By Sam Gregory: On October 29, 1948 Sandy Saddler dethroned the reigning featherweight champion of the world Willie Pep with a fourth round knockout in the first of four of the most memorable but brutal featherweight title fights in boxing history.
Considered by many boxing historians to be the number one ranked featherweight of all time, Willie Pep turned pro in 1940 at the age of 18. Before turning pro Pep had an outstanding amateur career in his home state of Connecticut having won the state flyweight and bantamweight championships in 1938 and 1939.
In the first three years as a pro Pep won an unheard of 62 consecutive fights. Pep lost his first fight in 1942 to world class lightweight Sammy Angott, who outweighed Pep by 12 pounds. Pep went the distance with Angott, losing the fight on a 10 round decision.
During his 62 consecutive win streak, Pep challenged Chalky Wright for the featherweight title in November of 1942. Pep won a 15 round decision to become the undisputed featherweight champion of the world and the youngest featherweight title holder at the age of 21.
Pep held the title for six years before losing to Saddler in 1948. Except for a draw with Jimmy McAllister in December of 1945, Willie Pep had a total of 134 wins out of 136 bouts until his first loss to Saddler.
Sandy Saddler turned pro in 1944 at the age of 17. Having fought just 50 fights as an amateur, Saddler began his pro career in the 118 pound weight class as a bantamweight. After winning his first pro fight by way of an eighth round decision, Saddler was knocked out his second pro fight to a more experienced Jock Leslie. That was the only time Saddler was knocked out in his entire 162 fight career.
Saddler soon moved up to the featherweight division and was quickly recognized by Ring magazine as a top contender in the featherweight division. In his second year as a pro in 1945, Saddler fought 24 times going 24-0 with a total of 17 knockouts.
The 5’ 8 ½” tall – 124 to 130 pound Saddler didn’t look like much of a puncher, but he was one of the best. With 103 career knockouts, he not only holds the featherweight record for knockouts, but is ranked sixth on the all-time knockout list. He fought 93 fights before his knockout win over Willie Pep for the featherweight title.
Willie Pep was considered skillful, sharp, a beautiful boxer and hard hitter. He was exceptional at counter-punching, side-stepping, had outstanding defensive skills, as well as being expert at the art of feinting.
The difference between the two was with Saddler, he was not quite as skillful and sharp as Pep, but overall he was the stronger and sturdier man of the two. Saddler was also a two-fisted puncher who was accused by several opponents and the public of engaging in unfair tactics in the ring.
Four months after having lost the first fight, Willie Pep regained his title from Saddler by winning a 15 round decision in Madison Square Garden in February of 1949. The second fight was considered the most brutal of the four. Both fighters were evenly matched at 126 pounds, though Saddler was taller and had the longer reach. Saddler also possessed a left jab like any other. It was almost like a southpaw’s left, with Saddler being able to use it as a hook and an uppercut, as well as a jab.
The third fight between Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler was on September 26, 1950, where Saddler regained the title by stopping Pep in the eighth round. going into the fight Saddler was an 8 to 5 favorite to win. Pep was knocked down in the third round for a standing eight count. Pep was quick to recover from the knockdown and started winning the middle rounds of the fight. Saddler, who was not afraid to use any tactics to win, began raking Pep’s face with the laces of his gloves. Saddler had ignored several warnings from the referee and by the 5th and 6th rounds of the fight Pep’s face was a bloody mess, with his eyes swollen shut. By the seventh round Pep somehow dislocated his shoulder and was unable to answer the bell for the eighth round. Even though Pep was ahead on the scorecards, Saddler got the win.
The fourth fight was on September 26, 1951 and by today’s standards could have been considered a free-for-all and most likely would have been stopped disqualifying both Pep and Saddler. Both fighters spent most of the fight wrestling, holding and pushing each other around the ring. At one point in the fight, the referee was even knocked to the canvas trying to separate the two. The fight was stopped after the ninth round due to swelling in Pep’s right eye. Saddler retained the title. Because of the illegal tactics used in the fight, both fighters were later suspended briefly by the New York State Athletic Commission. Saddler spent the next two years in the Army, after returning home he was allowed to retain his featherweight title.
Sandy Saddler announced his retirement from boxing in 1957, aft7er injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
Willie Pep continued boxing until 1959, making a brief comeback in 1965 at the age of 42.
Both men were inducted into the International Boxing Hall-of-Fame in 1990.
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