Zora Folley (1932–July 9, 1972) was an African-American heavyweight boxer. 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on Friday. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano at Madison Square Garden, 1951 Julio Cesar Chavez and Ivan Robinson at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles, 2005 Amir Khan of Britain and Mario Cesar Kindelan Mesa of Cuba at the Athens Olympics, 2004 Boxing, nicknamed the sweet science and also called pugilism or prizefighting...

Born in Dallas, Texas, he moved with his family to Chandler, Arizona in 1942, where he grew up playing baseball. Upon joining the U.S. Army in 1948, he entered the boxing ring, and won the 6th Army championship within a year, eventually earning the All-Army and All-Service titles. He fought in the Korean War, earning five battle stars, and was discharged in 1953. Aerial view of Downtown Dallas Nickname: Big D Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: www. ... Chandler is a city located in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 176,582. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The Korean War, from June 25, 1950 to cease-fire on July 27, 1953 (technically speaking, the war has not yet ended), was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ...

He then signed a professional boxing contract, winning his first pro fight against Jimmy Ingram, then after a draw, won seventeen straight victories until losing to Johnny Summerlin. Despite being considered a top contender, Folley never faced Floyd Patterson, and it wasn't until March 22, 1967 that he faced the world heavyweight champion, who at this point was Muhammad Ali. Folley was knocked out in the seventh round after a fight some publications call one of the best in the history of Madison Square Garden. Folley fought for three more years afterward before being knocked out by Mac Foster in 1970. Floyd Patterson (born January 4, 1935) is a former heavyweight boxing champion who made history multiple times in the sport of boxing. ... Muhammad Ali-Haj (Arabic: محمد على) born January 17, 1942 (as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ...

Folley was widely considered to be an upstanding citizen of Chandler, serving as a City Council member, and raising a family of eight children with his wife Joella.

Under mysterious circumstances, Folley suffered severe head injuries while visiting a friend in Tucson, Arizona on July 8, 1972, and died at a Tucson hospital within hours. The death was officially ruled to be accidental, but conspiracy theories regarding his death persist. Tucson redirects here, for the vehicle by Hyundai Motor Company, see Hyundai Tucson Tucson (pronounced ) is a city and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix. ...

The city of Chandler dedicated Zora Folley Memorial Park in his honor.

Zora Folley's final career statistics were 79 wins, 11 losses, and 6 draws, with 43 wins by knockout.

External links

• Chandler Hall of Fame article
• The Rise and Fall of Zora Folley The Sweet Science, September 9, 2005
• After Muhammad, a Graveyard Sports Illustrated, April 3, 1967