Willie Pep
Encyclopedia
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 knockout
s. Pep, known for his speed and finesse, is considered to be one of the best fighters of the 20th century and was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame
in 1990.
, beating James McGovern by a decision in four rounds in Hartford, Connecticut
. Like many boxers of the first half of the 20th century, Pep concentrated his early fighting career on boxing in New England
, and he split his first 25 contests between Connecticut
and Massachusetts
. He was undefeated during that span, and for fight number 26, he finally headed 'west', beating Eddie Flores by a knockout
in the first round at Thompsonville
, Michigan
. A couple of fights later, he travelled further west and made his California
debut, beating Billy Spencer by a decision in four at Los Angeles
.
By the time Pep stepped up his quality of opposition when he met world title challenger Joey Archibald
in 1942
, he was already 41-0. He beat Archibald by a decision in ten rounds and, in his next bout, challenged Abe Denner for the New England-area featherweight title. He won the fight by a decision in 12, and his status among the world's top featherweights kept on rising.
He won ten more bouts to reach 52-0, including a rematch win over Archibald, before he was given his first world championship try in October of that year. He became the world's featherweight champion by outpointing the defending world champ Chalky Wright
, over the 15 round distance. He fought twice more to finish the year, winning both by knockout.
Pep began 1943
by winning six bouts in a row to find himself with a record of 61-0.(Correction "Boxrec" lists *62* wins with no losses before Pep's first loss.) But in his seventh bout of 1943, he suffered his first defeat, at the hands of Sammy Angott
, another world champion boxer. Angott beat Pep over the ten round distance, by decision. Ten days later, Pep was back in the ring, beating Bobby McIntyre by a decision. He closed 1943 winning five fights in a row, including two over future world champion Sal Bartolo
and one over Jackie Wilson
. The second win over Bartolo was in a defense of the world title.
1944
was a very good year for Pep. He won all 16 of his bouts that year, including wins over world bantamweight champions Willie Joyce
and Manuel Ortiz
, fringe contender Jackie Lemus and Wright, who was beaten two more times, one time with Pep's crown on the line. He also made his first fight abroad, because the fight with Lemus was held in Canada
.
He had eight fights in 1945
, winning seven and drawing one. He beat former world champion Phil Terranova
to retain the title, and had a ten round draw with Jimmy McAllister.
In 1946
, Pep had 18 fights, and won all of them, including a 12-round knockout of Bartolo and a three round knockout of Wright. He had a 6-fight knockout win streak during a span that year.
Pep had 10 bouts in 1947
, once again, going undefeated. He retained the world's featherweight belt once that year, knocking out Jock Leslie in 12 rounds at Flint, Michigan
.
But he was severely injured in a plane crash January 5 of that year. Many thought he had lost something as a fighter especially after unexpectedly struggling in fights against Archie Wilmer (Pep won a majority decision) and Pedro Biesca (Pep was floored in the fourth round).
1948
was a year that would become important in Pep's life: He won 15 bouts before going into what would be the first fight of his four-fight series with Sandy Saddler
. He retained the title by beating Humberto Sierra by a knockout in 10, and he beat former world champion Paddy DeMarco
, also in ten, but by decision. Then, on October 29, he lost the world featherweight title to Saddler in a four-round knockout.
After two wins, he and Saddler met in 1949
. On their rivalry's second installment, Pep recovered the world's featherweight championship by beating Saddler by a 15 round decision, and then he engaged in a series of exhibition and ten round bouts before defending the crown against Eddie Campo, winning by a knockout in the seventh. He finished that year beating former bantamweight champion Harold Dade
by a decision in ten at St. Louis
.
In 1950
, he won nine fights before meeting Saddler for a third time. Those nine bouts included defenses against Charlie Riley, knocked out in five, and France
's Ray Famechon, beaten by decision in 15. Then came the third fight with Saddler, and Pep once again lost his world featherweight championship to Saddler, being knocked out in the eighth round.
1951
brought over a hint of controversy to Pep's life. He won eight bouts in a row to start the year, but his ninth bout, the last chapter of the rivalry with Saddler, was his most important bout that year and the one that he lost. He was knocked out in nine by Saddler.
In 1952
, Pep had 12 fights, winning 11. He was knocked out in six by Tommy Collins but also held two wins over Billy Lima that year.
Pep won all 11 fights in 1953
, and entered 1954
on a 17-fight winning streak. After beating David Seabrooke by a decision, he met fringe contender Lulu Perez. Pep lost by a knockout in two rounds. Pep ended up winning three more bouts before the end of the year.
