Having turned professional at the age of 18, nicknamed Will of the Wisp (Willie Pep) due to his perceived elusiveness, his sophistication was displayed through his somewhat bizarre behavior. He had adapted to a dancing and floating style that made him hard to hit. If watched closely, one would have thought he had a certain song playing in his head. Guglielmo Papaleo goes down in history as one of the world’s greatest boxers.
Background
Guglielmo Papaleo better known as Willie Pep was born in the largely Italian Middletown, Connecticut, in the USA on September 19, 1922. Not much has been documented about his immediate family, though. Willie worked as a shoe shiner during the severe times of the great economic depression which took place in the 1930’s. Pep’s father who worked then, used to earn a measly sum of 15 dollars which was hardly enough to provide for his family. Perhaps this struggle is what pushed Willie to drop out of school to work and pursue his dreams.
While still working as a shoe shiner, Willie joined the gym in the company of his friend and partner in business Jonny Duke. It was during this time that he enrolled as a boxer. Sooner, Willie was earning a good amount of money from fighting only one day per week. It was not until his parents found out about his sprouting boxing career, that his father, unlike his mother who was very worried about his son, encouraged him, to consider boxing for two days each week.
He is said to have learned boxing while on duty, as he meticulously protected his shoeshine stable. His complicated and hard to understand nature comes out of play due to the fact that by the time he died, he had married six times. This man was strong willed and nothing could easily put him down. At one point when his doctor raised concerns that his boxing could have led to his Alzheimer’s condition, he wondered out loud and said to his wife, “but honey, I never got hit” Surprisingly, he at one point served in the American army. Today the writers have something to write about him because he was a man whose determination he held constantly.
Education
Despite the fact that Willie dropped out of school, his invariable wisdom cannot go unnoticed. He would think profoundly before uttering words. His words remain tangible to date, many years after his death. Many of his inspiring wise words have been documented the world over.
Career
The all rounded Willie Pep was a master of many trades. Having multi-tasked between being a shoeshiner, going to the gym and boxing, not forgetting that he served in the American army. He started amateur boxing in 1947 and went ahead to box 65 bouts in the period of two and a half years. In between this time he won an impressive 59 times and lost 3 times.
Professionally, Pep started boxing on July 10, 1940. He continued his unbeaten streak by beating James McGovern by a decision in four rounds in Hartford, Connecticut. Pep concentrated his early days in his fighting boxing career in New England. His first 25 contests were split between Connecticut and Massachusetts. After that, he headed west and beat Eddie Flores by a knockout in the first round at the Thompsonville, Michigan. He would later go ahead and beat Billy Spencer in his Los Angeles debut fight. This fight was won by a decision in four. At this point it is important to note that his determination and optimism played a big role in his career, seeing that in his first three years as a professional boxer, he was undefeated. He would go ahead to become the first youngest boxer in a record 40 years to win a world title. In 1942, he was crowned world title boxing holder by the New York State Athletic Commission. Such world title was normally awarded by the National boxing association. This being so, the organization wouldn’t recognize his award until he defeated their reigning champion Sal Bartolo in 1943 by decision. Before the 1943 championship, he had lost to Sammy Angott. Amazingly, ten days later he reclaimed his win and went for an astonishingly unbelievable 73 matches without losing.
One of Willie’s best years was in1944 when he won all his 16 bouts beating two world bantamweight champions Willie Joyce and Manuel Ortiz. In 1945, he beat former world champion Phil Terranova and retained the title. He also drew in a ten rounds with Jimmy McAllister.
Willie proudly won all his fights in 1946. In 1947 he would enigmatically go ahead and win ten bouts even though he had been severely injured in a plane crash. This plane crash happened when Willie chartered a plane from Miami to Hartford. At the time of this flight, the weather was not conducive and therefore the plane crashed near Carmel New Jersey. To this day, it remains a miracle how Willie survived. He was the only survivor in that accident.
In a characteristic Willie style, when he came to be was quoted saying, “I woke up on my stomach. People were moaning and groaning. The plane was ripped to shreds. My back was killing me.” He returned after 5 months and won 26 straight fights.
