Willi Besmanoff
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]
| Willi Besmanoff | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | William David Besmanoff |
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Nationality | German citizenship |
| Born | October 4, 1932 Munich, Bavaria, Weimar Republic |
| Died | October 20, 2010 (aged 78) Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 93 |
| Wins | 51 |
| Wins by KO | 19 |
| Losses | 34 |
| Draws | 8 |
| No contests | 0 |
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.
References
- Obituary in The St. Augustine Record.
- Ehrmann, Pete (23 February 2011). "A Salute to Willi Besmanoff". The Cyber Boxing Zone.
- "Willi Besmanoff". BoxRec Boxing Records. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
- Collins, Bob (1960-05-25). "Nontitle Bout To Draw 7,000". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis. p. 21. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
External links
- Boxing record for Willi Besmanoff from BoxRec (registration required)