1. Ken Overlin, was an American-born middleweight boxer who fought professionally from 1931 to 1944, compiling a record of 131 wins, 18 losses, and 9 draws.
23 Facts About Ken Overlin
1. 2.
Ken Overlin took the World middleweight championship as recognized by the New York State Athletic Commission in a win against Ceferino Garcia in New York on May 23,1940, and held it until May 9,1941.
3.
Ken Overlin was born to Irish parents on August 15,1910 in Decatur, Illinois.
4.
Ken Overlin excelled in basketball and football at Decatur's Central Junior High.
5.
Ken Overlin dropped out of the Navy in 1932, and began his boxing career under the management of Chris Dundee as a fringe middleweight contender, continuing to box around Virginia and the East Coast.
6.
Ken Overlin would learn from the experience, and Steele would become the only boxer to ever defeat him by knockout.
7.
Ken Overlin lost to former World Middleweight champion Teddy Yarosz on March 27,1939 in a ten round points decision in Houston, breaking an eleven match winning streak that included a single loss to Eric Seelig.
8.
Ken Overlin won recognition as a World middleweight champion by the New York State Athletic Commission on May 23,1940, when he won a unanimous decision over Ceferino Garcia before a light crowd of 7,587 at Madison Square Garden.
9.
Ken Overlin's fast, sweeping left hook to the body tied up Garcia's dangerous right.
10.
Ken Overlin successfully defended his title twice against Steve Belloise, before losing it to Billy Soose on May 9,1941 in a fifteen round Unanimous Decision before 11,676 fans at New York's Madison Square Garden.
11.
The New York Times wrote that Ken Overlin appeared to have the upperhand in eleven of the fifteen rounds, but that Ken Overlin probably lost points from holding at critical times in the fight to avoid blows.
12.
The crowd booed the decision once they realized Ken Overlin had lost the title to a twenty-five year old relatively unknown, and unrated opponent.
13.
Ken Overlin continued fighting without a loss until 1945, scoring notable wins over Ezzard Charles and Al Hostak, before his retirement.
14.
Charles, who had not been defeated in his last 23 bouts, fought a very close match for the first six rounds, but Ken Overlin dominated in the final four landing solid blows, particularly in rounds eight through ten as Charles became careless hoping to makeup for lost ground.
15.
Ken Overlin drew with Fred Apostoli on June 26,1942 in a close ten round draw before 7,000 fans at Norfolk's Naval base.
16.
Ken Overlin piled up points with his signature left jab, though Apostoli, with effective punching, had Ken Overlin in a bad condition in the seventh.
17.
Ken Overlin fought his last recorded bout on September 26,1944, against RJ Lewis in Denver, Colorado, winning in a ten round decision.
18.
Ken Overlin then returned to his hometown of Decatur, Illinois, where he ran a Tavern on East Main Street.
19.
Ken Overlin left the Springfield bar in 1955, shortly before losing his license for serving liquor to minors.
20.
Ken Overlin then left Illinois, to run a bar in Vallejo, California, outside San Francisco, near the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
21.
Ken Overlin had been in ill health for the last seven years of his life as a result of an assault by a hoodlum who had pistol whipped him in May, 1962 after he had struck the man in an argument.
22.
Ken Overlin was required to undergo emergency surgery for skull fractures and severe scalp lacerations.
23.
Seven years after the assault, on July 24,1969, Ken Overlin was found dead in his Reno apartment, where he had passed a few days earlier.