MEET THE MAN
ZEKE WILSON
Golden Glove Winning Boxer. Trainer. Marine.
Zeke Wilson, born in April of 1957, is a retired pro boxer, trainer, and a veteran of the marines. At the young age of 14, Wilson found his passion for boxing and worked hard every day towards his career. His amateur boxing career starting in his teenage years, during his first fight, when he set a Georgia State Record for the fastest knockout in just ten seconds of the first round. Zeke Wilson also joined the Marines, graduating top of his class, and joined the marines boxing team. After an honorable leave from the Marines, Wilson started his pro boxing career. Later on in his career, he started to become a boxing trainer and promote boxing events of his own. Wilson also won a legal case against racial discrimination.
Zeke Wilson's toughest battle, however, was not in the boxing ring. This battle took place in the courts, fighting racial discrimination. It was Zeke against several commissioners holding state positions. Because of the power imbalance, no attorneys or lawyers wanted to take on the case because of "cost of litigation, burden of proof, state government position, years of litigation" (The Eighth Round).
Zeke went on to win the legal battle on his own and set the federal
precedent for same race discrimination.
Read more about this battle for justice in Zeke's book "The Eighth Round".
Zeke's Awards:
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Champion, June 1977
Man of the Year, Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame, 2013
South Carolina State Chmapion
South Carolina Golden Glove Champion
Georgia State Golden Glove Champion
Heavyweight Elimination Win at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati
US Marine Corps Base Champion at Camp Pendleton
Zeke was the sparring partner of:
Joe Frazier
Larry Holmes
Ron Lyle
Jimmy Young
Leon Spinks
Duane Bobick
Gerry Cooney
Randall Tex Cobb
"You kids can do anything in life. Anything at all. If you work hard, and keep your mind what you want."
- Florence H. Wilson, 1964.
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