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Quick Facts
Biography
Arnold Raymond Cream (January 31, 1914 – February 25, 1994), best known as Jersey Joe Walcott, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1930 to 1953. He held the world heavyweight title from 1951 to 1952, and broke the record for the oldest man to win the title, at the age of 37. That record would eventually be broken in 1994 by 45-year-old George Foreman.
After retiring from boxing, Walcott did some acting, playing small parts in a few movies and television shows. He also refereed several boxing matches, but after the controversial ending to the second fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, Walcott was not asked to referee again. From 1971 to 1974, Walcott held the elected position of Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey, the first African-American to do so. From 1975 to 1984, he was the chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission.
Early life
Walcott was born in Pennsauken, New Jersey. His father was an immigrant from St. Thomas, Danish West Indies. His mother was from Jordantown (Pennsauken Township), New Jersey. Walcott was only 15 years old when his father died. He quit school and worked in a soup factory to support his mother and 11 younger brothers and sisters. He also began training as a boxer. He took the name of his boxing idol, Joe Walcott, a welterweight champion from Barbados. He added "Jersey" to distinguish himself and show where he was from.
Boxing career
He debuted as a professional boxer on September 9, 1930, fighting Cowboy Wallace and winning by a knockout in round one. After five straight knockout wins, in 1933, he lost for the first time, beaten on points by Henry Wilson in Philadelphia.
He built a record of 45 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw before challenging for the world title for the first time. Walcott lost early bouts against world-class competition. He lost a pair of fights to Tiger Jack Fox and was knocked out by contender Abe Simon. But that would change in 1945 when Walcott beat top heavyweights such as Joe Baksi, Lee Q. Murray, Curtis Sheppard and Jimmy Bivins. He closed out 1946 with a pair of losses to former light heavyweight champ Joey Maxim and heavyweight contender Elmer Ray, but promptly avenged those defeats in 1947.
On December 5, 1947, he fought Joe Louis, at thirty three years of age breaking the record as the oldest man to fight for the world heavyweight title. Despite dropping Louis in round one, and again in round four, he lost a 15-round split decision. Most ringside observers and boxing writers felt Walcott deserved the win; a debate ensued, and sportswriters carried the topic throughout America. The lone official to vote for Walcott, referee Ruby Goldstein, was cast as a hero. Letters and telegrams poured in to the Goldstein household, praising his judgment. There was talk of an investigation being assembled for rule revisions in judging. Louis went into seclusion for a couple of days, then quieted dissent with the following: "I know Ruby. He calls them as he sees them and that should be good enough for anybody."What controversy remained was the kind that builds the gate, and Jersey Joe was rightfully granted a rematch on June 25, 1948. Though dropped again, this time in the third, Louis prevailed by a knockout in round 11. The bout was the first closed-circuit telecast (CCTV) sports broadcast, distributed a theatre television.
On June 22 of 1949, Walcott got another chance to become world heavyweight champion when he and Ezzard Charles met for the title left vacant by Louis. However, Charles prevailed, winning by decision in 15 rounds. Walcott, disappointed but eager to see his dream of being a champion come true, went on, and in 1950 he won four of his five bouts, including a third-round knockout of future world light heavyweight champion Harold Johnson.
On March 7, 1951, he and Charles fought for a second time and again Charles won a 15-round decision to retain his world title. But on July 18, he joined a handful of boxers who claimed the world title in their fifth try, when he knocked out Charles in seven rounds in Pittsburgh to finally become world heavyweight champion, at the relatively old age of 37. This made him the oldest man ever to win the world heavyweight crown (a distinction he would hold until George Foreman won the title at age 45 in 1994).
Walcott retained the title with a 15-round decision victory against arch-enemy Charles. On September 23, 1952, he defended his title for the second time. His opponent was the undefeated Rocky Marciano. In the first round Marciano was knocked down for the first time in his career, with a left hook from Walcott. Walcott was clearly ahead in the scoringand Marciano needed a knockout to win, according to two of the three official scorecards. In the thirteenth round with Marciano pressuring Walcott against the ropes, both threw simultaneous right hands.Marciano landed his punch first on Walcott´s jaw in what is considered one of the hardest punches thrown in boxing history. Walcott collapsed with his arm hanging over the ropes and then fell to the canvas, where he was counted out. There was a rematch in Chicago, on May 15, 1953, and the second time around, Walcott was again defeated by Marciano by a knockout, this time in the first round.
Life after boxing
Walcott did not go away from the celebrity scene after boxing. In 1956, he co-starred with Humphrey Bogart and Max Baer in the boxing drama The Harder They Fall. In 1963, he tried professional wrestling, losing to Lou Thesz. Thesz pinned Walcott in the fifth round, but has stated that Walcott knocked him (Thesz) down and most likely out in that fifth round. As he fell to the floor, he relied on instinct, grabbing Walcott's knees, taking him down with him and stretching him out for the pin.
