Back in the 1940s, a popular Filipino American boxer by the name of Joseph Bernard "Big Duke" Docusen became the top contender for the world welterweight title. He fought a fifteen-round battle with Sugar Ray Robinson for the welterweight championship of the world on June 28, 1948, at Comiskey Park in Chicago. By March 30, 1949, he had fought 68 bouts in four years as a professional, with one loss. He defeated former champions and contenders Phil Terranova, Johnny Bratton, Tippy Larkin, John L. Davis, and Gene Burton on his way to a log in a 73-10-6 pro record, retiring in 1953.
He also hand-wrote his memoirs, “A Memoir, New Orleans Amazing Filipinos," which talked of his induction into the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1976 and the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008.
Although he passed away on January 11, 2009, he will always be honored and remembered.
No comments:
Post a Comment