June 5, 1952 – It is sports television history that occurred on this date! The first national telecast of an athletic event took place when the Jersey Joe Walcott versus Ezzard Charles heavyweight boxing title bout hit the airwaves. The fight went 15 rounds with Walcott retaining his belt by taking the decision over Charles.
Charles was somber after the bout, disappointed he had lost, but his trainer Ray Arcel insinuated that the referee was out to get Ezzard all evening in the close match. Accusations that the ref wiped away gunk placed on a cut over the fighter’s eye and telling him to keep his punches up while not doing the same for the Champ were flowing from Arcel in the dressing room post-fight.
Jersey Joe fought professionally from 1930 through 1953 and held the Heavy Weight title from 1951 to 1952. A late bloomer he set the record for the oldest man to win the title, at the age of 37.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Emmitt Smith: Why Do People Diminish His Accomplishments?
Emmitt Smith could do it all–run, catch, and block. He’s the NFL’s all-time rushing
Joe Savoldi: From NFL Scandal to Super Spy in World War II
Welcome to this episode of “When Football Was Football.” We hope that you enjoy
Why The Mike Webster Story Is So Important!!!
If you were an NFL fan during the late 1970s and early 1980s, you
The Top Pound-For-Pound Boxers of All-Time
I am going to focus on 3 of the top men who ever laced
Super Bowl XX (Patriots vs. Bears): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XX, which was held on January 26, 1986, between
How I Remember Pro Wrestling in the 1970s
There was a time in my life when I was a big fan of
The Story Of When George Halas Finally Retired For Good
For those who remember George Halas, we might think of him in his later
The Story of the First-Ever Monday Night Football Game
The 1970s ushered in a new birth of competition in pro football. As with