Rated at Heavyweight Losses 34 Division Heavyweight Nationality German Name Willi Besmanoff Total fights 93 | Wins 51 Role Boxer Stance Orthodox stance Wins by KO 19 Height 1.80 m Draws 8 | |
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Real name William David Besmanoff Born October 4, 1932
Munich, Germany ( 1932-10-04 ) Died October 20, 2010, Jacksonville, Florida, United States | ||
William David Besmanoff (October 4, 1932 – October 20, 2010) 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.
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.