Chalky Wright

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Chalky Wright
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chalky Wright
Statistics

Real name

Albert Wright

Nickname(s)

Chalky

Rated at

Featherweight

Nationality

American

Born

February 1, 1912
Willcox, Arizona, U.S.

Died

August 12, 1957 (aged 45)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Stance

Orthodox

Boxing record

Total fights

226

Wins

161

Wins by KO

83

Losses

44

Draws

19

Albert "Chalky" Wright (February 1, 1912 – August 12, 1957) was
an American featherweight boxer who fought from 1928 to 1948. His career record was 161

wins (with 83 knockouts), 44 losses and 19 draws. In 2003, Wright ranked #95 on The
Ring magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time.
Contents
[hide]



1 Early years and family



2 Professional career



3 Post boxing career



4 Personal life
4.1 Confidential magazine scandal

o


5 Death



6 Honors



7 References



8 External links

Early years and family[edit]
Wright was born in Willcox, Arizona (some sources erroneously give Wright's place of birth
as Durango, Colorado orDurango, Mexico),[1] the youngest of seven children born to James
("Jim") and Clara Wright (née Martin).[2] Wright’s maternal grandfather, Caleb Baines Martin,
was a runaway slave from Natchez, Mississippi who fled to the Arizona Territory shortly before
the Civil War. After serving in the Union Army as a Buffalo Soldier, he homesteaded 160 acres
in Graham County, Arizona. He bought cattle from Colonel Henry Hooker and established a
dairy ranch on the property (which eventually grew to 640 acres), making him the first African
American ranch owner in Southwest Arizona. He supplied dairy produce to Fort Grant and
surrounding settlers.[2]
Wright's father was born in Mexico and also raised cattle. Wright's mother worked as a
housekeeper. Shortly after Wright's birth, his father left the family.[1] Around 1918, Clara Wright
moved her children to Colton, California. It was there that Wright developed a love for boxing.

Professional career[edit]
Wright began his professional boxing career at the age of 16. The five-foot, 7½-inch Wright
was unusually tall for his 126-pound weight, giving him a long reach. [3] His debut fight took
place on February 23, 1928. He fought Nilo Balle who he defeated in four rounds. Wright
began fighting on the East Coast of the United States in 1938. In 1938, Wright fought Henry
Armstrong, but was knocked out in three rounds. By 1941, he was among the world's top
featherweight boxers. He beat Sal Bartolo to get a chance at the New York State Athletic
Commission featherweight championship then held by Joey Archibald.[3][4]
Wright's pre-match regimen was described as "unorthodox" by the Baltimore Afro-American:

For example, before the Terranova fight Chalky was in and out of the Hotel Theresa bar night
in and day out for four days. He smoked evil smelling, twisted cigars. He drank freely of
whatever his palate called for. He went where he wanted as late as 2 and 3 a.m., and then
climbed into the ring at the Garden to put on a master exhibition of boxing and hitting power.[5]
On September 11, 1941, Wright dethroned Archibald by scoring a TKO in the eleventh round.
Wright successfully defended the title against former champion Harry Jeffra (TKO 10) on June
19, 1942, but lost his title on a decision to Willie Pep on November 20, 1942.[6] He fought for
another six years after losing his title and finally retired March 9, 1948, after losing to Ernie
Hunick when he did not answer the bell for the fourth round.

Post boxing career[edit]
After his retirement, Wright worked as the trainer for lightweight contender Tommy Campbell. In
January 1954, Jet magazine reported that Wright claimed he had written his
autobiography, Me and You, under the pen name "Jay Caldwell".[7] The book remains
unreleased.
In October 1954, Wright opened a bar in Los Angeles called the "Knockout Lounge". He
claimed that all of the bartenders were ex-boxers. [8] By the mid-1950s, Wright had gambled
away the fortune he had earned as a boxer. At the time of his death, he was working in a Los
Angeles bakery.[9]

Personal life[edit]
Wright was married twice and had one child. His first marriage was to Gertrude "Gert" Arnold
and later ended in divorce.[2] He married Jennie Batch in 1937 with whom he had a son, Albert
James. They were separated at the time of his death.

Confidential magazine scandal[edit]
In the 1930s, West became friendly with actress Mae West. West was a boxing fan and helped
to finance Wright's boxing career. He eventually became her live-in bodyguard and chauffeur
for a time. The two reportedly began a romantic relationship though both publicly denied this. [2]
In November 1955, the popular tabloid Confidential ran a story entitled "Mae West's Open Door
Policy". The article contended that West was having a live-in love affair with the "bronze boxer"
and that she frequently gave Wright hundreds of dollars to gamble.[10] West denied the story
and sued for libel and defamation. She won the suit and Confidential published a retraction.
[11]
In August 1957, a highly publicized criminal libel case was brought against Confidential due
to the tactics "investigators" for the magazine used to get information. A number of celebrities
were called to testify including Mae West and Chalky Wright. Wright died before he could
provide his testimony but Mae West later testified that Wright told her a writer
for Confidential approached him claiming that he wanted information about West for an
upcoming biographical film. West testified that Wright admitted to her that he was paid $200 for
the information he gave the writer but told West "...he didn't say any of the things they claim he
did."[12]

