Willi Besmanoff

Willi Besmanoff
Statistics
Real name William David Besmanoff
Rated at Heavyweight
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Nationality German
Born October 4, 1932
Munich, Germany
Died October 20, 2010 (aged 78)
Jacksonville, Florida
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 93
Wins 51
Wins by KO 19
Losses 34
Draws 8
No contests 0

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

51 Wins (19 knockouts, 32 decisions), 34 Losses (11 knockouts, 23 decisions), 8 Draws [3]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 19-0 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.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 45-13-2 Canada George Chuvalo RTD 2 27/05/1967 United States Cocoa Expo Sports Center, Cocoa, Florida
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 44-13-2 Canada George Chuvalo TKO 3 04/04/1967 United States Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-5 United States Mike Lanum KO 9 09/12/1966 United States Civic Auditorium, Melbourne, Florida
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 9-5 United States Mike Lanum PTS 10 09/11/1966 United States Melbourne, Florida
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 9-4 United States Mike Lanum SD 10 01/11/1966 United States Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 3-5-1 United States Gene Idelette SD 10 22/09/1966 United States Melbourne, Florida
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 11-18-1 United States Willie "The Invader" Johnson UD 10 12/08/1966 United States Civic Auditorium, Melbourne, Florida
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-11-4 United States Aaron Beasley KO 1 22/07/1966 United States Civic Auditorium, Melbourne, Florida
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 3-6-1 United States Joe Louis White SD 10 01/07/1966 United States Civic Auditorium, Melbourne, Florida
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 9-2-1 United States Amos Johnson TKO 6 17/12/1963 United States Akron Armory, Akron, Ohio
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 11-2 United States Bob Foster KO 3 11/12/1963 United States Norfolk, Virginia
Draw 16-14-1 United States Duke Sabedong PTS 10 14/11/1963 United States Mechanics Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 16-7 United States Herb Siler TKO 4 05/07/1963 United States Jacksonville Beach, Florida
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 9-0 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.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 15-1 Argentina Alejandro Lavorante TKO 7 28/08/1961 United States San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 19-5-1 Canada George Chuvalo TKO 4 27/06/1961 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 20-13-1 United States Young Jack Johnson SD 10 18/02/1961 United States Fairgrounds Coliseum, Salt Lake City, Utah 95-96, 95-96, 96-88.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 9-3-1 United States Pete Rademacher UD 10 13/12/1960 United States Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio 43-47, 42-48, 42-49.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 37-20-8 United States Howard "Honeyboy" King SD 10 21/11/1960 United States Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada 43-49, 47-46, 47-46.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 7-2-1 United States Jimmy McCarter UD 10 18/10/1960 United States Seattle Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 51-4-2 United States Zora Folley UD 10 16/09/1960 United States Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, Centralia, Washington 94-99, 96-98, 96-98.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 13-2-1 United States George Logan UD 10 08/08/1960 United States Boise, Idaho 96-98, 96-98, 96-97.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 176-21-9 United States Archie Moore TKO 10 25/05/1960 United States Indiana State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana American Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 1:32 of the tenth round.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 16-0 United States Tom McNeeley PTS 10 14/03/1960 United States Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 17-1-1 Canada Bob Cleroux UD 10 05/02/1960 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City 3-6, 3-7, 4-5.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 25-1 United States Sonny Liston TKO 7 09/12/1959 United States Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 29-1-1 United States Eddie Machen UD 10 16/09/1959 United States Auditorium, Portland, Oregon 94-100, 94-99, 96-99.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 23-12-2 United States Marty Marshall UD 10 01/08/1959 United States Harding Stadium, Steubenville, Ohio
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 36-6-1 United States Mike DeJohn UD 10 16/06/1959 United States Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 97-94, 99-92, 98-92.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 53-23-6 United States "Chief" Alvin Williams UD 10 18/05/1959 United States Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 98-89, 100-86, 99-91.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 44-3-2 United States Zora Folley UD 10 07/04/1959 United States Denver, Colorado
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 25-3 United States Donnie Fleeman UD 10 26/01/1959 United States Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 87-98, 90-98, 85-97.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 35-5-1 United States Mike DeJohn UD 10 28/11/1958 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City 3-6, 4-5, 4-5.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 16-1-1 Argentina Alex Miteff RTD 1 23/09/1958 United States Seattle Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 22-2-2 United States Hal Carter UD 10 13/06/1958 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City 3-6, 2-6, 2-8.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 169-21-8 United States Archie Moore SD 10 02/05/1958 United States Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 26-1-1 United States Pat McMurtry SD 10 04/02/1958 United States Seattle Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington 97-95, 98-96, 93-99.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 42-5-5 United States Willie Pastrano UD 10 27/11/1957 United States Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida 95-99, 92-99, 93-99.