 |
 |
|
|
 |
| |
Saturday, September 7, 2024
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
Earl Walls was born in Maidstone Township
near Puce, Ontario, on February 19, 1928. His great-grandfather,
John Freeman Walls, was born a slave in North Carolina. Earl
Walls took great pride in his family heritage and it helped
inspire his success.
Earl was the second of ten children who
grew up on the family farm. He
began training for a career in the ring with Windsor's
Bill Swinhoe
at Patsy
Drouillard's
Gymnasium in Windsor. He became an Ontario Amateur Champion
and on June 14, 1952 at Edmonton, Alberta, Walls knocked
out his friend, |
Earl
Walls, image courtesy of the Windsor and Essex County
Sports Hall of
Fame |
|
Vern Escoe, in the fourth round to win the Canadian
Heavyweight Boxing Title. Walls, or the "Hooded Terror" as
he became known, defeated Escoe.
|
|
| |
In 1953 Walls surprised the boxing world by defeating the seventh
ranked Rex Layne in a brief bout. Much speculation surrounded
the possibility of
Earl Walls, the Canadian Champion, facing American boxing legend Rocky Marciano
in a title bout. However, on November 2, 1955 Earl Walls decided to retire
from the ring forever.
Earl Walls held the Canadian Heavyweight Boxing Title until
he retired in 1955 at the age of twenty-seven. At one time he
was ranked as high as number three in the World and number one
in the British Commonwealth. In 1978 Earl Walls was inducted
into the Boxing Hall of Fame. |
| |
| Back to previous page |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
The
opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada. |
|
|
