Curtis Cokes
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Curtis Cokes (born June 16, 1937) is a former boxer from Dallas, Texas. Cokes was world welterweight champion, and he was famous for his training regimen, which he also imposed on other boxers training with him. It has been said that once, he caught two other boxers sneaking out for a night in town during their training camp, scolding them the day after.
On March 24, 1958, he began to box professionally, defeating another boxer who would later fight for the world title, Manuel Gonzalez, by a six round decision. He won eleven fights in a row, including a second match with Gonzalez, before losing to Gonzalez in their third fight, on April 27 of 1959. His next fight, against Garland Randall on June 18 of the same year, ended in a three round no contest. He and Randall had an immediate rematch; on August 27, he knocked out Randall in the first round. He had an extra fourteen fights, going 11-2-1 in that span, before facing Luis Rodriguez, another world welterweight champion, on September 3, 1961. His one draw in that fourteen fight span was against Kenny Lane, a boxer who twice challenged Carlos Ortiz for world championships. He beat Rodriguez by a ten round decision, outpointed Gonzalez in their fourth fight, and lost to Rodriguez in their second fight, also by points. He went 13-4 in his next seventeen fights, and, after losing by a ten round decision to Eddie Pace at Los Angeles, California, on August 27 of 1964, he announced his retirement. On October 14 of that year, however, he announced he was returning to boxing.
After winning three fights in a row, (including one against Billy Collins Sr., father of Billy Collins Jr., who was involved in a boxing scandal in 1983), he and Gonzalez were matched for a fifth time, on August 24, 1966, this time for the WBA's vacant world welterweight title, in New Orleans. Cokes outpointed Gonzalez to become world welterweight champion. On November 28 of 1966, he retained the crown against Jean Josselin of France by a fifteen round decision. The WBC had decided to also recognize this fight as a world championship fight, therefore, Cokes became the unified world champion. Nat Fleischer was one of the judges for that fight.
On May 19 of 1967, he retained the title with a tenth round knockout of Francois Villeiman, and on October 2, he met Charlie Shipes, who was recognized as champion in California, and who claimed to be the real world champion. He knocked Shipes out in eight rounds at Oakland.
On April 18 of 1968, he retained his title with a fifth round knockout of Willie Ludick, and on October 21, with a fifteen round decision over Ramon La Cruz.
Cokes lost the world welterweight title on April 18 of 1969, being knocked out by the Cuban-Mexican Jose Napoles in thirteen rounds, at Los Angeles. The pair had a rematch, on June 29, at Mexico City, Mexico, and Napoles repeated his victory, this time by a tenth round knockout.
Cokes had eleven more fights before retiring, winning seven, losing three and drawing (tying) one. His last three fights were in South Africa. He retired after a ten round decision win against Ezra Mnzinyane on October 5 of 1972.
Cokes had a record of 62 wins, 14 losses and three draws, with 30 wins by knockout.
In 2003, Cokes, who is engaged to a woman a few years younger than him, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.