Death[edit]
On August 12, 1957, Wright's mother found his body in the bathtub in her Los Angeles
apartment. His head was submerged underwater and the tap was running. Rumors of foul play
and suicide immediately began to surface as Wright was scheduled to testify in the high profile
libel suit against Confidential magazine.[13] These rumors were furthered when Wright's first wife
Gert Arnold, who was also subpoenaed to testify, claimed she received an anonymous phone

call from a "gruff voiced man" who told her "...if you know what's good for you, you'll clam up
about this whole thing."[14]
It was later determined that Wright, who had been hospitalized for a heart condition six weeks
before his death, suffered a heart attack while in the bathtub causing him to slip and fall. He
then struck his head on the tap which rendered him unconscious and drown. [15] Investigators
noted that Wright had attempted to stop himself from falling by grabbing a towel rack which
was found pulled from the wall.[13] His death was ruled accidental.[16][17]
Wright's funeral was held on August 26. Baptist minister Henry Armstrong, a former boxer
whom Wright had once fought, delivered the eulogy.[13] Chalky Wright is buried in Lincoln
Memorial Park in Carson, California.

Honors[edit]
Wright was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1976 and the International Boxing
Hall of Fame in 1997.[2]
In 2003, The Ring ranked Wright #95 on their 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time list.[18]
In 2012, Wright was inducted into the Colton, California Sports Hall of Fame. [19]

References[edit]
1.

^ Jump up to:a b Werner, Doug (2014). Willie Pep vs. Sandy Saddler: Notes on the
Boxing Legends and Epic Rivalry. Tracks Publishing. p. 77. ISBN 1-935-93757-X.

2.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e Klump, Kathy (May 9, 2012). "National Hall of Fame Boxer was
Willcox native". willcoxrangenews.com.

3.

^ Jump up to:a b "Albert (Chalky) Wright". International Boxing Hall of Fame.
International Boxing Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 13, 2011.

4.

Jump up^ "Willie Pep and Chalky Wright Scrap Tonight". The Spartanburg
Herald(Spartanburg, SC). AP. November 20, 1942. p. 16. Retrieved July 13, 2011.

5.

Jump up^ DeLeighbur, Don (June 8, 1943). "Cigar-Smoking Chalky Wright Is Entitled
to Championship Bout". Baltimore Afro-American 51 (43) (Baltimore, MD: The Afro-American
Company). p. 18. Retrieved July 13, 2011.

6.

Jump up^ "Chalky Wright Beaten By Pep". The Washington Reporter (20590)
(Washington, PA). AP. November 21, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved July 13, 2011.

7.

Jump up^ "New York Beat". Jet (Johnson Publishing Company) 5 (10): 64. January 14,
1954. ISSN 0021-5996.

8.

Jump up^ "New York Beat". Jet (Johnson Publishing Company) 6 (23): 65. October 14,
1954. ISSN 0021-5996.

9.

Jump up^ Roberts, James B.; Skutt, Alexander G. (2006). The Boxing Register:
International Boxing Hall of Fame Official Record Book. McBooks Press. p. 667. ISBN 1-59013121-5.

10.

Jump up^ Louvish, Simon (2005). Mae West: It Ain't No Sin. Macmillan.
p. 383. ISBN 0-312-34878-9.

11.

Jump up^ Wortis Leider, Emily (2001). Becoming Mae West. Thorndike Press.
p. 747.ISBN 0-786-23064-9.

12.

Jump up^ "Confidential: Tells the Facts and Names the Names". latimes.com. August
21, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2015.

13.

^ Jump up to:a b c "Chalky not a suicide police say". The Washington Afro American.
August 27, 1957. p. 14. Retrieved January 25, 2015.

14.

Jump up^ Scott, Henry E. (2010). Shocking True Story: The Rise and Fall of
Confidential, "America's Most Scandalous Scandal Magazine". Knopf Doubleday Publishing
Group. p. 175. ISBN 0-307-37897-7.

15.

Jump up^ "Chalky Wright Drowns In Tub". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. August 13,
1957. p. 8. Retrieved January 25, 2015.

16.

Jump up^ "Chalky Wright's Death Called Accidental". Reading Eagle. August 13, 1957.
p. 14. Retrieved January 25, 2015.

17.

Jump up^ "Wright Dies As Result of Drowning". The Miami News. August 13, 1957.
p. 15A. Retrieved January 25, 2015.

18.

Jump up^ Eisele, Andrew. "Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers".
boxing.about.com. Retrieved January 25, 2015.

19.

Jump up^ "Colton Sports Hall of Fame". ci.colton.ca.us. Retrieved January 25, 2015.

External links[edit]




Professional boxing record for Chalky Wright from BoxRec
Categories:
1912 births



1957 deaths



Accidental deaths in California



African-American boxers



Boxers from Arizona



Boxers from California



Burials in California



Deaths by drowning



Deaths from myocardial infarction



Featherweight boxers



International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees



People from Cochise County, Arizona



Sportspeople from Los Angeles County, California

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