Willi Besmanoff

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Willi Besmanoff
Born
William David Besmanoff

(1932-10-04)October 4, 1932
DiedOctober 20, 2010(2010-10-20) (aged 78)
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
NationalityGerman citizenship
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights93
Wins51
Wins by KO19
Losses34
Draws8
No contests0

William David Besmanoff (October 4, 1932 – October 20, 2010)[1] was a German boxer who was a heavyweight contender in the 1950s. He was born in Munich, Germany. His father was Jewish American. When Willi was 11, he was imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp for a short time. In the 1950s he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and became an American citizen.[2]

Making his professional debut in 1952, Besmanoff mainly fought in Germany for the first half of his career, before subsequently relocating to the United States. Besmanoff fought many top contenders of the era, including Sonny Liston, Archie Moore, George Chuvalo, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Roy Harris, Willie Pastrano and Bob Foster. He was also an early opponent of Cassius Clay. He retired in 1967, with a final record of 51–34–8.

Professional boxing record[edit]

51 Wins (19 knockouts, 32 decisions), 34 Losses (11 knockouts, 23 decisions), 8 Draws[3]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Loss 53–32–8 United States Dave Zyglewicz TKO 3 01/08/1967 United States Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas Referee stopped the bout at 2:47 of the third round.
Loss 53–31–8 Canada George Chuvalo RTD 2 27/05/1967 United States Cocoa Expo Sports Center, Cocoa, Florida
Loss 53–30–8 Canada George Chuvalo TKO 3 04/04/1967 United States Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida
Win 53–29–8 United States Mike Lanum KO 9 09/12/1966 United States Civic Auditorium, Melbourne, Florida
Loss 52–29–8 United States Mike Lanum PTS 10 09/11/1966 United States Melbourne, Florida
Win 52–28–8 United States Mike Lanum SD 10 01/11/1966 United States Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida
Win 51–28–8 United States Gene Idelette SD 10 22/09/1966 United States Melbourne, Florida
Win 50–28–8 United States Willie Johnson UD 10 12/08/1966 United States Civic Auditorium, Melbourne, Florida
Win 49–28–8 United States Aaron Beasley KO 1 22/07/1966 United States Civic Auditorium, Melbourne, Florida
Win 48–28–8 United States Joe Louis White SD 10 01/07/1966 United States Civic Auditorium, Melbourne, Florida
Loss 47–28–8 United States Amos Johnson TKO 6 17/12/1963 United States Akron Armory, Akron, Ohio
Loss 47–27–8 United States Bob Foster KO 3 11/12/1963 United States Norfolk, Virginia
Draw 47–26–8 United States Duke Sabedong PTS 10 14/11/1963 United States Mechanics Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts
Win 47–26–7 United States Herb Siler TKO 4 05/07/1963 United States Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Loss 46–26–7 United States Cassius Clay TKO 7 29/11/1961 United States Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky Referee stopped the bout at 1:55 of the seventh round.
Loss 46–25–7 Argentina Alejandro Lavorante TKO 7 28/08/1961 United States San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California
Loss 46–24–7 Canada George Chuvalo TKO 4 27/06/1961 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
Loss 46–23–7 United States Young Jack Johnson SD 10 18/02/1961 United States Fairgrounds Coliseum, Salt Lake City, Utah
Loss 46–22–7 United States Pete Rademacher UD 10 13/12/1960 United States Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Win 46–21–7 United States Howard King SD 10 21/11/1960 United States Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win 45–21–7 United States Jimmy McCarter UD 10 18/10/1960 United States Seattle Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington
Loss 44–21–7 United States Zora Folley UD 10 16/09/1960 United States Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, Centralia, Washington
Loss 44–20–7 United States George Logan UD 10 08/08/1960 United States Boise, Idaho
Loss 44–19–7 United States Archie Moore TKO 10 25/05/1960 United States Indiana State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana Non-title bout.[4] Referee stopped the bout at 1:32 of the tenth round.
Loss 44–18–7 United States Tom McNeeley PTS 10 14/03/1960 United States Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Loss 44–17–7 Canada Bob Cleroux UD 10 05/02/1960 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City
Loss 44–16–7 United States Sonny Liston TKO 7 09/12/1959 United States Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Loss 44–15–7 United States Eddie Machen UD 10 16/09/1959 United States Auditorium, Portland, Oregon
Win 44–14–7 United States Marty Marshall UD 10 01/08/1959 United States Harding Stadium, Steubenville, Ohio
Win 43–14–7 United States Mike DeJohn UD 10 16/06/1959 United States Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Win 42–14–7 United States Alvin Williams UD 10 18/05/1959 United States Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Loss 41–14–7 United States Zora Folley UD 10 07/04/1959 United States Denver, Colorado
Loss 41–13–7 United States Donnie Fleeman UD 10 26/01/1959 United States Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Loss 41–12–7 United States Mike DeJohn UD 10 28/11/1958 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City
Win 41–11–7 Argentina Alex Miteff RTD 1 23/09/1958 United States Seattle Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington
Loss 40–11–7 United States Hal Carter UD 10 13/06/1958 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City
Loss 40–10–7 United States Archie Moore SD 10 02/05/1958 United States Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
Win 40–9–7 United States Pat McMurtry SD 10 04/02/1958 United States Seattle Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington
Loss 39–9–7 United States Willie Pastrano UD 10 27/11/1957 United States Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida
