Zora Folley
BORN May 27 1932; Dallas, Texas (Lived in Chandler, Arizona)
DIED July 7 1972; Tuscon, Arizona (From a fall into a swimming pool)
HEIGHT 6-1
WEIGHT 178 1/2-228 lbs
MANAGER Bill Swift, Al Fenn
TRAINER Johnny Hart
RECORD 79-11-6 (44 KO, 7 EX)
Folley was a very good boxer who had savvy and skills; He was a top contender for most of his career and challenged Muhammad Ali for the Heavyweight Championship in 1967

Zora defeated such men as Nino Valdes, Eddie Machen, Henry Cooper, George Chuvalo, Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena, Wayne Bethea, Bob Foster, Doug Jones, Mike DeJohn, Billy Daniels, Willi Besmanoff, Joe Bygraves, Robert Cleroux and Alex Miteff
1953
Sep 22 Jimmy Ingram                Los Angeles, Ca                 W  4
Sep 29 Calvin Chambers             Los Angeles, Ca                 D  4
Nov 17 Cornelius "K.O." Brown      Phoenix, Az                    KO  8
Dec  7 Lonnie Malone               South Gate, Ca                 TK  2

1954
Jan 26 Howard King                 Los Angeles, Ca                TK  7
Mar 26 Battling Blackjack          Clifton, Az                    KO  1
Apr 13 Jackie Condon               Phoenix, Az                    KO  3
Jun 10 Johnny Rebel                Phoenix, Az                    KO  1
Jul 12 Frank Buford                Tucson, Az                      W 10
Aug 13 Kirby Seals                 San Diego, Ca                   W 10
Aug 28 Kid Percy                   Clifton, Az                    KO   
Oct  1 Sandy McPherson             Edmonton, Alta, Can             W  8
Oct 23 Georgie Woods               Phoenix, Az                     W 10
          -Some sources report "W 6"
Nov 26 Jimmy Ingram                Phoenix, Az                     W 10
Dec 18 Kid Zanzibar                Clifton, Az                    KO  7

1955
Jan 20 "Sergeant" J.D. Reed        Los Angeles, Ca                TK  8
Feb 24 Kirby Seals                 Los Angeles, Ca                TK  5
Apr  7 Calvin Brad                 Los Angeles, Ca                TK  7
May 16 Howard King                 San Francisco, Ca              KO  1
Jun 23 Johnny Summerlin            Los Angeles, Ca                LT  6
Jul 28 Jake Williams               Los Angeles, Ca                TK  7
Sep  8 Ted Calaman                 Los Angeles, Ca                TK  4
Sep 24 Reuben Wilson               Clifton, Az                    KO  8
Dec  1 "Young" Jack Johnson        Los Angeles, Ca                LT  5

1956
Feb 28 Watson Jones                Phoenix, Az                    KO  3
May  8 Ponce DeLeon                Phoenix, Az                    KO  7
May 28 Don "Rocky" Robinson        Tucson, Az                     KO  8
Aug 15 Roger Rischer               Phoenix, Az                     W 12
Sep 25 Nino Valdes                 Phoenix, Az                     W 10
Dec  3 Wayne Bethea                New York, NY                    W 10

1957
Jan  9 Wayne Bethea                Syracuse, NY                    W 10
Feb 11 Howie Turner                New York, NY                    W 10
Mar 12 Johnny Hollins              Phoenix, Az                    KO  2
Apr 18 J.D. "Sporty" Harvey        Yuma, Az                       KO  4
May 20 Jim Woods                   Tucson, Az                     KO  2
Jun 18 Julius Griffin              Phoenix, Az                    TK  4
Jul  9 Jeff Dyer                   Phoenix, Az                     W 10
Aug  5 Edgardo Romero              Dallas, Tx                     TK  6
Sep 10 Monroe Ratliff              Phoenix, Az                     W 10
Nov 21 Duke Sabedong               Phoenix, Az                    KO  4
Dec  4 Edgardo Romero              Albuquerque, NM                KO  4

