Folley Memorial Park and Folley Street

Folley Memorial Park 

601 E. Frye Rd.

Chandler, AZ 85225

Folley Street 
Chandler, AZ 85225

Last month, I wrote a blog entry on former heavyweight boxing contender Zora Folley's grave in Mesa, Arizona.

http://www.mwhistoryexperience.com/2016/09/zora-folleys-grave.html

Following Folley's career in boxing, he went into local politics. Folley served as a member of the Chandler (Arizona) City Council, where he lived with his wife and children. On July 7, 1972 at the age of 41, Folley died under mysterious circumstances in Tucson, Arizona. In 1976, the city built and named Folley Memorial Park in honor of the popular veteran, boxer, resident and councilman. A nearby residential street also bears Folley's name. 

Below are three links with more information on Zora Folley and Folley Memorial Park, along with several photos that I took of the park and street:

http://boxrec.com/boxer/9384

http://www.thesweetscience.com/articles-of-2005/2606-rise-and-fall-of-zora-folley

https://nextdoor.com/agency-post/az/chandler/city-of-chandler/youre-invited-to-folley-memorial-park-re-dedication-18740573/

MW

Zora Folley's Grave

Zora Folley's Grave 

City of Mesa Cemetery 

1212 N. Center St.

Mesa, AZ 85201

(Plot: Section 730, Lot 2, Grave 1)

Zora Folley was an American heavyweight boxer who was born in Dallas, Texas on May 27, 1931. In 1942, he moved with his family to Chandler, Arizona. Folley joined the U.S. Army in 1948 and later served in the Korean War. Soon after being discharged from the Army in 1953, he fought his first professional fight on September 22, 1953 against Jimmy Ingram in Los Angeles.

Folley was undefeated in his next 18 bouts, until he was stopped by Johnny Summerlin on June 23, 1955. Throughout his career, Folley was considered a top contender in the heavyweight division. He faced some of the division's best including Henry Cooper, Eddie Machen, George Chuvalo, Bob Cleroux, Oscar Bonavena, Doug Jones, Karl Mildenberger, Sonny Liston, and Muhammad Ali. Folley was knocked out in the seventh round by Muhammad Ali on March 22, 1967 for the WBA World Heavyweight Title. Folley was the last man to fight Ali before his three year ban from the sport for refusing to be inducted into the armed forces.

Folley fought his final bout on September 29, 1970 against Mac Foster. Folley was defeated via a first round knockout. Folley's boxing career ended with an impressive record of 79 wins, 11 losses and six draws. Folley went on to serve as a member of the Chandler City Council, where he lived with his wife and children.

On July 7, 1972 at the age of 41, Folley died under mysterious circumstances at a hotel in Tucson, Arizona. It was reported that Folley slipped and hit his head in a motel swimming pool while visiting a friend. Folley died within hours of hitting his head at a nearby hospital. Folley's official cause of death was ruled accidental by authorities. However, rumors of foul play continue to circulate in the boxing world today. Folley is interred at the City of Mesa Cemetery. His grave marker lists his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Below are three links with more information on Zora Folley, along with some photos that I took of his grave site:

http://boxrec.com/boxer/9384

http://www.proboxing-fans.com/zora-folleys-mysterious-death-murky-details-from-the-death-of-the-former-heavyweight-contender_102212/

http://www.thesweetscience.com/articles-of-2005/2606-rise-and-fall-of-zora-folley

MW

Jim Thorpe's Grave

Jim Thorpe Memorial 
103 East 10th Street
Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

In honor of the start of the 2016 Summer Olympics, I decided to write up a blog post on one of America's greatest athletes and 1912 Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe.

Jim Thorpe is believed to have been born on or about May 22, 1887 near Prague, Oklahoma. Thorpe was born to mixed-race parents. His father Hiram Thorpe was of Irish and Sac and Fox heritage. His mother was French and Potawatomi. Although no birth certificate exists, he was baptized as Jacobus Franciscus Thorpe in the Roman Catholic Church. Jim had a difficult childhood, which included the deaths of his twin brother Charlie and parents.

Jim attended several schools during his childhood including the Sac and Fox Indian Agency School in Stroud, Oklahoma; the Haskell Institute, an Indian boarding school in Lawrence, Kansas; and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It was at Carlisle that his athletic abilities were first recognized by teachers and staff. At Carlisle, Thorpe excelled at track and field, football, lacrosse, and ballroom dancing. Future President Dwight D. Eisenhower played against Thorpe as a member of the 1912 Army football team that was defeated by Carlisle 27-6. Eisenhower commented on Jim Thorpe's performance as a football player: "Here and there, there are some people who are supremely endowed. My memory goes back to Jim Thorpe. He never practiced in his life, and he could do anything better than any other football player I ever saw."

