Puncher from the Past Lloyd Marshall

Name: LLOYD MARSHALL

Born: 4 June 1914 Madison County Georgia, USA

Died: 4 August 1997

Career: 1936 to 1951

Record: 100 fights, 71 wins (36 by KO/TKO),  25 losses (11 by KO/TKO), 4 draws.

Division:  Middleweight to Light heavyweight

Stance: Orthodox

Titles:  Duration light heavyweight champion-effectively an interim title when the actual champion was in the US Armed Forces.

Major Contests

Scored wins over: Ken Overlin **, Babe Risko*, Teddy Yarosz **, Lou Brouillard **,Shorty Hogue, Eddie Pierce, Charley Burley, Ezzard Charles **, Anton Christoforidis **, Jake LaMotta**, Holman Williams, Joey Maxim **, Jack Chase, Freddie Mills **, Frankie Daniels, Tommy Farr *,

Lost to: Ceferino Garcia (twice)**, Teddy Yarosz**, Short Hogue, Eddie Booker, Jimmy Bivins, Holman Williams, Jack Chase, Archie Moore (twice)**, Oakland Billy Smith, Ezzard Charles(three times)**, Bob Murphy *, Conny Rux, Willi Hoepner, Don Cockell(twice)*,Bobo Olson **, Harry Matthews.

Drew with: Jack Chase,

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

* Unsuccessful challenger for a version of a world title

LLOYD Marshall’s Story

Born in in Carlton, Georgia Marshall was raised by his mother after his father deserted the family and they travelled around the country and ended up in Cleveland Ohio. His mother gave him money for piano lessons but instead Marshall spent it on gym visits. He  had his first amateur fight in March 1933 and was a successful amateur winning the Cleveland Golden Gloves title in 1934 and 1935, reaching the semi-finals of the National AAU in 1934, where he lost to future world champion Fred Apostoli, and being runner-up in 1935 AAU.

He was offered a chance to turn professional by a manager in California and bussed out there. He had his first professional fight in San Francisco on 11 September 1936. He lost that first fight on points against Al LaBoa but reversed that decision 18 days later. He quickly progressed to ten round fights against far more experienced opponents drawing in November 1937 with 125-fight Swede Berling and losing in December to 142-fight Johnny Romero.

In 1938 he beat Romero in a return fight and outpointed future middleweight champion Ken Overlin in September. Marshall’s record weas 14-2-1 and Overlin’s 84-14-3. Marshall suffered back-to-back losses in early 1939 against Ceferino Garcia who went on to win the world title in October that year. Marshall recovered to beat former champions Teddy Yarosz and Lou Brouillard later in the year.

Over 1941 and 42 he then went 14-3-1 in his next 18 fights losing to Yarosz, Shorty Hogue and also Eddie Booker, who would eventually be tagged as a fellow Murderers’ Row member, but scoring a split decision over Charley Burley.

He had an eventful 1943 including flooring future champion Ezzard Charles eight times and stopping him in the eighth round and decisioning former world light heavyweight champion Anton Christofordis. He floored Jimmy Bivins but lost on a kayo in the thirteenth round for the “duration” light heavyweight title(with champion Tony Zale serving in the US Navy this was what would be labelled an “interim” title these days). Charles, Christofordis and Bivins were rated Nos 1,2, and 3 in the light heavyweight ratings. At the end of the year he had three fights against other Murderers’ Row members losing to Holman Williams and drawing then losing against Jack Chase.

He weas called up by the draft in early 1944 but was excused due to a perforated ear drum. He won 10 of his 11 fights that year and to illustrate the quality of his opposition he beat Jake LaMotta, and Joey Maxim flooring both in their fights (two white fighters and both went on be future world champions). He again faced fellow Murders’ club members in 1944 losing against Hoilman Williams and beating Jack Chase and he also outpointed Nate Bolden to win the “Duration light heavyweight title”. At that time he was rated No 1 light heavyweight by Ring Magazine but never offered a title shot.

In 1945 he floored Archie Moore twice but lost on points and in their second fight was himself floored three times and stopped in the tenth and he was also knocked out by Ezzard Charles.

He had his first fight outside the USA in June 1947 when in London he floored former champion Freddie Mills four times on the way to a knockout win- Mills would regain the light heavyweight title in 1948 but lost it to Joey Maxim in 1950. Marshall had beaten Mills and Maxim but again no title shot for Marshall. It must have been depressing for Marshall to see two fighters he had beaten fighting for the title.

Really the good days were over for Marshall. He won some minor bouts but was knocked out by Ezzard Charles in September 1947 and by future world title challenger Bob Murphy in November. He went 2-2-1 in five fights in Germany, lost on a disqualification against Don Cockell in London fought in Wales beating former heavyweight title contender Tommy Farr but consecutive kayo losses against Cockell, Bobo Olson and Harry Matthews ended his career in 1951 at the age of 37. He did consider continuing but his wife Mazie told the Californian Commission it would be a disgrace to licence a 38-year-old with 100 fights behind him and the Commission agreed.

During his career he beat eight past, “present” and future world title holders but never received a title shot. If 25 losses seem a lot then Marshall himself accepted that he sometimes lost for “business” reasons. He had been short-changed throughout most of his career at one time saying he never received more than 30% of his purse money for any fight. Because of his outstanding ability it could be difficult to find fighters willing to face him and many of the top white boxers either avoided him or asked for outrageous money. In those circumstances it was good business to under-perform either losing or appearing to struggle against inferior opponents to make him seem less of a risk to other managers and promoters. Late in his career some of those handling him saw there was no money to be made in betting on Marshall as he was always a favourite to win and the money would only be good if Marshall lost. Marshall needed to fight and needed to eat.

After retirement from boxing he worked for almost 30 years at the McClellen Air Force Base in a number of minor jobs. He died from pneumonia on 4 August 1997 in Sacramento at the age of 83. He was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame and in 2010 into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.