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With a well-developed and muscular physique, Eddie Booker had the strength and ability to 'mix-it-up' when the chips were down and was happy to either fight or box -- he genuinely loved to be in the ring. Compared by some to heavyweight great Jack Johnson in regards to his ability to catch a punch and deliver a blow in the same motion with the same hand, Eddie was a methodical, conservative workman who used his mind along with his fists.
He was unbeaten in his first 44 bouts, then lost back-to-back decisions to Fritzie Zivic and Cocoa Kid. He rebounded with a string of knockout victories before taking time out during 1940 due to badly damaged hands.
Victories against some of the better west coast battlers, such as the Hogue twins, Bobby Birch, and Lloyd Marshall earned him a world-ranking and a crack at the California State middleweight title, which he lost over 15 close fought rounds to the brilliant Jack Chase. A match with the legendary Charley Burley never materialised with Eddie confessing to a sparring partner that the Burley was "Just about the best there is out there."
In his last year as a professional fighter -- despite rapidly deteriorating eyesight -- Booker scored knockouts over Paul Hartnek (a heavyweight) and Archie Moore. A points victory over classy Holman Williams wrapped up a nine-year, 83-fight career for the unheralded and long forgotten Booker.
Considered a perfect gentleman in and out of the ring, it has been said that Eddie Booker was not only the tragic victim of racism in boxing, but also of the seedier, slimy underbelly of the professional fight game. An incident in the ring involving a doctored pair of gloves led to terrible eye injuries that just would not heal. Eddie lived his remaining years blind.
Pro RecordEarly record is incomplete. Fights from 1935 & 1936 are results from press clippings 1935 Hank Lewis KO Johnny Mateo KO 2 Joe Pablo KO Johnny Natalie W Johnny Bassinelli W Johnny Natalie KO Johnny Bassinelli W Tommy O'Dell W Mickey Barker KO 4 Johnny Foster TK 1 Billy Azevedo TK 4 1936 Horatio Velha W 10 Jimmy Wakefield D 10 Jimmy Wakefield W 10 Gail Harrington W 10 After an enforced layoff of several months, Booker returned to the ring in 1937. His record up to that point was 27-0-3 1937 Jan 26 Remo Fernandez San Diego, Ca W 10 Jul 14 Johnny Bassinelli San Francisco, Ca KO 9 Aug 27 Gaston LaCadre San Francisco, Ca KO 9 Oct 8 Jackie Burke San Francisco, Ca D 10 1938 Mar 3 Andy Callahan San Francisco, Ca W 10 Jun 9 Al Manfredo Fresno, Ca W 10 Jun 24 George Salvatore San Francisco, Ca KO 7 Jul 17 Carlos Miranda San Diego, Ca KO 3 Nov 19 Dem Wakerlis New York, NY W 6 Dec 9 Lou Raymond New York, NY W 6 Dec 20 Oscar Suggs New Haven, Ct KO 3 1939 Jan 2 Unknown Morgan New Haven, Ct KO 1 Jan 9 Oscar Suggs New Haven, Ct KO 3 Jan 25 Holman Williams New York, NY D 6 Feb 10 Fritzie Zivic New York, NY L 8 Mar 9 Cocoa Kid New Haven, Ct L 10 Oct 3 Carlos Garcia San Jose, Ca KO 3 Nov 13 Henry Majcher San Francisco, Ca KO 7 Nov 28 Ray Vargas San Francisco, Ca KO 2 Dec 19 Bobby Pacho San Francisco, Ca W 10 1940 Apr 9 Bobby Pacho San Jose, Ca W 10 1941 Feb 4 Chester Parks San Jose, Ca KO 1 Feb 12 Milo Theodorescu Oakland, Ca W 10 Feb 26 Archie Moore San Diego, Ca D 10 Mar 14 Willis "Shorty" Hogue San Diego, Ca D 10 Apr 4 Freddie Dixon San Diego, Ca W 10 Apr 25 Leon Zorrita San Diego, Ca W 10 May 2 Willis "Shorty" Hogue San Diego, Ca W 10 Jun 16 Johnny Diaz San Francisco, Ca KO 8 Jul 8 Jimmy McDaniels Los Angeles, Ca W 10 Jul 18 Charley Harris San Diego, Ca KO 6 Jul 26 Charley Simpson San Jose, Ca W 10 Aug 11 Henry Chmielewski San Francisco, Ca KO 6 Aug 19 Jimmy McDaniels Los Angeles, Ca W 10 Aug 22 Willis "Shorty" Hogue San Diego, Ca L 10 Dec 1 Billy Connerty Billings, Mt KO 3 1942 May 1 Johnny "Bandit" Romero San Diego, Ca D 10 Jul 14 Castillo Cruz Oakland, Ca W 10 Aug 14 Willis "Shorty" Hogue San Diego, Ca KO 8 Aug 24 Isidoro "Izzy" Jannazzo San Francisco, Ca W 10 Sep 4 Bobby Birch San Diego, Ca W 12 Sep 17 Willard "Big Boy" Hogue San Diego, Ca KO 3 Sep 28 Lloyd Marshall San Francisco, Ca W 10 Nov Jimmy McDaniels Hollywood, Ca W 10 Dec 11 Archie Moore San Diego, Ca D 10 1943 Jan 11 Jack Chase San Francisco, Ca L 15 -Middleweight Championship of California This was the first 15-round bout in California in 28 years Aug 9 Harry "Kid" Matthews San Francisco, Ca KO 5 Oct 18 Van McNutt San Francisco, Ca KO 5 Nov 19 Holman Williams San Francisco, Ca L 12 1944 Jan 5 Paul Hartnek Oakland, Ca KO 6 Jan 21 Archie Moore Hollywood, Ca KO 8 Feb 20 Frankie Nelson Oakland, Ca W 10 Mar 6 Holman Williams San Francisco, Ca W 10 *** Thanks To Harry Otty For Providing The Record And Biography ***
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