Charley Burley (b. September 16, 1917, d. October 16, 1992) was one of the very best boxers of the 1940s, compiling a record of 83 wins (50 by knockout), 12 losses, and 2 draws with 1 "no contest". However, because he was so formidable, Burley was never granted a title shot by any of the welterweight and middleweight champions of that era and was also avoided by many of the top white contenders (Burley's father was black and his mother white). Among the fighters who "ducked" Burley were Hall of Famers Billy Conn (who had fought Joe Louis for the heavyweight title), Frenchman Marcel Cerdan (who was supposed to face Burley in his American debut), Jake LaMotta (who had fought the likes of powerpuncher Bob Satterfield, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Holman Williams, who was Burley's greatest rival), and even Sugar Ray Robinson, considered by many boxing historians as the best pound-for-pound fighter of all time. Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Bessemer is a borough located in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in Leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in Leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. ... Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... Billy Conn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Joseph Louis Barrow (either May 13 or May 14 (sources differ), 1914 – April 12, 1981), better known in the boxing world as Joe Louis and nicknamed The Brown Bomber, was a native of LaFayette, Alabama who became one of the greatest World Heavyweight Champions. ... Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... Marcel Cerdan (July 22, 1916 - October 27, 1949) was a French world boxing champion who was considered by many boxing experts and fans to be Frances and Europes greatest boxer, and by many more fans to be one of the best to come out of that continent. ... Giacobbe La Motta (born July 10, 1921), better known as Jake LaMotta, nicknamed The Bronx Bull, The Raging Bull, is a former boxer who was world middleweight champion and whose life was as controversial outside the ring as it was inside it. ... Bob Bombardier Satterfield (b. ... Sugar Ray Robinson, born Walker Smith Jr. ... Sugar Ray Robinson, born Walker Smith Jr. ...

Of course, not everyone ducked the slick Pittsburgh warrior. Burley won two out of three matches against future welterweight champion Fritzie Zivic, defeated the great Archie Moore by decision, and easily licked future NYSAC middleweight king Billy Soose. Burley also faced future heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles, but dropped two 10 round decisions to him (the bouts were contested within a five week period, sandwiching a fight against Williams). Another notable Burley fight was the one against heavyweight J.D. Turner, who outweighed him by around 70 lbs. "Turner, face beaten to raw beefsteak in six rounds, failed to answer the bell for the seventh." (The Ring, June 1942). Burley himself was never stopped in 98 bouts. Fritzie Zivic (May 8, 1913, Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PA - Pittsburgh, PA, May, 16 1984) , born as Ferdinand Henry John Zivcich (Croatian: Živčić, known to boxing fans as Fritzie Zivic, “The Croat Comet. ... Archie Moore whose birth name was Archibald Wright (December 13, 1913 or 1916 – December 9, 1998) was a light heavyweight world boxing champion who set many records in boxing. ... Ezzard Mack Charles (July 7, 1921 - May 27, 1975) was a professional boxer and former Heavyweight Champion of the world. ...

There exists only one near complete film of Burley in action: his second fight with Oakland Billy Smith in 1946. It shows a conservative counter-puncher taming a much larger opponent with relative ease (when viewing this bout, it should be remembered that, by this point in his career, Burley was physically past his peak and also not fully motivated mentally as a result of the frustration of knowing that he would probably never receive the title shot that he so richly deserved). 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Burley's former sparring partner A.J. "Blackie" Nelson offers this comparison: "I see a lot of Charley in this kid, Roy Jones Junior. Both had unorthodox styles, could hit you from any angle, both hard to hit. Charley jabbed more than Jones, if Jones would concentrate on boxing as Charley did, he would become an all-time great." (1)

Eddie Futch, the great trainer, called Burley "the finest all-around fighter I ever saw." Eddie Futch (August 9, 1911 - October 10, 2001) was one the greatest boxing trainers of all time. ...

Burley was named to the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time, elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1983 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2003, Ring Magazine published a list of 100 greatest punchers of all time in boxing, as voted by the magazines writers. ...

(1) Otty, Harry (2002): Charley Burley and the Black Murderers' Row (P. 304), Tora Book Publishing, Liverpool, England.