Wesley Watson pugile

Wesley Page Watson Jr. (born September 16, 1962, in Bristol, Tennessee) died January 4, 2021, in Wilmington, Delaware). He was an American heavyweight boxer best known for his successful amateur boxing career.Watson, former Howard Career Center and Dickinson High basketballer, fought of Wilmington, Delaware. He played three years of varsity basketball at Howard before transferring to Dickinson High his senior year, where he was a starter on 'Coach Jim Realer's Rams. Watson never fought officially before he joined the military in August 1981, two months after he graduated from Dickinson. "I first started boxing in April 1983," said Watson in an interview. Though his actual first fight appeared to be an unsanctioned fight against fellow Howard teammate named Arthur Carter, for which they both were being detained in the school disciplinarian's office. Lee Roy DeShazor, school disciplinarian, told, "When I walked into Lee Roy's office and saw Watson crying, I was completely shocked, and also a little disappointed," said Lee, never dreaming that a few years later Wesley Watson would surface as a national, amateur, super heavyweight boxing champion.Charlie Messina, fight promoter manager, said Watson lived on Washington Street before joining the Army. "I remember he came to the West Center City Community Center one night and sparred against Henry Milligan," Messina said.Wesley Watson started boxing while serving in the U.S. Army, he was stationed in Fort Bragg, his latest military rank was corporal.Watson became the 1985 U.S. Army and inter-service super heavyweight champion, 1985 National AAU Super Heavyweight Champion (201 lbs. or more), representing the Army. He qualified to the All-American Boxing Team by the United States Amateur Boxing Committee. Watson qualified for the 1986 Goodwill Games, but neither he nor the remaining eight Army boxers, who qualified for the U.S. Goodwill Team, participated in the Games for non-specified political reasons.Unsanctioned match-up (+201 lbs), Howard Career Center, Wilmington, Delaware, 1980: