrong’s second title defense in four days, and one of an incredible five title defenses he made that month.
Henry Armstrong
October 14, 1949 – Ezzard Charles knocked out Pat Valentino in the eighth round of their National Boxing Association world heavyweight title bout at San Francisco’s Cow Palace before a crowd of 19,950.
Eddie Muller, the longtime boxing writer for the San Francisco Examiner, called it “the greatest fight I ever saw.”
October 16, 1909 – Jack Johnson defeated Stanley Ketchel by 12th-round KO to retain his world heavyweight title in Colma, California.
Almost one year to the day afterward, Ketchel was shot to death in Conway, Missouri, on Oct. 15, 1910, by Walter Dipley, who was jealous over how much attention his girlfriend paid the boxer.
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