Sandy Saddler
Sandy Saddler was a prominent American professional boxer born in Boston, Massachusetts, to West Indian parents. He began his boxing career as an amateur, achieving notable success with only a handful of losses before turning professional at the age of 17 in 1944. Known for his aggressive fighting style that utilized a range of tactics, he earned a reputation as both a powerful puncher and a controversial figure in the ring. Throughout his career, he fought 144 bouts, securing the featherweight championship twice, from 1948 to 1949 and again from 1950 to 1957.
Saddler's rivalry with fellow boxer Willie Pep is particularly noteworthy, as they competed in a series of four fights that significantly impacted both their legacies. Despite his success, including a record 103 knockouts—a feat unmatched in the featherweight division—Saddler felt he did not receive the same recognition as his contemporaries, attributing this to underlying racism in the sport. After retiring in 1957 due to an eye injury, he continued to contribute to boxing by training others, including heavyweight champion George Foreman.
Sandy Saddler
Boxer
- Born: June 23, 1926
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: September 18, 2001
- Place of death: Bronx, New York
Sport: Boxing
Early Life
Sandy Saddler was born in Boston, Massachusetts, of parents from the West Indies. He grew up in were chosen, beginning his boxing career as an amateur at the Police Athletic League. He had about 50 amateur fights and lost only three or four. In 1944, at the age of seventeen, he turned professional. He won his first fight but was knocked out in his second, the only knockout he suffered in his professional career.
The Road to Excellence
Sandy had 94 professional fights before he was given a shot at the featherweight title. He was known for a rough style of fighting; he used his gloves, his thumbs, his elbows, his knees, and whatever else he could to wear down his opponents. Because of this style of fighting, many considered him a dirty fighter instead of a great one. Sandy, a tall featherweight, had excellent movement in the ring and was known for having a precise jab, one that never compromised his balance. He also had one of the best right hands in boxing history.
In 1945, Sandy won all 24 of his bouts, 14 by knockout. In 1946, he lost a decision to Phil Terranova, the National Boxing Association featherweight champion, in a nontitle bout. On May 2, 1947, he knocked out Joe Brown, who later became a great lightweight champion. He then drew with later champion Jimmy Carter. On October 29, 1948, Sandy finally got his chance to fight for the featherweight title. He faced champion Willie Pep, who was making the fourth defense of his undisputed featherweight title and came into the fight with an impressive record of 134-1-1. That night, in Madison Square Garden, Sandy knocked Pep down twice in the third round and then finished him off in the fourth, winning the featherweight title.
The Emerging Champion
Sandy and Pep had 3 more fights, completing a 4-fight series that cemented each fighter’s legacy. On February 11, 1949, Sandy faced Pep again, but this time, Sandy was the champion. The fight set an indoor attendance record of 19,097, and Pep fought what experts believe was the fight of his life; he outpointed Sandy for the world title. During the fight, Sandy cut Pep on both eyes and nearly knocked him down in the tenth and fourteenth rounds. Before fighting a third time, Sandy stayed busy. He won a decision over Harold Dade, the former bantamweight champion. He stopped later lightweight champion Paddy DeMarco in 9 rounds. On December 6, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio, he won the lightly regarded super-featherweight championship when he defeated Cuban Orlando Zulueta in 10 rounds, becoming the first boxer to hold the super-featherweight title since 1935. He defended this title twice. He stopped Mexican Lauro Salas in 9 rounds in Cleveland. He then traveled to Havana, Cuba, and defeated Diego Sosa in 2 rounds.
Continuing the Story
Pep and Sandy had their third fight on September 8, 1950, at Yankee Stadium. In a dirty fight, Sandy forced Pep to retire after 7 rounds because of a dislocated shoulder. Sandy had knocked down Pep in the third round but was losing on the judges’ cards at the time of the stoppage. Before their fourth fight, Sandy lost two decisions to DeMarco. However, between those fights, he knocked out Salas. On September 26, 1951, Sandy forced Pep to retire after 8 rounds. In a foul-filled fight that referee Ray Miller had trouble controlling, Pep’s right eye was closed, which caused him to quit. The New York State Athletic Commission suspended both Sandy and Pep.
Sandy lost his next three nontitle bouts and did not get a chance to defend his featherweight title until 1955. He spent 1952 and 1953 in the Army. In 1954, he went to Paris, France, and knocked out Ray Famechon. In 1955, he defeated Teddy Davis in a 15-round decision, maintaining his title. He then defended his title for the last time when he knocked out Gabriel “Flash” Elorde from the Philippines in 13 rounds. Sandy’s last fight was on April 14, 1956, a nontitle match that he lost to Larry Boardman. In 1956, Sandy damaged an eye in a taxicab accident; he was forced to retire in January, 1957. He finished with 103 knockouts, more than any other featherweight in history and in the top ten of all-time knockouts. Sandy worked as a trainer in the National Maritime Union Gymnasium of New York, where he coached sailors. He also trained professional boxers, including heavyweight champion George Foreman.
Summary
At 5 feet 8 inches, Sandy Saddler was tall for a featherweight and had a great knockout punch. Ring magazine ranked him fifth among power punchers. He was also known for using dirty tactics inside, which were plied successfully in three of his four fights against Pep. He finished with a career record of 144-16-2. He was featherweight champion from 1948 to 1949 and from 1950 to 1957. He was also junior lightweight champion from 1949 to 1951. Sandy felt he never got the respect he deserved, the kind of praise given to his rival Pep, because of racism in the United States.
Bibliography
Heller, Peter. In this Corner … ! Forty World Champions Tell Their Stories. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1973.
Pep, Willie, with Robert Sacchi. Friday’s Heroes: Willie Pep Remembers. Bloomington, Ind.: Authorhouse, 2007.
Sugar, Bert Randolph. Boxing’s Greatest Fighters. Guilford, Conn.: Lyons Press, 2006.