Joe Brown (boxer)
| Joe Brown | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | Old Bones |
| Rated at | Lightweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7 1⁄2 in (1.71 m) |
| Reach | 68 in (173 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | May 18, 1926 |
| Died | December 4, 1997 (aged 71) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 165 |
| Wins | 105 |
| Wins by KO | 47 |
| Losses | 46 |
| Draws | 13 |
| No contests | 0 |
Joe Brown (May 18, 1926 – December 4, 1997) was an accomplished boxer who won the Lightweight Championship of the World in 1956, making 11 successful defences before losing his crown in his old age to Carlos Ortiz in 1962. Brown was a classic boxer and a knockout puncher. Known as the 'Creole Clouter' and Joe 'Old Bones' Brown, he was managed by Lou Viscusi and named The Ring's 'Fighter of the Year' for 1961. Brown was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.
Born into poverty in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, on May 18, 1926, Brown started work as a grocery assistant, moved into carpentry and then embarked on his professional boxing career at the age of seventeen. He recorded only one contest – winning a four-round decision against Leonard Caesar on September 3, 1943 – before being called up for wartime service. During his 21 months with the US Navy, Brown took part in seven Pacific invasions and won the All-Service Lightweight Championship. He was honourably discharged from the service in 1945.
The resumption of Brown's career was initially disappointing. Suffering a third-round knock-out by Melvin Bartholomew in July 1945, Brown did not fight again until January 1946, when he lost on a decision over five rounds to Leonard Caesar. Some reward came a mere seven days later when Brown out-pointed Johnny Monroe, but his career over the following three years was, at best, chequered.
The impetus for Brown's ultimate success seems to have been provided by a crushing defeat at the hands of the future National Boxing Association Welterweight Champion, Johnny Bratton, late in 1948, immediately followed by a short spell away from the ring. In 1949, Brown actually went unbeaten and, over the next seven years, he steadily climbed the Lightweight rankings, defeating along the way such notable boxers as Virgil Akins, Isaac Logart and Teddy 'Redtop' Davis.
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