1958
Jan  1 Garvin Sawyer               Washington, DC                  W 10
Feb  4 Howard King                 Phoenix, Az                    EX  4
Feb  4 Monroe Ratliff              Phoenix, Az                    EX  4
Feb  4 Harvey Taylor               Phoenix, Az                    EX  4
          -The previous 3 bouts were held the same date
Mar  4 Ted Hutchinson              Phoenix, Az                    EX  2
Mar 18 O.C. Chapman                Richmond, Ca                   EX  2
Mar 18 Junius Washington           Richmond, Ca                   EX  2
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Apr  9 Eddie Machen                San Francisco, Ca               D 12
May 19 Art Swiden                  Las Vegas, Nv                   W 10
Jul 25 Pete Rademacher             Los Angeles, Ca                KO  4
Oct 14 Henry Cooper                London, Eng                     L 10
Nov 24 Joe Bygraves                Leicester, Eng                 KO  9
Dec 15 Alvin Green                 Odessa, Tx                     EX  8

1959
Jan 29 Alex Miteff                 Denver, Co                      W 10
Mar 10 Hank Thurman                Phoenix, Az                     W 10
Apr  7 Willi Besmanoff             Denver, Co                      W 10
Jul  7 Alvin Williams              Fresno, Ca                     KO  4
Aug  4 Howard King                 Sacramento, Ca                  W 10
Oct  2 Monroe Ratliff              San Diego, Ca                  KO  2
Nov 18 Alonzo Johnson              Phoenix, Az                     W 10

1960
Jan 18 Eddie Machen                San Francisco, Ca               W 12
Apr  5 Clarence Williams           Sacramento, Ca                  W 10
Jul 18 Charles "Sonny" Liston      Denver, Co                     LK  3
Sep 16 Willi Besmanoff             Centralia, Wa                   W 10

1961
Feb 10 Norm Letcher                Phoenix, Az                    KO  5
May 11 Alejandro Lavorante         Los Angeles, Ca                LK  7
Aug 30 Ben Marshall                Phoenix, Az                    KO  2
Sep 28 Sonny Moore                 El Paso, Tx                     W 10
          -Some sources report 9/29/61
Dec  5 Henry Cooper                London, Eng                    KO  2

1962
Feb 15 Mike DeJohn                 Denver, Co                     KO  3
Apr 18 Robert Cleroux              San Francisco, Ca               W 10
Jun 12 Paul Andrews                Sacramento, Ca                 TK  7
Aug  1 Doug Jones                  Denver, Co                      W 10
Aug 29 Al Gonzalez                 Phoenix, Az                    KO  5
Nov 19 Dave Furch                  Tucson, Az                      W 10
Dec 15 Doug Jones                  New York, NY                   LK  7

1963
Apr  2 Dean Bogany                 Bakersfield, Ca                TD  5
May 23 Robert Cleroux              Montreal, Que, Can              W 10
Jul 27 Ernie Terrell               New York, NY                    L 10
Sep 19 John "Tiger" Collins        Boise, Id                      KO  5
Oct 17 Billy Daniels               Montreal, Que, Can              W 10

1964
Jan 17 George Chuvalo              Cleveland, Oh                   W 10
Mar 17 Tod Herring                 Houston, Tx                    KO  7
Apr 17 Karl Mildenberger           Frankfurt, Ger                  D 10
Nov 14 Gerhard Zech                Dortmund, Ger                  KO  4
          -Some sources report 11/13/64

1965
Feb 28 Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena      New York, NY                    W 10
          -Some sources report 2/28/65
Dec  6 Bob Foster                  New Orleans, La                 W 10

1966
Jun 28 Jefferson Davis             Reno, Nv                       KO  8
Oct 25 Henry Clark                 Sacramento, Ca                  W 10
Dec 13 Jefferson Davis             Houston, Tx                     W 10

1967
Jan 17 Floyd Joyner                Houston, Tx                    KO  1
Mar 22 Muhammad Ali                New York, NY                   LK  7
          -WBA Heavyweight Championship of the World
Sep 19 Wayne Kindred               Las Vegas, Nv                  KO  8
Oct  4 Nick Sosa                   Phoenix, Az                    KO  2
Nov 13 Brian London                Liverpool, Eng                  L 10

1968
Mar 11 Roger Russell               Philadelphia, Pa                D 10
May 14 Al Jones                    Miami Beach, Fl                 D 10
Jul  7 Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena      Buenos Aires, Arg               L 10

1969
Jan 30 Sonny Moore                 Las Vegas, Nv                  KO  4
Jun 16 Tommy Sims                  Phoenix, Az                    KO  1
Nov  5 Billy Joiner                Las Vegas, Nv                   W 10

1970
Sep 29 Mac Foster                  Fresno, Ca                     LK  1 

Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
 
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