Thorpe was selected to participate in the 1912 Summer Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. He won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon events. At the closing ceremonies, it was rumored that King Gustav of Sweden told Thorpe, "You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world", to which Thorpe replied, "Thanks, King." Thorpe was later stripped of his Olympic medals after January 1913 newspaper stories revealed that Thorpe was not an amateur athlete at the time of the Olympics because he had played professional baseball in 1909 and 1910. Thorpe later admitted to playing professional baseball for a meager salary.

Thorpe went on to play professional baseball, football, and basketball. As a professional baseball player, he played from 1913-1919 for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Braves. His football career lasted from 1915-1928, and he played for six different teams. Thorpe barnstormed as a basketball player in New York and Pennsylvania as a member of the "World Famous Indians" of LaRue (Ohio) in 1927 and 1928. Thorpe retired from football, and professional sports in 1928 at the age of 41.

Following his retirement from professional sports, Thorpe had difficulty providing for his family. Thorpe worked a variety of jobs including film extra and doorman/bouncer. He was hospitalized for lip cancer and heart failure. On March 28, 1953, Thorpe died at the age of 65 in Lomita, California. Thorpe's funeral was held at St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His body was lying in state at Fairview Cemetery in town, while residents tried to collect money to have a permanent monument erected in his honor. State legislatures refused to provide funding to the monument, which made the process of collecting money more difficult.

Thorpe's third wife Patricia, unbeknownst to the rest of the family, made a deal with the eastern Pennsylvania town of Mauch Chunk to have Thorpe's remains interred there. In return, the town compensated Patricia, renamed the town Jim Thorpe, and built a fitting memorial for Thorpe. In June 2010, Jim Thorpe's son Jack filed a lawsuit to have his father's remains returned to his family's burial plot in Oklahoma. The case was heard at various levels of the legal system, and was officially closed in October 2015 when the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

Jim Thorpe was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. 

Below are two links with more information on Jim Thorpe, along with several photos of Jim Thorpe and his memorial:

http://www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe/index.html

http://www.biography.com/people/jim-thorpe-9507017

MW

Upcoming Event - 2016 New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame 47th Annual Dinner and Induction Ceremony

On Thursday evening, November 3, 2016, the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame will hold it’s 47th Annual Dinner and Induction Ceremonies at the beautiful Venetian, located at 546 River Drive, Garfield, New Jersey starting at 7:00p.m.  Tickets are priced at ONLY $85.00 per person. Fourteen (14) of Boxing’s finest will be inducted in the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, and they are as follows:

Debra Barnes (Holmdel) – Professional Boxing Judge since 1990. She has judged many Championship and top-flight bouts during her career including George Foreman/Gerry Cooney, Roberto Duran/Vinny Pazienza & Sugar Ray Leonard/Hector Camacho.

Scott DePompe (Kinnelon) – former International Boxing Organization Inter-Continental super lightweight title holder. He beat Michael Corleone capture the IBO Title, and was rated just outside the top 10 in the World at the height of his career. He is now an Amateur coach.

Pat English (Lincoln Park) – An Attorney who represented boxers, managers and promoters for over 34 years. He has been involved in various capacities in well over 200 major bouts (World Championship and/or Bouts appearing on HBO, Showtime, etc.). He has represented World Champions, including Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Michael Moorer, Pernell Whitaker, Tomasz Adamek & Nicolai Valuev He also represented several managers including Lou Duva, Emanuel Steward and Vincent Scolpino. He is the current Attorney for Main Events.

Nelson Fernandez (Bloomfield) – Boxing Broadcaster, HBO Latino/Manager. Play by Play boxing commenter for HBO LatinoWorld Championship Boxing. He has managed and/or trained 11 World Champions and 39 Regional/Continental Champions.

Derrick Graham (Newark) – Former New Jersey Amateur Champion. Fought Winky Wright, Dave Hilton and Mean Joe Greene as a Pro. His reputation for being a hard-nose, scrappy fighter garnered invitations to spar with boxing greats such as Bernard Hopkins and Oscar DeLaHoya. He is now an Amateur coach.

Cosmo Liaci (Kearney) – Former AAU Champion, Amateur and Professional trainer and former President of the Veteran Boxers Association Ring 20 and Ring 25. As a trainer he trained Conrad Tucker and John Sullivan in the pro ranks and he also trained several young boxers to Amateur titles.

Pat Lynch (Middletown) – 1997 BWAA Manager of the Year, who is best known for managing Arturo Gatti to two World Titles. He also managed John Molnar & Freddie Cadena. He is the current manager of Julian Rodriguez, Glen Tapia and Clarence Booth.

Leon Muhammad (Newark) – Boxing Manager and Advisor to 8 former World Champions, including Tim Witherspoon, Johnny Bumphus, Eddie Mustfa Muhammad and Michael Spinks. He has also worked as a matchmaker for several top promoters including Lou Duva, Don King, Butch Lewis, Top Rank and Murad Muhammad and still works in the business after 40 years.

