Charley White pugile

Charley White who was born Charles Anchowitz on 25 March 1891 in Liverpool, England was considered one of the best boxers of his era. White fought from 1906 until 1923. He made one ill-fated comeback attempt in 1930, but was ignominiously TKOed by Henry Perlick, a nondescript fighter who would not have stood a chance against White in his prime. White boxed in the United States for his entire career making his home in Chicago at the age of seven. Under current rules, his championship bouts with Willie Ritchie and Freddie Welsh, where he dealt more blows would have had him winning the bouts on points and taking the world lightweight championship, but when he fought only a knockout would have allowed him to win the match and the title. In 1958, Nat Fleischer, publisher of The Ring magazine rated Charley White the tenth greatest lightweight of all time.In a nineteen year career, White fought the top contenders and champions in each of three weight classes: Abe Attell, Johnny Kilbane, and Johnny Dundee in the featherweight division; Ad Walgast, Willie Ritchie, Freddie Welsh, Benny Leonard and Rocky Kansas in the lightweight division; and Jack Britton, and Ted Kid Lewis in the welterweight division, for a total of ten champion opponents. Charles Anchowitz was born in Liverpool England to Jewish parents who brought him to America at the age of seven. His father, a struggling tailor from Russia, settled the family in the Jewish Ghetto on Chicago's West Side, the home of many great Jewish boxers including Barney Ross and Harry Harris. At thirteen, Charles contracted tuberculosis, a not uncommon illness in the Chicago ghetto, and sustained damage to one of his lungs. His father sent him to Chicago's O'Connell's Sports Club to build up his strength. After gaining weight and working out, Charles took up boxing at the club and within eighteen months was diagnosed free from tuberculosis. At fifteen, Anchowitz changed his name to White and began his professional boxing career. His brothers Jack White and Billy Wagner were also professional boxers. Impressively, in his career, White fought world champions a total of twenty-two times.Although White never won a world championship, he fought for the title several times. His first fight against a World Champion came at age eighteen against the legendary Jewish world featherweight champion Abe Attell on 6 December 1909 in Memphis. Attell won the 8 round "newspaper decision" but had to extend himself to the limit to win over White. White landed rights and lefts to the champion's head and body, but Attell surpassed White in his use of short jabs in the infighting. The decision was unpopular with the crowd. White lost to Attell again on 16 September 1910 at the Hippodrome in Milwaukee, but got in several potent blows against a far more experienced fighter. Attell danced around the ring to gain an angle of advantage, but White showed a solid defense. As they fought at catchweights, Attell's featherweight crown was not at risk.