Pep went on boxing for 5 more years, retiring in 1960
, and then he came back in 1964
and boxed for two more years. During that last period of his boxing career, he won 43 bouts and lost only 5, but his only opponent of note during that time was Hogan Kid Bassey
, a future world featherweight champion who knocked Pep out in nine rounds. Pep boxed in Venezuela
, losing to Sonny Leon by a decision in ten, and in his last fight, in 1966
, he lost to Calvin Woodland by a decision in six.
Pep once fought Sugar Ray Robinson
in an attic in Norwich, CT.
, Pep sued Sports Illustrated
for running a story suggesting that he threw his fight with Perez. Pep lost the lawsuit, the jury deliberating just 15 minutes.
Pep remained active in boxing after hanging up the gloves, serving as an inspector and referee.
In 1977
, Pep was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1990
, Pep was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame
as a member of the Hall's original class. Pep, who enjoyed giving out autograph
s to his fans, worked there as a volunteer alongside fellow former world champion boxer and friend Carmen Basilio
.
As of March 2006, Pep resided at a nursing home in Connecticut
, suffering from Dementia pugilistica
, before his death on November 23, 2006. He is buried in Rocky Hill, CT. He has two children: William "Billy" Papaleo and Mary Papaleo. Both reside in Wethersfield, CT.
Pep had a record of 229 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with 65 wins by knockout.
Pep was ranked 6th on Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years in 2002. Pep was also named the 3rd greatest fighter of all time by Bert Sugar.
Pep was ranked 5th on ESPN
,s 50 Greatest Boxers Of All time list in 2007, and was also ranked ascthe 3rd greatest boxer of all time by Bert Sugar.
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...
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 knockout
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...
s. Pep, known for his speed and finesse, is considered to be one of the best fighters of the 20th century and was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
in 1990.
Boxing career
Pep started boxing professionally on July 10, 19401940 in sports
1940 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:NFL championship* Chicago Bears 73–0 Washington Redskins in the NFL championship game...
, beating James McGovern by a decision in four rounds in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. Like many boxers of the first half of the 20th century, Pep concentrated his early fighting career on boxing in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, and he split his first 25 contests between Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He was undefeated during that span, and for fight number 26, he finally headed 'west', beating Eddie Flores by a knockout
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...
in the first round at Thompsonville
Thompsonville, Michigan
Thompsonville is a village in Benzie County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 457 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the south of the county on the boundary between Weldon Township and Colfax Township.-Geography:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. A couple of fights later, he travelled further west and made his California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
debut, beating Billy Spencer by a decision in four at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
By the time Pep stepped up his quality of opposition when he met world title challenger Joey Archibald
Joey Archibald
Joey Archibald was the former world boxing featherweight champion. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island....
in 1942
1942 in sports
1942 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:...
, he was already 41-0. He beat Archibald by a decision in ten rounds and, in his next bout, challenged Abe Denner for the New England-area featherweight title. He won the fight by a decision in 12, and his status among the world's top featherweights kept on rising.
He won ten more bouts to reach 52-0, including a rematch win over Archibald, before he was given his first world championship try in October of that year. He became the world's featherweight champion by outpointing the defending world champ Chalky Wright
Chalky Wright
Albert "Chalky" Wright was a black American featherweight boxer who fought from 1928 to 1948. His career record was 160 wins , 43 losses and 18 draws. In 2003, Wright made The Ring magazine's list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.-Biography:Wright was born in Durango, Mexico...
, over the 15 round distance. He fought twice more to finish the year, winning both by knockout.
Pep began 1943
1943 in sports
1943 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:* Chicago Bears win 41-26 over Washington Redskins in the NFL championship game in Chicago...
by winning six bouts in a row to find himself with a record of 61-0.(Correction "Boxrec" lists *62* wins with no losses before Pep's first loss.) But in his seventh bout of 1943, he suffered his first defeat, at the hands of Sammy Angott
Sammy Angott
Sammy Angott was born Samuel Engotti in Pennsylvania. He was known as a clever boxer who liked to follow up a clean punch by grabbing his opponent, causing him to be known as "The Clutch."...