Rodney Price (Elizabeth) – Former professional fighter who was a National Golden Glove Finalist, 10 time State Champion in the Junior Olympics, Golden Gloves and Diamond Gloves. He now serves as an inspector for the N.J. Athletic Control Board while serving as an Amateur referee and judge.

Ray Ryan (Wall Township) Served over 25 years as an Inspector and timekeeper for the N.J. Athletic Control Board. Currently the most senior timekeeper with the Board and has worked well over 50 World Title fights.

Posthumously:

Jimmy Anest (Hackensack) – He was a deaf mute who fought throughout the 1940’s. He fought some of the best welterweights of his era including Billy Graham, Johnny Bratton and Johnny Cesario.

Phil Berman (Paterson) – NJ Golden Glove and Diamond Glove Champion, who had some of the quickest KO’s both as an Amateur, two under 20 seconds and Pro, including a 28 second KO at Madison Square Garden, which is one of the fastest KO’s ever at the Garden in it’s long history. His career was cut short by an injury he received during World War II, where he received a Purple Heart.

Gerald Hayes (Newark) – N.J. State Super Featherweight Champion who holds a win over Juan Laporte, who was the World Featherweight Champion at the time. He also fought Lupe Pintor, Bobby Chacon, Rocky Lockridge, Alexis Arguello, Bernard Taylor (twice) and Eusebio Pedroza.

Herschel Jacobs (New York) – Gave Rubin “Hurricane” Carter his 1st professional loss. He ended the career of former Light Heavyweight Champion Harold Johnson by stopping him on cuts. He also beat Henry Hank, fought a draw against Jimmy “The Cat” Dupree and went the distance with Ken Norton while being out weighed by almost 30 pounds.

Also, the NEW JERSEY BOXING HALL OF FAME will be honoring their Senior Amateur, Junior Olympic Amateur & Professional Boxer of the Year, as well as the Amateur Official & Coach of the Year, Plus our “2016 Man of the Year”.

http://www.njboxinghof.org/class-of-2016/

The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast - Episode #7

Check out the seventh edition of The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast!

SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/matt-ward-427598454/the-matt-ward-history-experience-podcast-episode-7

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/matt-ward-history-experience/id1178237076

Episode #7 contains the following segment:

1. The Weigh-In - Interview with sports journalist Wallace Matthews. 

You can check out Wallace Matthews online via the following websites:

ESPN Page - http://espn.go.com/new-york/columns/archive?name=wallace-matthews

Wallace Matthews' Twitter - @ESPNNYYankees

Below is a photo of Wallace Matthews and I at Yankee Stadium:

First and foremost I would like to thank my guest Wallace Matthews for meeting with me in the Bronx to talk sports.

This episode would not have been possible if it had not been for the technical support of my good friend Peter Lloyd of One Stone Recording and Mastering. Pete mixed and cleaned up the original recordings into the great episode that you can stream on SoundCloud.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of my readers and listeners - Especially those who submitted questions for this month's segment of The Weigh In.

The Matt Ward History Experience is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, NJ. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/mwhistory and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering:

http://onestonerecording.com/mwhistory

http://onestonerecording.com

MW

Upcoming Event - Wallace Matthews Interview

The Matt Ward History Experience will interview Wallace Matthews on May 7, 2016. This interview will be part of an upcoming episode of the blog's podcast. Wallace Matthews is a sports journalist from New York, who has covered New York sports and boxing since 1983. Wallace is currently the Yankees beat writer for ESPN.com.

If you have any questions that you would like answered by Wallace, please post them in the comments of this blog entry, send them to me via Twitter @RevWarBuff23 or via Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mwhistoryexperience

For more information on Wallace Matthews, please visit the following websites:

ESPN Page - http://espn.go.com/new-york/columns/archive?name=wallace-matthews

Wallace Matthews Twitter - @ESPNNYYankees

MW

(Photo - Wallace Matthews Twitter)

International Boxing Hall of Fame

International Boxing Hall of Fame 
360 N Peterboro St.
Canastota, NY 13032

In 2014, I had the opportunity to visit the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in Canastota, New York. This trip was one of my favorite trips to date. The IBHOF includes plaques dedicated to inductees as well as a large collection of relics from the rich history of the sweet science. Each June, the IBHOF honors a new class of inductees from across the boxing world. Hall of Fame weekends are a great time to interact with boxers and boxing personalities from both past and present. If you are a sports history fan and have not had the opportunity to visit the IBHOF, I highly recommend you do so!

Below are a few of my favorite photos that I took during my visit, along with a link to the IBHOF website:

http://www.ibhof.com/

MW