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Charley Retzlaff, alias The Duluth Dynamiter (October 28, 1904 – June 4, 1970) was an American
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
professional
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
from
Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
,
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, United States.


Personal life

Retzlaff was born in
Leonard, North Dakota Leonard is a city in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 248 at the 2020 census. Leonard was founded in 1881. History Leonard got its start in 1881 when the railroad was extended to that point. A post office has been i ...
.


Professional career

Retzlaff made his professional debut with a second-round
knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
of Herman Raschke in March 1929. Retzlaff remained undefeated through his first 23 bouts, losing for the first time by disqualification against Antonio de la Mata in Chicago in November 1930. Retzlaff would avenge that loss with a first-round knockout in a rematch one month later. 11 more wins followed before Retzlaff suffered his next loss, to 41-23-5 Joe Sekyra in September 1931. More wins would follow, and Retzlaff carried a record of 38-2-1 into a match with fellow Minnesotan
Dick Daniels Richard Bernard Daniels (born October 19, 1944) is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. He played college football at Pacific University. Early years Daniels attend ...
. Retzlaff scored three knockdowns and a first-round knockout en route to winning the vacant Minnesota State Heavyweight Title. This title would be defended in May 1933 and again in September 1935 against
Art Lasky Arthur Lakofsky (November 16, 1909 – April 2, 1980), also known as Art Lasky, was a heavyweight professional boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Personal life Lasky was born in 1908 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and called Minneapolis his home. H ...
. Of Retzlaff, famed sportswriter
Damon Runyon Alfred Damon Runyon (October 4, 1880 – December 10, 1946) was an American journalist and short-story writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway theatre, Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Proh ...
would say "
e is E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plu ...
the best-looking heavyweight prospect that has bobbed up in a long time," and " etzlaff is thebest of the new heavyweights. He’s got what it takes. I haven’t seen a fighter in a long time who has impressed me so favorably." Clarence George
''Charley Retzlaff: No Laffing Matter''
. Boxing.com, January 10, 2016.
At the end of 1935 Retzlaff was ranked by
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 ...
among the top ten
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
boxers in the world. In January 1936 Retzlaff lost by first-round knockout to a young prospect named
Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed "the Brown Bomber", Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He r ...
. In his final defense of the Minnesota heavyweight title Retzlaff could manage only a draw against 17-9
Arne Andersson Arne Andersson (27 October 1917 – 1 April 2009) was a Swedish middle distance runner who became famous for his rivalry with his compatriot Gunder Hägg in the 1940s. Andersson set a 1500 metres world record in Gothenburg in August 1943 with ...
. Retzlaff retired afterwards, having compiled a career record of 64-8-3 with 54 wins by knockout. He returned to the family farm near Leonard, ND in 1940. In 1950 he opened an automobile dealership in Detroit Lakes, MN and died in that town in 1970. He and his wife are buried in Leonard, ND. Charley Retzlaff was inducted into the
Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame The Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame is a commemorative organization with plans to create a museum. It celebrates the history of boxing in the state of Minnesota by honoring individuals whose achievements within the sport are noteworthy. History Thou ...
in 2015.


References


External links


Charley Retzlaff -vs
Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed "the Brown Bomber", Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He r ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Retzlaff, Charley 1904 births 1970 deaths Heavyweight boxers Boxers from Minnesota American male boxers