Curtis Cokes
Encyclopedia
Curtis Cokes is a former boxer
from Dallas, Texas
, United States
. Cokes was world welterweight
champion, and he was famous for his training regimen, which he also imposed on other boxers training with him.
. He and Randall had an immediate rematch and on August 27, he knocked out Randall in the first round. He had an additional fourteen fights, going 11-2-1 in that span (his one draw was against Kenny Lane
, a boxer who twice challenged Carlos Ortiz
for world championships), before facing Luis Rodriguez, another world welterweight champion, on September 3, 1961. 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, 1964, he announced his retirement. On October 14 of that year, however, he announced he was returning to boxing.
/WBC
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. Nat Fleischer
was one of the judges for that fight.
On May 19, 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
. He knocked Shipes out in eight rounds in Oakland
.
On April 18, 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.
in thirteen rounds, in Los Angeles. On June 29 the pair had a rematch,in Nápoles hometown of Mexico City, Mexico
, and Nápoles repeated his victory, this time by a tenth round knockout.
Cokes had eleven more fights before retiring, winning seven, losing three and drawing in 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 four draws, with 30 wins by knockout.
and Ike Ibeabuchi
.
Cokes also made one film appearance in the year of his retirement. He appeared in the 1972 John Huston
film Fat City
alongside future Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges
and Stacy Keach
.
In 2003, Cokes was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Cokes was world welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
champion, and he was famous for his training regimen, which he also imposed on other boxers training with him.
Pre-championship career
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, 1959. His next fight, against Garland Randall on June 18 of the same year, ended in a three round no contestNo contest (boxing)
No contest is a technical term used in some combat sports to describe a fight that ends for reasons outside the fighters' hands.-Boxing:...
. He and Randall had an immediate rematch and on August 27, he knocked out Randall in the first round. He had an additional fourteen fights, going 11-2-1 in that span (his one draw was against Kenny Lane
Kenny Lane
Kenny Lane was a famous southpaw boxer. He fought for lightweight and light welterweight titles of the world, once against Joe Brown and twice against Carlos Ortiz.-Early life:...
, a boxer who twice challenged Carlos Ortiz
Carlos Ortiz
For the Cuban wrestler with the same name see Carlos Julian OrtízCarlos Ortiz is a Puerto Rican who was a three time world boxing champion, twice in the lightweight division and once in the Jr. Welterweights....
for world championships), before facing Luis Rodriguez, another world welterweight champion, on September 3, 1961. 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
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, on August 27, 1964, he announced his retirement. On October 14 of that year, however, he announced he was returning to boxing.
Championship
After winning three fights in a row, he and Gonzalez were matched for a fifth time, on August 24, 1966, this time for the WBAWorld Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
/WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
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. Nat Fleischer
Nat Fleischer
Nathaniel Stanley Fleischer was a noted American boxing writer and collector. Fleischer inaugurated in 1922, encouraged by Tex Rickard, the Ring Magazine publication...
was one of the judges for that fight.
On May 19, 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
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He knocked Shipes out in eight rounds in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
On April 18, 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.
Post-championship career
Cokes lost the world welterweight title on April 18 of 1969, being knocked out by Mexican José NápolesJosé Napoles
José Ángel Nápoles, nicknamed Mantequilla , is a Cuban-Mexican boxer and former world welterweight champion, who is frequently ranked as one of the greatest fighters of all time in that division...
in thirteen rounds, in Los Angeles. On June 29 the pair had a rematch,in Nápoles hometown of Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, and Nápoles repeated his victory, this time by a tenth round knockout.
Cokes had eleven more fights before retiring, winning seven, losing three and drawing in 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 four draws, with 30 wins by knockout.
After boxing
Cokes became a trainer after he retired. Some of the fighters he has worked with have been Quincy TaylorQuincy Taylor
Quincy Taylor , was a professional boxer in the Middleweight division.Taylor, a southpaw, turned pro in 1986. In 1987, he KO´d Sugar Ray Leonard in a sparring match and in 1994 landed a shot at WBC Middleweight Title holder Julian Jackson...
and Ike Ibeabuchi
Ike Ibeabuchi
Ikemefula "Ike" Charles Ibeabuchi is a former professional heavyweight boxer who defeated highly ranked contender David Tua and future heavyweight titlist Chris Byrd...
.
Cokes also made one film appearance in the year of his retirement. He appeared in the 1972 John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
film Fat City
Fat City (film)
Fat City is an American neo-noir boxing drama film directed by John Huston. The picture stars Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, and Susan Tyrrell....
alongside future Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
and Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
.
In 2003, Cokes was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
.