Loss 39–8–7 United States Roy Harris UD 10 29/10/1957 United States Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
Loss 39–7–7 Canada Yvon Durelle UD 10 25/09/1957 United States Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
Loss 39–6–7 Argentina Alex Miteff UD 10 10/06/1957 United States St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Loss 39–5–7 United States Archie McBride UD 10 20/05/1957 United States St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 39–4–7 United States Bob Baker UD 10 01/04/1957 United States St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 38–4–7 United States Calvin Wilson UD 10 25/02/1957 United States St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
Win 37–4–7 United States Don Ellis PTS 8 20/10/1956 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 36–4–7 Germany Albert Westphal TKO 5 21/09/1956 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Win 35–4–7 Italy Artenio Calzavara PTS 8 15/09/1956 Italy Velodromo Vigorelli, Milan, Lombardy
Win 34–4–7 France Maurice Mols TKO 9 07/09/1956 Germany Ostseehalle, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein
Win 33–4–7 France Eugene D'Alessio PTS 8 28/06/1956 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 32–4–7 Germany Erwin Hack PTS 8 09/06/1956 Germany Rheinlandhalle, Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 31–4–7 Germany Uwe Janssen KO 8 11/05/1956 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Win 30–4–7 Cambodia Simon Ayankin PTS 8 02/03/1956 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Win 29–4–7 France Jacques Bro PTS 8 04/02/1956 Germany Festhalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse
Win 28–4–7 United Kingdom Alex Buxton PTS 8 22/01/1956 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 27–4–7 Belgium Maurice DeMulder KO 4 13/01/1956 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Loss 26–4–7 France Jacques Bro PTS 6 05/12/1955 Luxembourg Luxembourg City
Loss 26–3–7 Germany Willi Hoepner PTS 10 25/11/1955 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg Germany BDB Light Heavyweight Title.
Win 26–2–7 Germany Heinz Sachs KO 6 14/10/1955 Germany Ostseehalle, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein
Win 25–2–7 Spain José González Sales PTS 8 09/09/1955 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 24–2–7 Bermuda Ed Smith PTS 8 22/07/1955 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Draw 23–2–7 Germany Heinz Sachs PTS 8 12/06/1955 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
Loss 23–2–6 Germany Franz Szuzina PTS 8 04/06/1955 Germany Eisstadion, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 23–1–6 France Roland Guille KO 3 20/05/1955 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Draw 22–1–6 Bermuda Ed Smith PTS 8 27/03/1955 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 22–1–5 Netherlands Wim Snoek PTS 8 11/03/1955 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Win 21–1–5 Trinidad and Tobago Clair Redmond KO 2 11/02/1955 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 20–1–5 Germany Winfried Henne TKO 4 21/01/1955 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Win 19–1–5 Italy Artenio Calzavara PTS 8 10/12/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 18–1–5 Spain Domingo Lopez DQ 8 25/09/1954 Germany Weser-Ems-Halle, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony
Win 17–1–5 Germany Franz Szuzina PTS 10 27/08/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Draw 16–1–5 Germany Franz Szuzina PTS 8 11/07/1954 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
Win 16–1–4 Belgium Marcel Limage PTS 8 10/06/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 15–1–4 United States Austin Jones PTS 8 09/04/1954 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Draw 14–1–4 Spain José González Sales PTS 8 05/03/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Loss 14–1–3 Germany Hans Friedrich PTS 8 22/01/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 14–0–3 Belgium Emile DeGreef KO 3 15/01/1954 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Win 13–0–3 Luxembourg Jean Serres TKO 5 27/12/1953 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 12–0–3 Luxembourg Ray Schmit PTS 6 04/12/1953 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 11–0–3 Germany Hans Baumann PTS 6 13/11/1953 Germany Seeback Saal, Bremerhaven, Bremen
Win 10–0–3 Austria Karl Ameisbichler TKO 8 07/10/1953 Germany Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg
Win 9–0–3 Netherlands Willy Schagen KO 2 28/08/1953 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 8–0–3 Germany Paul Schirrmann PTS 4 05/07/1953 Germany Waldbühne, Westend, Berlin
Draw 7–0–3 Germany Hans Strelecki PTS 6 16/05/1953 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Draw 7–0–2 Austria Karl Ameisbichler PTS 6 17/04/1953 Germany Funkturmhalle, Westend, Berlin
Draw 7–0–1 Germany Otto Bastian PTS 6 15/02/1953 Germany Ausstellungshalle, Berlin
Win 7–0 Germany Heinz Schreiber KO 2 26/12/1952 Germany Funkturmhalle, Westend, Berlin
Win 6–0 Germany Bruno Junkuhn KO 2 21/11/1952 Germany Winterhalle, Munich, Bavaria
Win 5–0 Germany Robert Sapion PTS 6 09/11/1952 Germany Funkturmhalle, Westend, Berlin
Win 4–0 Germany Willy Schmauser PTS 6 17/10/1952 Germany Messehalle, Munich, Bavaria
Win 3–0 Germany Franz Schoepgens TKO 2 14/09/1952 Germany Praelat Schoeneberg, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Win 2–0 Germany Emil Dimmer PTS 4 05/09/1952 Germany Ausstellungshalle, Munich, Bavaria
Win 1–0 Germany Heinz Schreiber KO 4 15/08/1952 Germany Funkturmhalle, Westend, Berlin

References[edit]

  1. ^ Obituary in The St. Augustine Record.
  2. ^ Ehrmann, Pete (23 February 2011). "A Salute to Willi Besmanoff". The Cyber Boxing Zone.
  3. ^ "Willi Besmanoff". BoxRec Boxing Records. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
  4. ^ Collins, Bob (1960-05-25). "Nontitle Bout To Draw 7,000". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis. p. 21. Retrieved 2020-08-10.

External links[edit]