BlackJack Billy Fox vs Gus Lesnevich

Who you say? When you say? Thats right Grandpa Bird is in the house dropping knowledge on me. One of his favorite fighters was BlackJack Billy Fox.



Fox had his first known professional fight in 1943, he was out of Tulsa, Oklahoma SUCK ON THAT TEDDY ATLAS, he was a 5'10 Light Heavyweight.

Billy won his first 36 fights, all by knockout, earning him the nickname BlackJack. Among his first 36 victims were fighters like Ossie Harris, Tommy Ferraro, and Baby Kid Chocolate.

Of the 36 knockouts 8 were first round knockouts, 28 of the knockouts occured in the first 3 rounds. After knocking out Reedy Evans BlackJack Billy Fox had earned his shot at Gus Lesnevich's title. Lesnevich was 54-11-5 at this time and the Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Fox and Lesnevich fought in a brawl, Fox going for the KO and Lesnevich not wanting to give the challenger any ground. By the 10th round it was clear that Lesnevich was getting the better of Fox, when suddenly he Lesnevich knocked Fox down for an 8 count. Fox got up clinched Lesnevich and fell, and the fight was waved off by the ref. THough Fox was beaten there was some controversy in the ending.

Fox's impressive 36 knockout streak had come to an end and he was know 36-1. Fox won 7 fights in a row, all by knockout, facing the even better competition than before. George Cochlan, Tony Gillo, Artie Levine, George Cooper and Jake LaMotta all fell to Fox.

Fox had started 1947 by losing to Lesnevich, he ended it with a knockout of Jake LaMotta.

1948 Fox was granted his rematch with Gus Lesnevich. Fox with a 43-1 (40 KO's) record with Lesnevich (who had defended 3 times in 1947) had a 58-11-5 record.

Nobody knows what the hell happened, but one thing is for sure, or atleast probably positive. Billy Fox got old overnight and his prime was closed in one fight. Gus Lesnevich put Billy Fox down twice in the first round and Fox could not beat the count. It was over in the first round. Lesnevich kept his title.

BlackJack Billy Fox would go 5-7-1 in his next (and last) 13 fights. He would retire with a record of 48-9-1, with 47 knockouts. In his prime Fox was one of the hardest punching Light Heavyweights around.

He is hardly remembered and I hope someone has learned something new today as I have.

Gus Lesnevich would lose the title in his very next fight after KO'ing Fox in 1. Freddie Mills defeated him. Lesnevich retired with a 60-14-5 record with fighters like Fox, Ezzard Charles, Joey Maxim, Jimmy Bivins, Billy Conn, Henry Cooper, and the Alabama Kid (175-58-25 record) on his impressive resume. He was a 2 time Light Heavyweight Champion.