Professional career

Charley Riley was a top featherweight

Featherweight

Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...

 boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 contender

Contender

Contender can refer to:* Contender , commonly used in books, TV shows, plays, and films* The Contender , a boxing-based reality television series or its spinoffs:** The Contender 2** The Contender Challenge: UK vs...

 in the 1940s and 1950s. He achieved nationwide recognition in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 with a trio of exciting fights with ex-NBA featherweight champ Phil Terranova

Phil Terranova

Phil Terranova was the former NBA world boxing featherweight champion. Terranova won the crown when he KO'ed Jackie Callura on August 16, 1943, and lost the belt when he was outpointed by Sal Bartolo on March 10, 1944.Terranova retired with a record of 67 wins , 21 losses and 11 draws...

. First, he lost via a one-punch body shot knockout on February 22, 1946. On April 30, 1947, Riley evened the score with a 7th-round TKO

Knockout

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...

 of Terranova. Then on September 3, 1947, he further avenged himself with a first-round TKO. Reports were that the referee stopped the third fight on the advice of the ring doctor because Terranova was bleeding profusely.

Riley also fought Willie Pep

Willie Pep

Guglielmo Papaleo was an American boxer who was better known as Willie Pep. Pep boxed a total of 1956 rounds in the 241 bouts during his 26 year career, a considerable number of rounds and fights even for a fighter of his era. His final record was 229-11-1 with 65 knockouts...

 for the featherweight championship in St Louis January 16, 1950 and was knocked out by Pep by a body punch in the fifth round.

Riley accepted a non-title bout with reigning featherweight champion Sandy Saddler

Sandy Saddler

Joseph "Sandy" Saddler was an American boxer born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a two-time featherweight world champion, and also held the junior lightweight crown. Over his twelve-year career , Saddler scored 103 knockouts. He was stopped only once, in his second pro fight, by Jock Leslie. ...

 November 1, 1950 and lost a decision. He put pressure on Saddler in the first part part of the fight and gave a good show, but faded in the later rounds.

Riley stated to this author he was hit hardest in his boxing career by Mexican Miguel Acevedo

Miguel Acevedo

-Professional career:Acevedo's professional career began in March 1940 and ended in June 1951. Acevedo's official record at his retirement was 50 wins and 20 losses, although it is not known how many unsanctioned fights may have been excluded from his official record...

. In that fight, he rallied and came on strong to decisively beat Acevedo.

Other greats who Riley faced during his career included Glen Flanagan

Glen Flanagan

Glen Flanagan was a featherweight professional boxer from Minnesota.-Personal life:Glen Flanagan was born and raised in St Paul, Minnesota. He and his wife Betty had six children, and Glen went on to have a successful career in insurance and real estate...

, Jackie Graves

Jackie Graves

Jackie Graves, alias The Austin Atom, was a featherweight boxer from Minnesota.-Boxing career:From 1944 to 1956 Graves compiled a career record of 82 wins and 11 losses with 2 draws...

, Corky Gonzalez, George Araujo

George Araujo

George Araujo was a lightweight professional boxer from Rhode Island.-Personal life:Araujo was born in Fox Point, Rhode Island and resided in Providence. He was of Cape Verde decent.-Professional career:...

, Juan Padilla

Juan Padilla

Juan Miguel Padilla is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is now pitching for the American Defenders of New Hampshire of the independent Can-Am League.-Major league career:...

, Redtop Davis

Teddy Davis (boxer)

Teddy "Redtop" Davis, alias Murray Cain , was a featherweight professional boxer from South Carolina.-Personal life:...

, and Ray Famechon.

Riley retired in 1954 with a record of 67 wins (38 by knockout) 29 losses, and 1 draw. Although he was never a world champion, Charley Riley was elected into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Always a crowd pleaser because of his aggressive style, Riley drew big crowds in fights in his hometown of St Louis. He was also known as the "Finney Avenue Fashion Plate" for his attention to dress. (Finney Avenue is an address in St Louis.)