, another world champion boxer. Angott beat Pep over the ten round distance, by decision. Ten days later, Pep was back in the ring, beating Bobby McIntyre by a decision. He closed 1943 winning five fights in a row, including two over future world champion Sal Bartolo
Sal Bartolo
Salvatore Interbartolo, better known as Sal Bartolo was the former NBA world boxing featherweight champion.-Amateur career:...
and one over Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson (Boxer)
Jackie Wilson was an American boxer born in South Carolina but raised and listed from Pittsburgh. He was undefeated in his first 6 fights with a record of 4-0-2....
. The second win over Bartolo was in a defense of the world title.
1944
1944 in sports
1944 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:* Green Bay Packers defeats 14-7 New York Giants in New York City for the NFL title...
was a very good year for Pep. He won all 16 of his bouts that year, including wins over world bantamweight champions Willie Joyce
Willie Joyce
Willie Joyce was an American boxer from Chicago. He was the 1936 National AAU Bantamweight champion, and the 1937 Chicago & Intercity Golden Gloves Champion.Joyce was 24-1-4 in 1937 to 1939 only losing to Frankie Covelli...
and Manuel Ortiz
Manuel Ortiz
Manuel Ortiz Partida is a professional wrestler who is currently wrestling the independent circuit in Mexico, particularly in the Tijuana area...
, fringe contender Jackie Lemus and Wright, who was beaten two more times, one time with Pep's crown on the line. He also made his first fight abroad, because the fight with Lemus was held in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
He had eight fights in 1945
1945 in sports
1945 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:...
, winning seven and drawing one. He beat former world champion 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...
to retain the title, and had a ten round draw with Jimmy McAllister.
In 1946
1946 in sports
-American football:* All-America Football Conference begins play. Cleveland Browns win the championship by beating New York Yankees 14-9.* Chicago Bears win the NFL crown by defeating the New York Giants 24-14 in New York.-Association football:England...
, Pep had 18 fights, and won all of them, including a 12-round knockout of Bartolo and a three round knockout of Wright. He had a 6-fight knockout win streak during a span that year.
Pep had 10 bouts in 1947
1947 in sports
-American football:* Chicago Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 to win the NFL championship.-Association football:England* First Division – Liverpool win the 1946-47 title.* FA Cup – Charlton Athletic beat Burnley 1-0 after extra time...
, once again, going undefeated. He retained the world's featherweight belt once that year, knocking out Jock Leslie in 12 rounds at Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
.
But he was severely injured in a plane crash January 5 of that year. Many thought he had lost something as a fighter especially after unexpectedly struggling in fights against Archie Wilmer (Pep won a majority decision) and Pedro Biesca (Pep was floored in the fourth round).
1948
1948 in sports
-American football:* University of Michigan wins college football national championship.* Cleveland Browns 49–7 Buffalo Bills in the All-America Football Conference championship game....
was a year that would become important in Pep's life: He won 15 bouts before going into what would be the first fight of his four-fight series with 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. ...
. He retained the title by beating Humberto Sierra by a knockout in 10, and he beat former world champion Paddy DeMarco
Paddy DeMarco
Paddy DeMarco, alias Billygoat, was a lightweight professional boxer from Brooklyn, New York.-Personal life:DeMarco was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but died in Salt Lake City, Utah....
, also in ten, but by decision. Then, on October 29, he lost the world featherweight title to Saddler in a four-round knockout.
After two wins, he and Saddler met in 1949
1949 in sports
-American football:* Cleveland Browns 21–7 San Francisco 49ers for the All-America Football Conference championship. After the 1949 season, the Browns, 49ers and original Baltimore Colts all joined the NFL for the 1950 season....
. On their rivalry's second installment, Pep recovered the world's featherweight championship by beating Saddler by a 15 round decision, and then he engaged in a series of exhibition and ten round bouts before defending the crown against Eddie Campo, winning by a knockout in the seventh. He finished that year beating former bantamweight champion Harold Dade
Harold Dade
Harold Dade was an American boxer and Bantamweight champion.-Amateur career:*Won the 1940 Chicago Golden Gloves Championship in the flyweight division by decision over Gene Evans...
by a decision in ten at St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
In 1950
1950 in sports
-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 30–28 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners – college football champions.* Coaches Poll established to rank top 20 American college football teams-Association football:...
, he won nine fights before meeting Saddler for a third time. Those nine bouts included defenses against Charlie Riley, knocked out in five, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Ray Famechon, beaten by decision in 15. Then came the third fight with Saddler, and Pep once again lost his world featherweight championship to Saddler, being knocked out in the eighth round.
