Puncher from the Past Bobby Dykes

Name: Bobby Dykes (Real name Robert Dykstra)

Born: 8 September 1928

Died: 31 May 2006 at the age of 77

Career: 1946 to 1957

Record: 151 fights, 120 wins (57 by KO/TKO), lost 23 (2 by KO/TKO), 8 draws

Division:  Welterweight and  Middleweight

Stance: Orthodox

Titles:  None

Major Contests

Scored wins over: Lester Felton, Ernie Durando, Joey Giardello **, Joe Miceli, Gil Turner*, Jimmy Martinez, Joey Giambra*, Joey DeJohn, Kid Gavilan **

Lost to: Lauro Salas**, Lester Felton (twice), Ray Robinson **, Johnny Bratton **, Kid Gavilan **, Gil Turner, Joe Miceli, Pierre Langlois*, Ralph Jones, Walter Cartier, Jimmy Martinez, Ernie Durando, Willie Pastrano **, Georgie Johnson, Willie Troy

Drew with: Holly Mims,  

**Past/ future holder of a version of a world title

* Unsuccessful challenger for a version of a world title

Bobby Dykes’ Story

Dykes, real name Robert Dykstra was born in San Antonio Texas but moved to Miami in the late 1940’s. Boxing Historian Hank Kaplan described Dykes as “the biggest drawing card in Miami boxing history,” The 6’0” tall southpaw had his first professional fight in May 1945 in Austin, Texas at the age of 17. He was fighting four round fights and in July 1946 lost a points decision to Lauro Salas. Dykes’ record was 6-1 and Salas 3-1. Salas would go on to have 164 fights and win the world lightweight title. Dykes continued his busy career with fights in Texas and a few in New Orleans until 1948 when he relocated to Miami. He was fighting to a schedule that would be impossible today. By the end of 1948, after just over three years, and still only 20, he had already had 58 fights with a 47-6-5 record. There were no big names on his record but plenty of experienced campaigners and unlike today a loss was no more than a slight bump in the road. The year 1949 was another busy one as Dykes had 17 fights. His biggest win was a points victory over 29-0 Lester Felton and a split decision loss to Frankie Abrams in October was reversed by a win in November. He lost 2 of his 13 fights in 1950. He was outpointed by Felton in March but the other loss was in some ways the best performance of his career. On 8 November, just 16 days after outpointing Gaby Ferland on 23 October, he fought champion Ray Robinson in a non-title fight losing on a majority decision. Robinson’s amazing record was 115-1-2 and Dykes, whilst still only 22, had a 71-8-6 record. Just 19 days after fighting Robinson he kayoed Jose Rocha in three rounds so three fights in 35 days including one against the world champion!

He was brought down to earth quickly in January 1951 being floored three times and stopped in the first round by future world welterweight champion Johnny Bratton. He put together a run of 15 wins beating rated fighters Ernie Durando and future middleweight champion Joey Giardello. That form landed him a fight for the welterweight title against Kid Gavilan in February 1952. Dykes was down for a nine count in the second round but got up and by the end of the thirteenth had moved into the lead but Gavilan swept the last two rounds on all cards to win a split decision. Dykes rebounded with 10 wins beating both Joe Miceli and 31-1 Gil Turner but closed out the year with a loss against Lester Felton. Although still only 24 Dykes had been in 115 fights and his activity lessened and his success rate dropped. In 1953 he stared the year with losses to Turner and Miceli and then to Frenchman Pierre Langlois but managed 8 wins. In January  1954 he outpointed Joey Giambra to snap Giambra’s ten-bout winning run but it was mostly downhill from there. In March he was floored and stopped by Ralph “Tiger” Jones, one of only two times in his 151 fights that he was beaten inside the distance, and there were further losses in 1954 against Walter Cartier, Jimmy Martinez, Ernie Durando, Willie Pastrano, and Billy McNeece. There was a temporary resurgence in 1955 as he won 7 of his 8 fights including a revenge win over Kid Gavilan but 1956 and 1957 saw Dykes have only 5 fights in which he went 3-1-1 and he retired at the age of 28 and after 151 fights.

His unsuccessfully challenge for the welterweight title at Miami Stadium in February 1952  was the first fight between a white and a black boxer in the then segregated Miami and drew over 11,000 fans. Dykes recounted that he had received death threats for “betraying his heritage” by fighting a black fighter.

Dykes had been an astute businessman and after retiring from the ring he owned an insurance agency and restaurants and bars in the affluent Coconut Grove section of Miami and went fishing from his private yacht. Later in life he suffered from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), formerly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and died 31 May 2006 at his home in Coral Gable Florida. He was inducted into the  Florida Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010.