Charley Burley
Titles: Never a champion
Record: 84-11-2
Born: September 6, 1917 in Bessemer, Pennsylvania (USA)
Years active: 1937-1950
Nickname: None
Unarguably the best fighter to never compete for a world title. Burley
much like Hagler in the 80's, was too good for his own good, add to
this that he was black in a racist time, it gave the champions of the time
a excuse to shut him out of the title picture. Burley was a 5'10" boxer-
puncher who began his career as a welterweight, but because of the
scarcity of willing opponents he took on much bigger men. Smooth in
the ring, Burley was almost impossible to hit solidly. He beat Fritzie
Zivic twice in their three fights, and legend has it Zivic bought Burley's
contract so he would not have to fight him again. The wins over Zivic
would vault him to number 5 in "The Ring" magazines ratings yet he was
still refused a title shot. Archie Moore called him "the best fighter
I ever fought" and the great Sugar Ray Robinson was said to have avoided
him. Burley engaged in seven wars with tough Holman Williams and faced
other great black fighters of his era, including Ezzard Charles, Jimmy
Bivins and Archie Moore....still a title shot always eluded him. Even when
he retired he was on a 7 fight winning streak and had lost only once in
his last 19 fights. Surely one of the greats!
Charley Burley
Career record: 84 W, 11 L, 2 D, 1 NC (50 K.O's)
1936
29 Sep George Leggins Pittsburgh, PA KO 4
22 Oct Ralph Gizzy Pittsburgh, PA W 6
9 Nov Eddie Wirko Pittsburgh, PA KO 5
1937
22 Jan Ralph Gizzy Oil City, PA KO 2
8 Feb Ray Collins Oil City, PA KO 5
15 Apr Johnny Folio McKeesport, PA KO 5
19 Apr Ray Gray Pittsburgh, PA W 6
3 May Sammy Grippe Pittsburgh, PA W 6
27 May Keith Goodballet Pittsburgh, PA KO 2
24 Jun Mickey O'Brien Pittsburgh, PA W 10
9 Aug Remo Fernandez Pittsburgh, PA KO 7
16 Aug Sammy Grippe Millvale, PA KO 6
9 Sep Eddie Dolan Pittsburgh, PA L 8
1938
27 Jan Tiger Jackson Pittsburgh, PA KO 2
3 Feb Johnny Folio Pittsburgh, PA W 4
10 Feb Carl Turner Pittsburgh, PA W 4
3 Mar Arthur Tate Pittsburgh, PA KO 2
21 Mar Fritzie Zivic Pittsburgh, PA L 10
1 Jun Mike Barto Millvale, PA KO 4
13 Jun Fritzie Zivic Millvale, PA W 10
2 Aug Leon Zorrita Millvale, PA KO 6
22 Aug Cocoa Kid Millvale, PA W 15
3 Nov Werther Arcelli Pittsburgh, PA KO 1
21 Nov Billy Soose Pittsburgh, PA W 10
1939
10 Jan Sonny Jones Pittsburgh, PA KO 7
20 Jan Jimmy Leto Millvale, PA L 10
17 Jul Fritzie Zivic Pittsburgh, PA W 10
28 Aug Jimmy Leto Pittsburgh, PA W 10
23 Oct Mickey Makar Pittsburgh, PA KO 1
1 Dec Holman Williams New Orleans, LA L 15
1940
12 Feb Nate Bolden Pittsburgh, PA W 10
12 Apr Baby Kid Chocolate New Orleans, LA KO 5
26 Apr Sammy Edwards New Orleans, LA KO 2
17 Jun Carl Dell Holyoke, MA W 10
29 Jul Georgie Abrams Millvale, PA D 10
19 Aug Kenny LaSalle Millvale, PA W 10
3 Sep Jimmy Bivins Millvale, PA L 10
18 Oct Eddie Peirce Pittsburgh, PA W 10
11 Nov Vincent Pimpinella Washington, DC W 10
1941
31 Mar Babe Synnott Pittsburgh, PA KO 5
18 Apr Eddie Ellis Boston, MA KO 5
2 Jun Ossie Harris Millvale, PA KO 9
14 Jul Gene Buffalo Philadelphia, PA KO 5
25 Aug Otto Blackwell Millvale, PA W 8
25 Sep Antonio Fernandez Philadelphia, PA W 10
12 Dec Ted Morrison Minneapolis, MN KO 2
23 Dec Jerry Hayes Eau Claire, MN KO 4
1942
9 Jan Shorty Hogue Minneapolis, MN KO 10
23 Jan Jackie Burke Minneapolis, MN KO 5
6 Feb Milo Theodorescu San Diego, CA KO 4
13 Feb Willard Hogue San Diego, CA KO 6
26 Feb Holman Williams Minneapolis, MN W 10
13 Mar JD Turner Minneapolis, MN KO 6
10 Apr Cleo McNeal Minneapolis, MN KO 5
20 Apr Phil McQuillan New York, NY KO 1
24 Apr Joe Sutka Chicago, IL KO 4
30 Apr Sonny Wilson Minneapolis, MN KO 2
25 May Ezzard Charles Pittsburgh, PA L 10
23 Jun Holman Williams Cincinatti, OH W 10
29 Jun Ezzard Charles Pittsburgh, PA L 10
14 Aug Holman Williams New Orleans, LA KO 9
16 Oct Holman Williams New Orleans, LA L 15
13 Nov Cecilio Lozada San Diego, CA KO 2
13 Dec Lloyd Marshall Los Angeles, CA L 10
1943
3 Feb Harvey Massey Oakland, CA KO 9
19 Feb Jack Chase Hollywood, CA W 10
3 Mar Aaron Wade Oakland, CA W 10
19 Apr Cocoa Kid New Orleans, LA D 10
14 May Holman Williams Hollywood, CA NC 10
26 Jun Bobby Birch San Diego, CA W 10
1944
3 Mar Bobby Berger San Diego, CA KO 5
20 Mar Aaron Wade San Diego, CA W 10
3 Apr Jack Chase Hollywood, CA KO 9
21 Apr Archie Moore Hollywood, CA W 10
12 May Al Gilbert San Diego, CA KO 4
23 Jun Frankie Nelson Hollywood, CA KO 6
28 Aug Gene Buffalo San Francisco, CA KO 5
11 Sep Jack Chase San Francisco, CA KO 12
1945
12 Mar Joe Carter San Francisco, CA W 10
11 Jul Holman Williams Buffalo, NY L 12
26 Jul Oscar Boyd Pittsburgh, PA KO 2
20 Aug Aaron Wade Pittsburgh, PA W 12
4 Sep Dave Clark Cincinnati, OH KO 1
28 Sep Walter Duval New Orleans, LA KO 4
8 Oct Billy Smith San Francisco, CA W 10
1946
14 Mar Charley Dotson Pittsburgh, PA KO 3
8 Apr Paul Peters San Francisco, CA KO 1
24 Apr Billy Smith Oakland, CA W 10
16 Jul Charley Banks Pittsburgh, PA W 10
5 Aug Bert Lytell Pittsburgh, PA W 10
1947
17 Feb Bert Lytell Baltimore, MD L 10
8 Aug Larry Cartwright Huntington, WV KO 7
1948
24 Mar Battling Blackjack Phoenix, AZ KO 3
1949
3 Apr Charley Williams New Orleans, LA W 10
25 Jul Willie Wright Pittsburgh, PA W 8
1950
2 Feb Chuck Higgins Pittsburgh, PA KO 1
2 Mar Buddy Hodnett Pittsburgh, PA KO 7
22 Jul Pilar Bastidas Lima, Peru W 10