... Wright on Sept. 29, 1944. American professional boxer, world featherweight (126 pounds) champion during the 1940s. those are always those questions we ask.

Pep one must remember was a featherweight. Long before Muhammad Ali, it was Willie Pep who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee -- once so flawlessly he won a round without throwing a single punch. He retired at 43 and was married six times. Willie Pep 'Will'o The Wisp' 'Connecticut Kid' ... of 1947 everything turned completely upside down as Pep was flying home from a training camp in Miami when the plane he was on crashed in woods near Millville, New Jersey. Despite being severely injured in a plane crash on January 5th, Pep fought 10 bouts in 1947, again going undefeated. Finally, with 229 wins, Willie Pep is the winningest boxer of all time. Wylie’s Art and Science of Boxing 151,277 views 11:47 In 1946, immediately before he figured in a plane crash, Pep strung together 11 KOs/TKOs in 17 successive fights. Willie Pep facts: Known as "Will o' the Wisp" and "Willie the Wisp,"Willie Pep was a dominant featherweight boxer in the 1940s. Despite suffering serious injuries in a plane crash in 1947, Pep continued to reign at the featherweight limit until he defended his title against Saddler at Madison Square Garden in 1948. In 1946, Pep had 18 fights, and won all of them, including a 12-round knockout of Bartolo and a three round knockout of Wright. But, as the old adage goes, ‘beware the wounded warrior.’ Number One: Willie Pep – 229-11-1. Willie Pep: Subtle Sophistication — Breakdown of the Most Skillful Defensive Boxer Ever - Duration: 11:47. Pep was born William Guiglermo Papaleo on September 9, 1922, in Middletown, Connecticut, near the city of Hartford. Many thought he had lost something as a fighter, especially after unexpectedly struggling in fights against Archie Wilmer (Pep won a majority decision) and Pedro Biesca (Pep … The poverty of Roberto Duran sleeping on streets as a kid to what he finally archived show if … Willie Pep after a plane crash was told he will never walk again never mind fighting ever again he refused to take his insurance money and with in 12 months he was world champion again.. He had a 6-fight knockout win streak during a span that year. Willie Pep. While Pep may well have been the best featherweight the world has ever seen, the knockout loss to Saddler, the culmination of some 136 fights, and the plane crash that nearly took his life in 1947, proved enough for many to label him a shot fighter. 3 passengers died and 18, including Pep, were injured. Despite being severely injured in a plane crash on January 5, Pep fought 10 bouts in 1947, again going undefeated. Pep made two more successful defenses in 1945 and 1946, before he was severely injured in a plane crash in January 1947. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Pep is known by many as the best Featherweight boxer ever in recorded history, and he even survived a plane crash in 1947 and continued to fight.