In 1965, Walcott refereed the controversial world heavyweight championship rematch between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston. Walcott lost the count as Ali circled around a floored Liston and Walcott tried to get him back to a neutral corner. Walcott then looked outside of the ring (presumably to the ringside count keeper) as Ali and Liston went at each other, before Walcott instructed them to keep on fighting. Walcott then approached the fighters and abruptly stopped the fight. Walcott was never again appointed as a referee after this bout.
Political career
After retiring, Walcott worked for the Camden County corrections department. In 1968, he ran for Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey, but lost in the Democratic primary to Spencer H. Smith Jr.That same year he was named director of community relations for Camden.
In 1971, he ran again for Camden County Sheriff. He defeated Republican William Strang in the general election. He was the first African-American to serve as Sheriff in Camden County.
He served as chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission from 1975 until 1984, when he stepped down at the mandatory retirement age of 70. Walcott was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
Partial filmography
- The Harder They Fall (1956) - George
- The Super Fight (1970) - Himself (voice)
Professional boxing record
Professional record summary | ||
71 fights | 51 wins | 18 losses |
By knockout | 32 | 6 |
By decision | 18 | 12 |
By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
Draws | 2 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
71 | Loss | 51–18–2 | Rocky Marciano | KO | 1 (15), 2:25 | May 15, 1953 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | For The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles |
70 | Loss | 51–17–2 | Rocky Marciano | KO | 13 (15), 0:43 | Sep 23, 1952 | Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Lost The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles |
69 | Win | 51–16–2 | Ezzard Charles | UD | 15 | Jun 5, 1952 | Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Retained The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles |
68 | Win | 50–16–2 | Ezzard Charles | KO | 7 (15), 0:55 | Jul 18, 1951 | Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Won NBA, The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles |
67 | Loss | 49–16–2 | Ezzard Charles | UD | 15 | Mar 7, 1951 | Olympia, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | For NBA, The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles |
66 | Loss | 49–15–2 | Rex Layne | UD | 10 | Nov 24, 1950 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
65 | Win | 49–14–2 | Hein ten Hoff | UD | 10 | May 28, 1950 | Rhein-Neckar-Stadion, Mannheim, West Germany | |
64 | Win | 48–14–2 | Johnny Shkor | KO | 1 (10), 1:34 | Mar 13, 1950 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
63 | Win | 47–14–2 | Omelio Agramonte | TKO | 7 (10), 2:11 | Mar 3, 1950 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
62 | Win | 46–14–2 | Harold Johnson | KO | 3 (10), 1:03 | Feb 8, 1950 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
61 | Win | 45–14–2 | Olle Tandberg | TKO | 5 (12), 2:30 | Aug 14, 1949 | Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden | |
60 | Loss | 44–14–2 | Ezzard Charles | UD | 15 | Jun 22, 1949 | Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | For vacant NBA heavyweight title |
59 | Loss | 44–13–2 | Joe Louis | KO | 11 (15) | Jun 25, 1948 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. | For The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles |
58 | Loss | 44–12–2 | Joe Louis | SD | 15 | Dec 5, 1947 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | For The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles |
57 | Win | 44–11–2 | Joey Maxim | SD | 10 | Jun 23, 1947 | Gilmore Field, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
56 | Win | 43–11–2 | Elmer Ray | MD | 10 | Mar 4, 1947 | Burdine Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
55 | Win | 42–11–2 | Joey Maxim | MD | 10 | Jan 6, 1947 | Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
54 | Loss | 41–11–2 | Elmer Ray | SD | 10 | Nov 15, 1946 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
53 | Loss | 41–10–2 | Joey Maxim | PTS | 10 | Aug 28, 1946 | Public Service Ballpark, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
52 | Win | 41–9–2 | Tommy Gómez | TKO | 3 (10) | Aug 16, 1946 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
51 | Win | 40–9–2 | Lee Oma | UD | 10 | May 24, 1946 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
50 | Win | 39–9–2 | Al Blake | TKO | 4 (10) | Mar 20, 1946 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
49 | Win | 38–9–2 | Jimmy Bivins | SD | 10 | Feb 25, 1946 | Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
48 | Win | 37–9–2 | Johnny Allen | KO | 3 (10) | Jan 30, 1946 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
47 | Win | 36–9–2 | Curtis Sheppard | KO | 10 (10) | Dec 10, 1945 | Coliseum, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
46 | Win | 35–9–2 | Lee Q. Murray | DQ | 9 (10) | Nov 12, 1945 | Coliseum, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | Murray disqualified for inactivity |
45 | Win | 34–9–2 | Steve Dudas | TKO | 5 (10), 1:50 | Oct 23, 1945 | Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. | |
