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R.I.P. BENNIE BRISCOE

Hereare somesnippetsfrom theU.S. presspublishedthenewsregardingthe deathofBennieBriscoe.

Bennie Briscoe dies at age 67

Former Philadelphia middleweight Bennie Briscoe died Tuesday evening at age 67, promoter J. Russell Peltz said.

Briscoe had been in Temple University Hospital for about a week before being moved to hospice, Peltz said.

The Georgia-born Briscoe had a 66-24-5 record with 53 knockouts in a professional career that spanned from 1966 to 1982.

In the golden era of Philadelphia middleweights, the 1970s, Briscoe fought champions Marvin Hagler, Vito Antuofermo, Rodrigo Valdez, Emile Griffith, and Carlos Monzon.

Briscoe Passes Away

Legenedry Philadelphia promoter J Russell Peltz has reported to SecondsOut that Bennie Briscoe, one of the best ever boxers never to win a world title (when world titles meant something),has passed away. He was 67 years old.

The man, who presided over the last Golden Age of Boxing in Philadelphia (the 1970s) passed away today at 5.52pm EST. He had been in Temple University hospital for about a week before being moved to hospice.

Peltz said; "His wife Karen, who I have been in contact with over the last two weeks, called my at about 6.20pm EST to give me the news."

Briscoe, who fought from 1966 until 1982, was stopped just once in a 96 fight career.

December 28, 2010

R.I.P. – Bennie Briscoe

Published by Staff on December 28th, 2010

Bad news: Philadelphia’s great “Mr. Blue Collar”, “Bad” Bennie Briscoe – age 67 – passes. February 8, 1943 to December 28, 2010.

Bennie Briscoe was a top-rated Middleweight contender during the 1970s, unsuccessfully challenging for the World Title on three different occasions. In his first fight with Carlos Monzon in Argentina, Briscoe walked away with a draw. He said getting a draw in Argentina is getting a victory in the United States. In his rematch with Monzon for the title, Briscoe badly stunned the champion in the 9th round, but failed to score a knockout and lost by decision after 15 rounds in Buenos Aires. Monzon always respected Briscoe, and when the champion was in New York one year later for the Boxing Writers dinner, he gave Briscoe a warm greeting.

Briscoe always wore a Jewish “Star of David” on his boxing trunks. Boxing magazines and news reports in the early 1970s said he was practicing the “Jewish faith.” In reality, it was because two of his managers, Jimmy Iselin and Arnold Weiss, were Jewish.

Regarded as one of the best never to win a world title, Briscoe scored wins over Charley Scott, George Benton, Vicente Rondon, Kitten Hayward, Tom Bethea, Juarez DeLima, Carlos Marks, Rafael Gutierrez, Art Hernandez (for the NABF title), Billy “Dynamite” Douglas, Tony Mundine, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, Jean Mateo and Tony Chiaverini. He also lost and drew with Emile Griffith in two fights.

Briscoe finished with 66 wins (53 knockouts), 24 losses, five draws and one No Contest.

Legendary Philly fighter Bennie Briscoe dies at 67

By FRANK BERTUCCI

BENNIE BRISCOE, considered by many to be the quintessential Philadelphia fighter, died yesterday at age 67.

A middleweight who fought for the world championship three times in the 1970s, Briscoe was said to have been the best fighter never to have won a world championship title.

He was the biggest draw in the last golden days of Philadelphia boxing," said J Russell Peltz, who promoted 45 of Briscoe's fights in the 1970s when Briscoe's manager was Arnold Weiss, Peltz' brother-in-law.

The cause of death has not been determined, but Peltz said Briscoe had been in declining health for several years. He died in hospice care after being admitted to Temple University Hospital a week ago. Services have not been announced.

"Bad" Bennie Briscoe headlined Peltz' first-ever card as a promoter at the Blue Horizon on Sept. 30, 1969. He was awarded a first-round knockout victory when Tito Marshall could not come out for the second round.

Briscoe's final record was 66-24-6, with 53 knockouts. His list of opponents included the world's greats of his era - Emile Griffith twice, Marvin Hagler, Vito Antuofermo, Carlos Monzon twice, Rodrigo Valdez three times, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Ike White, Stanley "Kitten" Hayward, Eugene "Cyclone" Hart, and the best Philly had to offer - Georgie Benton, who later became Briscoe's manager. In 2003, Ring magazine named Briscoe one of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.

Throughout his professional career, Briscoe worked as a city sanitation worker.

"Fighters had to work in those days," Peltz recalled. "He once told me a story about killing rats in abandoned buildings. I asked him if he used poison. He laughed and told me he used a baseball bat."

Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts was one of the up-and-coming middleweights in Philadelphia in the late 1960s and 1970s.

"I first met Bennie in 1963, '64 at the 23rd PAL at 22nd and Cecil B. Moore," Watts said. "He was the first pro fight I went to. We did road work together, ran 4, 5 miles, then we'd go to a diner and have some tea.

"He was one of the guys I didn't want to fight. All of us wanted to be champions, but I didn't want to fight him because of our relationship."

Briscoe fought for the world's middleweight championship three times.

The first was against Monzon in Monzon's native Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Nov. 11, 1972; Monzon won a unanimous decision in 15 rounds, which was then the standard distance for world championship fights.

The second and third were with Valdez. The first, on May 25, 1974, resulted in the only knockout of Briscoe's career, in the seventh round of a 15-rounder in Monte Carlo. Valdez won the second bout on a unanimous decision over 15 rounds on May 11, 1977, in Lombardia, Italy.

In 2007, the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame named its annual Philly Boxing History awards the "Briscoes" in tribute to "Bad" Bennie.

While many of today's fighters are recognized by their tattoos, Briscoe had his own recognizable mark. He fought with the Star of David on his trunks in tribute to his managers, first Jimmy Iselin, whose father Phil owned the New York Jets, and then Weiss.

Briscoe is survived by his wife Karen and several children.

(Bennie Briscoe knocks out Lenny Harden on Jan. 14, 1975, at the Spectrum)