He held the world championship title for 5 straight years. However, in 1948 the great Willie was beaten blue black by Sandy Saddler, a beating that seemed to have left him in total shock. He was quoted saying “I didn't know what it was all about. I wasn't mature enough to sense what I had really won until 1948 when Saddler licked me, and then when I won it back, I realized the strength and I realized it was a great thing to be a champion of the world." Of course, the steadfastness Willie had couldn’t allow him to go down after the loss. He would defeat Saddler two months after his loss. These rivals met again two times in the ring, but as expected, the fights were faced with their own challenges. In the first fight, even though Willie was winning he suffered a dislocated arm and ended up withdrawing. In the next fight, the disagreements went out of hand and these two men ended up knocking down the referee. Willie abandoned the game after his eyes became swollen and bloody. After these actions, the National body had no other option but to ban both men’s boxing licenses.
It is said that he once won a round without throwing a punch. Willie Pep as he is better known, held the world Featherweight championship two times during the year 1947 and 1950. During his 26 years of his career, he had boxed 1,956 rounds in 241 bouts. He was voted as the number one featherweight of the 20th century by the Associated Press, while the International Boxing Research Organization rated him number one featherweight in the year 2005. During his retirement, he worked as a boxing referee occasionally and as a boxing inspector for the Hartford, Conn., Boxing Commission.
Willie started one of his many jobs the moment he left school. He started shoe shining and multi-tasked by attending the gym. It’s then that his boxing career kicked in.
Willie served in the American army throughout the American war effort in World War II where he would be discharged with honors. After he retired, Willie remained active in boxing. Together with his rival Saddler, they collaborated in many exhibitions bouts. Pep also served as a volunteer after he was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. During his stay at the sports hall, it was his pleasure to sign autographs and mingle with his fans.
Achievements
His main major achievement was winning impressive 229 rounds of the 241 rounds he played in his entire career. Nothing was challenging enough to bring him down. It was unfathomable how he was able to recover so soon from a plane crash, get to the ring, and go ahead and win. This man Willie was the true epitome of an inborn sports personality.
He was unbowed even after he was defeated in 1942, he went ahead to salvage that loss in a record 10 days. This can only be stated to be startling.
In 1990, he was inaugurated into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame as a member of Hall’s original class where he worked as a volunteer alongside fellow former world champion and ally Carmen Basilio.
Willie Pep was in the year 2002 rated number 6 by the Ring magazine in its list of the 80 best fighters in the last 80 years in 2002. In the year 2005, he was ranked the top most featherweight existing by the International Research Organization.
He won many awards in his life and even after death. The Houston Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014 ranked him the greatest featherweight ever six years after his demise. This organization concentrates on both current and former fighters.
Willie Pep won the Connecticut amateur title at bantamweight and featherweight before the age of 18 years. He won the world featherweight title at the age of 20 years.
Religion
His success notwithstanding, Willie was kind and courteous enough to remember people he had interacted with throughout his journey up the ladder. This is demonstrated when he quoted the boy he had met at the gym who told him “When you're in the ring, make believe a cop is chasing you; don't let him catch you.” He passionately quoted this saying it was the best advice that was ever given to him by a kid.
Politics
Willie Pep is thought out to be the greatest featherweight champion of all time. He inspired many during his reign. His commitment to learning and remain on top is a lesson he left to the present day young generation with a thirst for success.
A story seen by many as mythical is told about how he bet a sportswriter that he was going to win a round against Jackie Graves without throwing a single punch, which he went on to execute. He was always prepared to defend what he believed in. His exceptional ambition remains extraordinary to this very day.
Views
He also remained down to earth ever ready to sign autographs. He believed in himself more than anything. Evidently displayed when the doctor noted that his career could have been the cause of his sickness. He was not amused; he remarked that he had never been hit, which meant the doctor was wrong. Willie Conformed to the beliefs of the earlier church.
Personality
Willie Pep died at the age of 84 in November 2006, today, not many people know about him because the present day generation is different from what was then. His efforts though cannot bypass us. The present day generation who are interested in pursuing a career in boxing needs to research and read more about him.
Physical Characteristics:
Willie was a man of his word. He fulfilled what he said; he went to all heights to ensure his words did not come out of his mouth in vain. No one could put him down and he believed only he could deny himself. His ambition, exceptional skills, and relentless determination are qualities that need to be emulated by many.
Quotes from others about the person
They call Ray Robinson the best fighter, pound for pound. I'm the best fighter, ounce for ounce.
Interests
Music
Connections
The great featherweight was born to Italian migrants and grew up in poverty. His father worked for $15 at the Work Progress Administration. Willie was married six times and is survived by his wife Barbara, his four children and three step-children.
