Bob "Bombardier" Satterfield (November 9, 1923 in St. Louis, Missouri – June 1, 1977) was a

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...

boxer who fought from 1945–1957. Satterfield, who never fought for the title, retired with a record of 50 wins (35 KOs), 25 losses and 4 draws. He is in

Ring magazine ''The Ring'' (often called ''The Ring'' magazine or ''Ring'' magazine) is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into questio ...

's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time at number 58. Satterfield later died from cancer at the age of 53.

Amateur career

Satterfield was the Chicago City

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nationa ...

147-pound champion in 1941. He lost to Al Tribuani on a first round knockout in the inter-city championship between Chicago and New York boxers.

Professional career

Satterfield, known for his punching power and aggressive style, was a fan favorite. His poor stamina and weak chin often cost him fights, however. In his bout against heavyweight contender

Rex Layne Rex Gessel Layne (June 7, 1928 in Lewiston, Utah – June 7, 2000) was a former heavyweight professional boxer. Sometimes termed the "Lewiston Larruper," the top rated Layne never fought for the heavyweight title, but notched victories over su ...

on March 9, 1951, Satterfield hurt Layne, and knocked him down for an eight count in the first round. Layne slowly retook control of the fight, and ultimately knocked out Satterfield in the eighth round. Satterfield was knocked out in 7 rounds by future

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

champion Jake LaMotta on September 12, 1946. He was also knocked out in 2 rounds by former

champion

Ezzard Charles Ezzard Mack Charles (July 7, 1921 – May 28, 1975), known as the Cincinnati Cobra, was an American professional boxer and World Heavyweight Champion. Known for his slick defense and precision, he is often considered the greatest light heavywei ...

on January 13, 1954. Satterfield did score a knockout over future heavyweight contender Cleveland Williams and also beat the dangerous giant Cuban

Niño Valdés Niño Valdés (born Geraldo Ramos Ponciano Valdés, also known as Nino Valdés) (December 5, 1924 – June 3, 2001) was a Cuban professional boxer who was Cuba's national heavyweight boxing champion in the 1940s and 1950s. Statistical boxing webs ...

, but lost by KO to

light heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

champion

Archie Moore Archie Moore (born Archibald Lee Wright; December 13, 1913 – December 9, 1998) was an American professional boxer and the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time (December 1952 – May 1962). He had one of the longest ...

, and dropped 2 out of 3 to future light heavyweight champion Harold Johnson. He retired from boxing on January 15, 1958, due to a detached retina in his left eye.

In the media

In the 2007

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

Resurrecting the Champ ''Resurrecting the Champ'' is a 2007 American sports drama film directed by Rod Lurie and written by Michael Bortman and Allison Burnett, based on a ''Los Angeles Times Magazine'' article entitled "Resurrecting the Champ" by J. R. Moehringer. Th ...

'' (based on an '' L.A. Times Magazine'' article) a reporter named Erik Kernan Jr. finds a homeless man claiming to be Bob Satterfield and writes an article about him in the ''Denver Times Magazine''. The film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Hartnett and

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...

and was directed by

Rod Lurie Rod Lurie ( he, רוד לוריא; born May 15, 1962) is an Israeli-American director, screenwriter, and former film critic. Early life and career The son of internationally syndicated cartoonist Ranan Lurie, he was born in Israel but moved to ...

Trivia

* Satterfield served in the United States Army from 1942–45. * The 1999 story "Resurrecting the Champ" by J.R. Moehringer in the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

said that he was friends with musician

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

and introduced Muhammad Ali to his first wife. This was based on an interview in the Chicago home of his son, Robert Satterfield Jr.

Professional boxing record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Satterfield, Bob 1923 births 1977 deaths Boxers from Missouri Heavyweight boxers Boxers from Chicago United States Army personnel of World War II American male boxers