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Willie Monroe (boxer, born 1946)

Willie "The Worm" Monroe (June 5, 1946 - June 22, 2019)[2] was a middleweight boxer who competed from 1969 to 1981. He was most notable for defeating Marvelous Marvin Hagler in 1976 before Hagler went on an eleven year undefeated streak.[3]

Monroe received his nickname "the Worm" for his slippery fighting style from Yank Durham.[4] He died on Saturday, June 22, 2019, after complications with Alzheimers.[3]

He was inducted into the Pennsylvania boxing hall of fame in 1990 [5] and is the great uncle of American boxer Willie Monroe Jr.[4]

Early life and amateur career

Monroe was born in Alabama as the 13th of 17 children and spent his early years in Crestview, Florida.[3] He started boxing in Rochester, New York where he claimed an undefeated 43-0 amateur record.[4] He arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the autumn of 1969 to train for his pro-debut.[6]

Professional career

Monroe started his professional career with a perfect record of 20-0 before being stopped in a controversial split decision against Max Cohen.[7]

A string of mixed results would follow with a notable win over Eugene Hart and losses to Alvin Philipps and Bobby Watts.[6]

Monroe would go on to defeat Marvelous Marvin Hagler on March 9, 1976 in decisive fashion. Unfortunately no footage of the fight exists as a snowstorm in the area prevented filming.[6]Two rematches would follow which were both won by technical knockout by Hagler [8]

Professional boxing record

References

  1. ^ "Willy Monroe". Boxrec. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Willy Monroe". Philly Boxing History. Fairhill Street Productions, LLC. Archived from the original on 3 Sep 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Willie 'the Worm' Monroe, 73, Philly boxing legend". The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. 27 June 2019. Archived from the original on 3 Sep 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "R.I.P. Willie the Worm and Billy Joiner, Emblems of a Bright and Bygone Era". The Sweet Science. 5 July 2019. Archived from the original on 3 Sep 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Willie The Worm - PA Boxing Hall of Fame". Philly Boxing History. Fairhill Street Productions, LLC. Archived from the original on 14 Aug 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "A Look Back at The Career of Willie "The Worm" Monroe". BoxingScene. 23 June 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Knocks Man Down, Still Loses Bout". The Gettysburg Times. Associated Press. 1972-03-28. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  8. ^ "Hagler takes middle bout". Lewiston Morning Tribute. Associated Press. 1977-08-24. Retrieved 2023-08-16.

External links