Junior Lightweight and Two Time Featherweight Champion of the World. One of the greatest fighters in History, Sandy Saddler was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 12, 1926 and had 50 amateur fights before turning pro in 1944. Unusually tall for a Featherweight at 5 foot 9 inches, he possesed devastating knockout power and stormed through the ranks beating top featherweights Charles Lewis, Miguel Acevedo, and Joe Brown. On October 29, 1948 he got his shot against Featherweight Champion Willie Pep at Madison Square Garden. Saddler shocked the world by knocking down Pep several times and finally knocked him out in the 4th round to win the Championship.
Their rematch came a scant 4 months later and this time Pep outboxed Saddler and took the Championship back with a 15 round decision. While waiting for a rematch with Pep he fought Orlando Zulueta for the Junior Lightweight Championship and won a 10 round decision. He would defend the Junior Lightweight Championship twice against Lauro Salas and Diego Sosa before the 130 pound weight class was dropped in 1951 (later restored in 1959). Between defences he won back the Featherweight Championship from Willie Pep in 1950. He fought Pep once more in 1951 and again retained his Championship.
Saddler had a short stint in the Army between 1952 and 1954 and came back to defend his Championship twice before he suffered a detatched retina in a car accident and was forced to retire in 1957 with a record of 144-16-2 with 103 KO's (which is the highest knockout amount of any Featherweight Champion in History). After he retired he became a boxing trainer and worked with many pros, including heavyweight champion George Foreman in the 1970’s. He was awarded Boxings highest honor in 1990 when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. On September 18, 2001 Saddler died of Alzheimers Disease.
Cause of Death: Alzheimers Disease
Their rematch came a scant 4 months later and this time Pep outboxed Saddler and took the Championship back with a 15 round decision. While waiting for a rematch with Pep he fought Orlando Zulueta for the Junior Lightweight Championship and won a 10 round decision. He would defend the Junior Lightweight Championship twice against Lauro Salas and Diego Sosa before the 130 pound weight class was dropped in 1951 (later restored in 1959). Between defences he won back the Featherweight Championship from Willie Pep in 1950. He fought Pep once more in 1951 and again retained his Championship.
Saddler had a short stint in the Army between 1952 and 1954 and came back to defend his Championship twice before he suffered a detatched retina in a car accident and was forced to retire in 1957 with a record of 144-16-2 with 103 KO's (which is the highest knockout amount of any Featherweight Champion in History). After he retired he became a boxing trainer and worked with many pros, including heavyweight champion George Foreman in the 1970’s. He was awarded Boxings highest honor in 1990 when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. On September 18, 2001 Saddler died of Alzheimers Disease.
Cause of Death: Alzheimers Disease
Junior Lightweight and Two Time Featherweight Champion of the World. One of the greatest fighters in History, Sandy Saddler was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 12, 1926 and had 50 amateur fights before turning pro in 1944. Unusually tall for a Featherweight at 5 foot 9 inches, he possesed devastating knockout power and stormed through the ranks beating top featherweights Charles Lewis, Miguel Acevedo, and Joe Brown. On October 29, 1948 he got his shot against Featherweight Champion Willie Pep at Madison Square Garden. Saddler shocked the world by knocking down Pep several times and finally knocked him out in the 4th round to win the Championship.
Their rematch came a scant 4 months later and this time Pep outboxed Saddler and took the Championship back with a 15 round decision. While waiting for a rematch with Pep he fought Orlando Zulueta for the Junior Lightweight Championship and won a 10 round decision. He would defend the Junior Lightweight Championship twice against Lauro Salas and Diego Sosa before the 130 pound weight class was dropped in 1951 (later restored in 1959). Between defences he won back the Featherweight Championship from Willie Pep in 1950. He fought Pep once more in 1951 and again retained his Championship.
Saddler had a short stint in the Army between 1952 and 1954 and came back to defend his Championship twice before he suffered a detatched retina in a car accident and was forced to retire in 1957 with a record of 144-16-2 with 103 KO's (which is the highest knockout amount of any Featherweight Champion in History). After he retired he became a boxing trainer and worked with many pros, including heavyweight champion George Foreman in the 1970’s. He was awarded Boxings highest honor in 1990 when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. On September 18, 2001 Saddler died of Alzheimers Disease.
Cause of Death: Alzheimers Disease
Their rematch came a scant 4 months later and this time Pep outboxed Saddler and took the Championship back with a 15 round decision. While waiting for a rematch with Pep he fought Orlando Zulueta for the Junior Lightweight Championship and won a 10 round decision. He would defend the Junior Lightweight Championship twice against Lauro Salas and Diego Sosa before the 130 pound weight class was dropped in 1951 (later restored in 1959). Between defences he won back the Featherweight Championship from Willie Pep in 1950. He fought Pep once more in 1951 and again retained his Championship.
Saddler had a short stint in the Army between 1952 and 1954 and came back to defend his Championship twice before he suffered a detatched retina in a car accident and was forced to retire in 1957 with a record of 144-16-2 with 103 KO's (which is the highest knockout amount of any Featherweight Champion in History). After he retired he became a boxing trainer and worked with many pros, including heavyweight champion George Foreman in the 1970’s. He was awarded Boxings highest honor in 1990 when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. On September 18, 2001 Saddler died of Alzheimers Disease.
Cause of Death: Alzheimers Disease
Bio by: Soorus
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