Paul Pender

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paul Pender (June 20, 1930 – January 12, 2003) was an American middleweight boxer.

He was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. As an amateur, he won the New England welterweight championship.

In 1959, the National Boxing Association withdrew its recognition of Sugar Ray Robinson as middleweight champion. Gene Fullmer and Carmen Basilio fought for the vacant NBA title, and Fullmer won. Pender beat Robinson the disputed middleweight championship.

He fought a set of three matches against English boxer Terry Downes, of which only the third (on April 7, 1962) went the full nine rounds. He won the first and the third bout, but the last would prove to be the only fight of that year for Pender. The New York Boxing Commission stripped Pender of his title for not defending it against Dick Tiger. Pender sued and won on appeal.

His career was hampered by his brittle hands. He retired May 7, 1963 as world middleweight champion, having never lost his title.

His career record was 40 wins (20 by KO), 6 losses, and 2 draws.

He died in Bedford, Massachusetts on January 12, 2003, at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital [1].