Boxing great Pep dies at age 84

ROCKY HILL: Willie Pep, the former world featherweight champion acknowledged as one of the greatest defensive boxers in history, has died at the age of 84.

Pep died on Friday at the West Hill nursing home, where he had been treated for Alzheimer's disease since 2001.

Born Guiglermo Papaleo on September 19, 1922 in Middletown, Connecticut, Pep won 230 of his 242 professional bouts and held the world featherweight title over two periods between 1942-1950.

Pep won more than 50 fights in two years before beating Chalky Wright in 1942 to win the title. He then held the belt for six years.

"Willie Pep defined the essence of boxing -- hit and not get hit," Hall of Fame Executive director Edward Brophy said.

"'The 'Will o' the Wisp' left an indelible mark on the sport of boxing and the Hall of Fame joins the entire boxing community in mourning the loss of a legend."

Pep engaged in four epic bouts with his great rival, Sandy Saddler, losing the first in 1948, regaining his title the next year, losing again in 1950 and failing in a bid to win back his crown in 1951 when a bad cut forced a stoppage.

Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, Pep began boxing in 1940 and fought professionally for 26 years. He compiled a 230-11-1 (65 KOs) record that included wins over Hall of Famers Manuel Ortiz, Wright and Saddler.

Celebrated for his defensive and tactical abilities, Pep once even won a round without throwing a punch. In 1945 he was named Fighter of the Year.