Willie Pep

Willie Pep's boxing career was one that will never be forgotten. With a total of 241 fights, 229 of which he won, he was considered one of the best boxers of his generation. Pep was born on September 19, 1922, in Middletown, Connecticut, and he made his professional boxing debut on July 25, 1940, defeating Joey Marcus via a four-round unanimous decision at the age of 17.

Following his debut performance, Pep would go on a remarkable winning streak, winning the next 61 fights, which included 23 wins via stoppage. After 53 professional fights, Pep had his first world title fight against Chalky Wright for the featherweight NYSAC and The Ring titles on November 20, 1942. At the young age of 20, Pep defeated Wright via 15 round unanimous decision to become the featherweight champion of the world.

Over the years, Pep has won a total of six world title fights and successfully defended his titles nine times. He held two world titles at featherweight and was also a one-time unified featherweight world champion. Some of Pep's best and most notable fights include wins over four Hall-of-Famers such as Sandy Saddler, Chalky Wright, Manuel Ortiz, and Tommy Burns, as well as wins over Charley Riley, Eddie Compo, Sal Bartolo, Humberto Sierra, and Asuncion Llanos.

Throughout his career, he suffered 11 losses, three of which were in title bouts, and eight in non-title bouts. His first loss was against Sammy Angott via a 10 round unanimous decision on March 19, 1943, which brought an end to his 62-fight winning streak. Unfortunately, he was also stopped six times and lost five times via decision.

Willie Pep's last professional fight took place on March 16, 1966, at the age of 43 against Calvin Woodland. He lost the fight via 6 round unanimous decision. However, Pep retired from professional boxing with an impressive record of 229-11-1, which included 65 knockout wins and six losses via knockout, and two title wins. After his retirement in 1966, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1990.

Looking back at his career, it is almost impossible not to mention some of his notable achievements. On November 20, 1942, Pep won his first world titles by defeating Chalky Wright via a 15 round unanimous decision, making him the NYSAC and The Ring featherweight world champion. Pep beat Manuel Ortiz via a 10th round unanimous decision on July 17, 1944, adding another feather to his cap. On September 29, 1944, Pep managed to defend the NYSAC and The Ring featherweight titles against Chalky Wright by winning the fight via a 15 round unanimous decision.

On June 7, 1946, Willie Pep became a unified featherweight world champion, beating Sal Bartolo via a 12th round KO. He now held the NYSAC, The Ring, and NBA featherweight world-champion belts. On September 20, 1949, he successfully defended the NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring featherweight titles against Eddie Compo, winning the fight via a seventh-round TKO. Pep once again defended the NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring featherweight titles on January 16, 1950, against Charley Riley, winning the fight via a fifth-round KO.

In conclusion, Willie Pep's career was a storied one that has gone down in history as one of the greatest of all time. With a remarkable record of 229-11-1, including 65 knockout wins and six losses via knockout, and two title wins, he will always be remembered as a true legend of the sport. Pep is an inspiration to many and will continue to be an important part of boxing history forever.

Willie Pep Fight Record