44 | Win | 33–9–2 | Johnny Denson | KO | 2 (10), 1:06 | Sep 20, 1945 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
43 | Win | 32–9–2 | Joe Baksi | PTS | 10 | Aug 2, 1945 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
42 | Win | 31–9–2 | Johnny Allen | PTS | 8 | Mar 15, 1945 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
41 | Win | 30–9–2 | Austin Johnson | PTS | 6 | Feb 22, 1945 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
40 | Loss | 29–9–2 | Johnny Allen | PTS | 8 | Jan 25, 1945 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
39 | Win | 29–8–2 | Jackie Saunders | TKO | 2 (8) | Jan 11, 1945 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
38 | Win | 28–8–2 | Ellis Singleton | KO | 3 (8) | Jun 28, 1944 | Batesville AC, Haddonfield, New Jersey, U.S. | |
37 | Win | 27–8–2 | Felix Del Paoli | PTS | 8 | Jun 7, 1944 | Batesville AC, Haddonfield, New Jersey, U.S. | |
36 | Loss | 26–8–2 | Abe Simon | KO | 6 (8), 2:32 | Feb 12, 1940 | Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
35 | Win | 26–7–2 | Tiger Red Lewis | TKO | 6 (8) | Jan 19, 1940 | Cambria AC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
34 | Win | 25–7–2 | Curtis Sheppard | PTS | 8 | Nov 18, 1939 | Rockland Palace, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
33 | Win | 24–7–2 | Al Boros | PTS | 8 | Aug 14, 1939 | Meadowbrook Bowl, Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | |
32 | Win | 23–7–2 | Bob Tow | PTS | 8 | Dec 23, 1938 | 114th Infantry Regiment Armory, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
31 | Loss | 22–7–2 | Roy Lazer | PTS | 8 | Jun 14, 1938 | Fairview Arena, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
30 | Loss | 22–6–2 | Tiger Jack Fox | PTS | 10 | May 10, 1938 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
29 | Win | 22–5–2 | Lorenzo Pack | KO | 4 (8) | Apr 12, 1938 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
28 | Win | 21–5–2 | Art Sykes | KO | 4 (8) | Mar 25, 1938 | Cambria AC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
27 | Win | 20–5–2 | Jim Whitest | PTS | 8 | Jan 20, 1938 | Olympia AC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
26 | Win | 19–5–2 | Freddie Fiducia | PTS | 8 | Jan 10, 1938 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
25 | Loss | 18–5–2 | George Brothers | PTS | 8 | Oct 9, 1937 | Rockland Palace, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
24 | Win | 18–4–2 | Elmer Ray | KO | 3 (6), 0:43 | Sep 25, 1937 | Rockland Palace, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
23 | Win | 17–4–2 | Joe Lipps | KO | 2 (8) | Sep 3, 1937 | Garden Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
22 | Loss | 16–4–2 | Tiger Jack Fox | KO | 8 (10), 2:24 | May 22, 1937 | Rockland Palace, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
21 | Loss | 16–3–2 | Billy Ketchell | PTS | 10 | Sep 1, 1936 | Arena, Pennsauken, New Jersey | |
20 | Win | 16–2–2 | Carmen Passarella | PTS | 8 | Aug 1, 1936 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
19 | Draw | 15–2–2 | Billy Ketchell | PTS | 10 | Jul 14, 1936 | Arena, Pennsauken, New Jersey, U.S. | |
18 | Win | 15–2–1 | Phil Johnson | TKO | 3 (6), 1:12 | Jun 22, 1936 | Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
17 | Win | 14–2–1 | Louis LePage | KO | 3 (6), 1:06 | Jun 16, 1936 | Coney Island Velodrome, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
16 | Draw | 13–2–1 | Billy Ketchell | PTS | 10 | Jun 4, 1936 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
15 | Win | 13–2 | Joe Colucci | KO | 4 (10) | Apr 28, 1936 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
14 | Win | 12–2 | Willie Reddish | PTS | 8 | Mar 16, 1936 | Philadelphia Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
13 | Loss | 11–2 | Al Ettore | KO | 8 (10), 1:18 | Jan 21, 1936 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
12 | Win | 11–1 | Roxie Allen | KO | 8 (8), 1:06 | Nov 26, 1935 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
11 | Win | 10–1 | Al King | KO | 1 (8), 1:29 | Oct 29, 1935 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
10 | Win | 9–1 | Pat Roland | KO | 4 (8) | Oct 1, 1935 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
9 | Win | 8–1 | Lew Alva | KO | 1 (8) | Aug 27, 1935 | Arena, Pennsauken, New Jersey, U.S. | |
8 | Win | 7–1 | Al Lang | KO | 1 (6) | May 21, 1935 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | Exact date unknown |
7 | Loss | 6–1 | Henry Taylor | PTS | 6 | Nov 16, 1933 | New Broadway AC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
6 | Win | 6–0 | Henry Taylor | TKO | 1 (6), 1:16 | Jul 28, 1933 | Arena, Pennsauken, New Jersey, U.S. | |
5 | Win | 5–0 | Bob Norris | KO | 1 (6) | May 5, 1933 | Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | Exact date unknown |
4 | Win | 4–0 | Carl Mays | KO | 2 (6) | Apr 20, 1931 | Waltz Dream Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
3 | Win | 3–0 | Frank Mitchell | TKO | 4 (6) | Oct 24, 1930 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
2 | Win | 2–0 | Jimmy O'Toole | TKO | 4 (6) | Oct 10, 1930 | Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
1 | Win | 1–0 | Eddie Wallace | KO | 1 (6) | Sep 9, 1930 | Ice Arena, Vineland, New Jersey, U.S. | Professional debut |
Honors
In 2013, Walcott was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.