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 22-0 United States Roy Harris UD 10 29/10/1957 United States Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas 91-97, 91-100, 91-100.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 69-18-2 Canada Yvon Durelle UD 10 25/09/1957 United States Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan 44-47, 45-56, 37-38.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 8-0 Argentina Alex Miteff UD 10 10/06/1957 United States St. Nicholas Arena, New York City 2-7, 3-6, 1-9.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 26-12 United States Archie McBride UD 10 20/05/1957 United States St. Nicholas Arena, New York City 1-8, 2-8, 4-5.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 47-8-1 United States Bob Baker UD 10 01/04/1957 United States St. Nicholas Arena, New York City 5-4, 5-4, 5-4.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 13-2-4 United States Calvin Wilson UD 10 25/02/1957 United States St. Nicholas Arena, New York City 7-2, 7-3, 9-1.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 48-37-23 United States Don Ellis PTS 8 20/10/1956 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 4-1 Germany Albert Westphal TKO 5 21/09/1956 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 24-5-4 Italy Artenio Calzavara PTS 8 15/09/1956 Italy Velodromo Vigorelli, Milan, Lombardy
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-12-3 France Maurice Mols TKO 9 07/09/1956 Germany Ostseehalle, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 8-6 France Eugene D'Alessio PTS 8 28/06/1956 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 4-0 Germany Erwin Hack PTS 8 09/06/1956 Germany Rheinlandhalle, Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 11-1-1 Germany Uwe Janssen KO 8 11/05/1956 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-11-2 Cameroon Simon Ayankin PTS 8 02/03/1956 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 20-5-3 France Jacques Bro PTS 8 04/02/1956 Germany Festhalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 73-23-1 United Kingdom Alex Buxton PTS 8 22/01/1956 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 4-4-3 Belgium Maurice DeMulder KO 4 13/01/1956 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 17-4-3 France Jacques Bro PTS 6 05/12/1955 Luxembourg Luxembourg City
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 44-5-1 Germany Willi Hoepner PTS 10 25/11/1955 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg Germany BDB Light Heavyweight Title.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 28-14-11 Germany Heinz Sachs KO 6 14/10/1955 Germany Ostseehalle, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 15-6-6 Spain　José González Sales PTS 8 09/09/1955 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 16-14-4 Bermuda Ed "Polly" Smith PTS 8 22/07/1955 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
Draw 28-14-8 Germany Heinz Sachs PTS 8 12/06/1955 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 31-9-11 Germany Franz Szuzina PTS 8 04/06/1955 Germany Eisstadion, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-8 France Roland Guille KO 3 20/05/1955 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Draw 16-13-3 Bermuda Ed "Polly" Smith PTS 8 27/03/1955 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 23-6-1 Netherlands Wim Snoek PTS 8 11/03/1955 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 3-6 Trinidad and Tobago Clair Redmond KO 2 11/02/1955 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 30-16-20 Germany Winfried Henne TKO 4 21/01/1955 Germany Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-2-3 Italy Artenio Calzavara PTS 8 10/12/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 7-3-5 Spain Domingo Lopez DQ 8 25/09/1954 Germany Weser-Ems-Halle, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 30-5-11 Germany Franz Szuzina PTS 10 27/08/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Draw 30-5-10 Germany Franz Szuzina PTS 8 11/07/1954 Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 25-3-1 Belgium Marcel Limage PTS 8 10/06/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 1-1-1 United States Austin Jones PTS 8 09/04/1954 Germany Ernst-Merck Halle, Hamburg
Draw 13-3-5 Spain José González Sales PTS 8 05/03/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 7-2-6 Germany Hans Friedrich PTS 8 22/01/1954 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 0-11-2 Belgium Emile DeGreef KO 3 15/01/1954 Germany Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 8-8-3 Luxembourg Jean Serres TKO 5 27/12/1953 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 13-8-3 Luxembourg Ray Schmit PTS 6 04/12/1953 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 43-23-20 Germany Hans Baumann PTS 6 13/11/1953 Germany Seeback Saal, Bremerhaven, Bremen
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 13-2-2 Austria Karl Ameisbichler TKO 8 07/10/1953 Germany Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 18-6-2 Netherlands Willy Schagen KO 2 28/08/1953 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 20-8-10 Germany Paul Schirrmann PTS 4 05/07/1953 Germany Waldbühne, Westend, Berlin
Draw 60-15-11 Germany Hans Strelecki PTS 6 16/05/1953 Germany Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Berlin
Draw 11-2 Austria Karl Ameisbichler PTS 6 17/04/1953 Germany Funkturmhalle, Westend, Berlin
Draw 9-27-10 Germany Otto Bastian PTS 6 15/02/1953 Germany Ausstellungshalle, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 15-11-6 Germany Heinz Schreiber KO 2 26/12/1952 Germany Funkturmhalle, Westend, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 9-14-5 Germany Bruno Junkuhn KO 2 21/11/1952 Germany Winterhalle, Munich, Bavaria
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10-20-6 Germany Robert Sapion PTS 6 09/11/1952 Germany Funkturmhalle, Westend, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 16-6-10 Germany Willy Schmauser PTS 6 17/10/1952 Germany Messehalle, Munich, Bavaria
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 5-4-2 Germany Franz Schoepgens TKO 2 14/09/1952 Germany Praelat Schoeneberg, Schoeneberg, Berlin
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 8-7-2 Germany Emil Dimmer PTS 4 05/09/1952 Germany Ausstellungshalle, Munich, Bavaria
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14-9-6 Germany Heinz Schreiber KO 4 15/08/1952 Germany Funkturmhalle, Westend, Berlin

References

  1. ↑ Obituary in The St. Augustine Record.
  2. ↑ A Salute to Willi Besmanoff.
  3. ↑ http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9371&cat=boxer

External links