Willie Pep biography
Willie Pep, authentic identify Guglielmo Papaleo, byname Will o’ the Wisp, (born Sept. 19, 1922, Middletown, Conn., U.S.—died Nov. 23, 2006, Rocky Hill, Conn.), American skilled boxer, world featherweight (126 kilos) champion throughout the Nineteen Forties. Pep specialised in finesse relatively than slugging prowess and competed efficiently within the Nineteen Forties, ’50s, and ’60s. His rivalry with American Sandy Saddler is taken into account one of many biggest of Twentieth-century American pugilism.
Pep started his skilled boxing profession in 1940. He gained his first 63 fights earlier than shedding a 10-round choice (a combat whose final result is decided by judges’ scoring) to a former light-weight champion, American Sammy Angott (Salvatore Engotti), in an nontitle combat on March 19, 1943. Pep then went on a 73-bout undefeated streak over the subsequent 5 years. Before his loss to Angott, Pep had gained the world featherweight championship by beating American Albert (“Chalky”) Wright in a 15-round choice on Nov. 20, 1942. After defending this title with a 15-round choice over American Sal Bartolo on June 8, 1943, Pep served within the U.S. Army after which the U.S. Navy earlier than being honourably discharged in 1945. His army service didn't stop him from boxing, and his subsequent title protection was a 15-round choice over Wright on Sept. 29, 1944. Pep made two extra profitable defenses in 1945 and 1946, earlier than he was severely injured in a airplane crash in January 1947. He resumed boxing in June and gained all 10 of his matches that yr, defending his title as soon as. He made one other profitable protection by knocking out Humberto Sierra (of their second combat) within the tenth spherical on Feb. 24, 1948, however on Oct. 29, 1948, Pep was knocked out for the primary time in his profession, falling to Saddler within the fourth spherical of their match. Pep regained the title with a 15-round choice over Saddler on Feb. 11, 1949, and he was profitable in his subsequent three title matches. However, Saddler knocked him out within the eighth spherical of their third combat on Sept. 8, 1950, to remove the title, and when Pep tried to regain it on Sept. 26, 1951, Saddler scored a ninth-round knockout. Pep retired in 1959, however he returned to the ring in 1965 and gained all 9 of his matches. His profession ended after he misplaced by choice to American Calvin Woodland in a six-round match on March 16, 1966. It was the eleventh lack of a 242-bout profession wherein Pep gained 230 matches, 65 by knockout, and was concerned in 1 draw. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.