1951
1951 in sports
1951 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* January 14 – The National Football League has its first Pro Bowl Game ....
brought over a hint of controversy to Pep's life. He won eight bouts in a row to start the year, but his ninth bout, the last chapter of the rivalry with Saddler, was his most important bout that year and the one that he lost. He was knocked out in nine by Saddler.
In 1952
1952 in sports
1952 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Detroit Lions win 17–7 over the Cleveland BrownsGeorgia Tech wins national college football championship-England:...
, Pep had 12 fights, winning 11. He was knocked out in six by Tommy Collins but also held two wins over Billy Lima that year.
Pep won all 11 fights in 1953
1953 in sports
1953 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Detroit Lions won 17–16 over the Cleveland Browns-England:* First Division – Arsenal win the 1952–53 title....
, and entered 1954
1954 in sports
1954 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 56-10 over the Detroit Lions* Ohio State Buckeyes - college football champions.-Artistic gymnastics:* 1954 World Championships...
on a 17-fight winning streak. After beating David Seabrooke by a decision, he met fringe contender Lulu Perez. Pep lost by a knockout in two rounds. Pep ended up winning three more bouts before the end of the year.
Pep went on boxing for 5 more years, retiring in 1960
1960 in sports
1960 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* The men's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Jean Vuarnet, France** Slalom: Ernst Hinterseer, Austria** Giant Slalom: Roger Staub, Switzerland** The women's Olympic Gold Medal:...
, and then he came back in 1964
1964 in sports
1964 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Men's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Egon Zimmermann, Austria** Slalom: Josef Stiegler, Austria** Giant Slalom: François Bonlieu, France* Women's Olympic Gold Medal:...
and boxed for two more years. During that last period of his boxing career, he won 43 bouts and lost only 5, but his only opponent of note during that time was Hogan Kid Bassey
Hogan Bassey
Hogan "Kid" Bassey MBE was Nigeria's first world boxing champion. He was born Okun Asuguo Bassey on the banks of the Cross River in Creek Town, Calabar, Nigeria. He took the name Hogan Kid Bassey when he turned professional as a boxer...
, a future world featherweight champion who knocked Pep out in nine rounds. Pep boxed in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, losing to Sonny Leon by a decision in ten, and in his last fight, in 1966
1966 in sports
1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –** Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France** Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France-American football:...
, he lost to Calvin Woodland by a decision in six.
Pep once fought Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
in an attic in Norwich, CT.
Life after his fighting career
After retiring, he and Saddler involved in a series of exhibition bouts, and in 19801980 in sports
1980 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Andreas Wenzel, Liechtenstein** Women's overall season champion: Hanni Wenzel, Liechtenstein...
, Pep sued Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
for running a story suggesting that he threw his fight with Perez. Pep lost the lawsuit, the jury deliberating just 15 minutes.
Pep remained active in boxing after hanging up the gloves, serving as an inspector and referee.
In 1977
1977 in sports
1977 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Ingemar Stenmark, Sweden** Women's overall season champion: Lise-Marie Morerod, Switzerland-American football:...
, Pep was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1990
1990 in sports
1990 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland-American football:...
, Pep was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
as a member of the Hall's original class. Pep, who enjoyed giving out autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
s to his fans, worked there as a volunteer alongside fellow former world champion boxer and friend Carmen Basilio
Carmen Basilio
Carmine Basilio better known in the boxing world as Carmen Basilio, is an American former professional boxer who was a two weight world boxing champion...
.
As of March 2006, Pep resided at a nursing home in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, suffering from Dementia pugilistica
Dementia pugilistica
Dementia pugilistica is a type of neurodegenerative disease or dementia, which may affect amateur or professional boxers as well as athletes in other sports who suffer concussions...
, before his death on November 23, 2006. He is buried in Rocky Hill, CT. He has two children: William "Billy" Papaleo and Mary Papaleo. Both reside in Wethersfield, CT.
Pep had a record of 229 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with 65 wins by knockout.
Pep was ranked 6th on Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years in 2002. Pep was also named the 3rd greatest fighter of all time by Bert Sugar.
Pep was ranked 5th on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
,s 50 Greatest Boxers Of All time list in 2007, and was also ranked ascthe 3rd greatest boxer of all time by Bert Sugar.
Miscellaneous
- There are claims that Pep won the third round in his fight against Jackie GravesJackie GravesJackie 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...
in a fight on July 25, 1946, without throwing a punch. The 'no-punch' winning round is disputed out of claims that Pep threw a punch. Pep supposedly tipped off a few ringside reporters before the bout and told them he would win the third round without throwing 'a punch of anger'.