Former two-time world featherweight champion Willie Pep built one of the longest and most unusual careers in boxing history, finishing with a record of 229 wins, 11 losses, and one draw between 1940 and 1966. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1990.
Pep first won the NYSAC world featherweight title in November 1942, defeating Chalky Wright by wide decision at Madison Square Garden. He held the title for nearly six years before losing it in October 1948 to Sandy Saddler, beginning one of the sport’s most punishing rivalries.
Pep regained the championship in February 1949, again at Madison Square Garden, outboxing Saddler in their rematch. The rivalry continued with two more bouts, both won by Saddler in 1950 and 1951, effectively closing Pep’s championship chapter. By the time their series ended, Pep’s record stood at 160-3-1.
He continued fighting into his mid-40s, compiling a 69-7 record after his final title fight. His last bout came in May 1966.
Pep was known less for power than for movement and control. He once famously won a round without landing a punch. Middleweight champion Rocky Graziano once told him, “I would have knocked you out.” Pep replied, “You couldn’t hit me with a fist full of stones.”
I met Pep in the stands at Blue Horizon in May 2019. Even then, long after the fights were over, he carried himself like someone who had never been easy to catch.
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Last Updated on 01/08/2026
