Coley Welch
Coleman Patrick Welch (February 8, 1919 – December 4, 2000) was an American middleweight boxer. Born in Portland, Maine, Welch came from an Irish-American community[2] and was nicked the Fighting Iceman. He made his amateur debut on May 21, 1936 at the age of 17 and fought primarily at the Portland Exposition Building during his early years. In 1941, The Ring magazine ranked him #3 among middleweights. He was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and returned to boxing in 1943. On St. Patrick's Day (March 17), 1944, Welch fought Jake LaMotta in front of 10,000 fans at the Boston Garden.[3] The fight ended with a unanimous decision in LaMotta's favor. His final match was on April 5, 1949. He ended his career with a 109-26-6 record over 141 matches.
| Coley Welch | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | Fighting Iceman |
| Weight(s) | Middleweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | February 8, 1919 Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | December 4, 2000 (aged 81) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record[1] | |
| Total fights | 141 |
| Wins | 109 |
| Wins by KO | 51 |
| Losses | 26 |
| Draws | 6 |
He died in Las Vegas, where he had worked as a casino security guard following his retirement from boxing.[4]
References
- "Boxing record for Coley Welch". BoxRec.
- Barker, Matthew Jude (2014). The Irish of Portland, Maine: A History of Forest City Hibernians. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62584-512-2.
- "Coley Welch, 81, Middleweight Boxer". The New York Times. Associated Press. 9 December 2000.
- "'Hungry' boxer fought LaMotta". Globe and Daily Mail. AP. December 7, 2000.