Philly Boxing History

JANUARY 07, 1944

'BLACKJACK' BILLY FOX SCORES 12TH CONSECUTIVE KO

Billy Fox ran his knockout streak to twelve with a first round stoppage of Frankie Mack at The Cambria in Philadelphia on this day in 1944. 

Fox's consecutive KO streak would ultimately reach 43 - a boxing record at the time. The run would be broken in Billy's first try at the Light Heavyweight Championship - a 10th round TKO loss to Gus Lesnevich in 1947. In a return title bout a year later - earned with a dubious KO of Jake LaMotta - Fox would fare much worse, going down against Lesnevich in the 1st round from a sneaky wrecking ball of a right hand.  

But Fox's penchant for knockouts is legendary. His cumulative pro record wrapped up at 55-9-1 with a whopping 54 KOs!  His streak of 43 consecutive stoppages still stands as the Philly record, with second place held by Earl Hargrove who managed just 24 straight.  (see KO Streaks)

Although it is true that Fox may have had some help along the way (especially in the LaMotta fight), he was a real prospect with great power.

  1929 - Al Walker WDQ3 George Godfrey at the Arena in West Philly

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