![Moore-Purhonen-Leskinen-Cotton-1962](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Moore-Purhonen-Leskinen-Cotton-1962.jpg)
Eddie Cotton, Jr. (June 15, 1926
www.findagrave.com
/ref> in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...
, United States — April 17, 2020 in Seattle) was a former boxer.[Boxrec.com](_blank)
/ref> Cotton was a resident of Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington until his death on following a second liver transplant.[NY Times Obituary](_blank)
/ref>
Career
Eddie Cotton was a light heavyweight contender from the late 1950s until his retirement in the late 1960s. He was known as a good defensive fighter, although not very exciting. He was also prone to getting cut in fights. His style was undoubtedly influenced by his original trainer who had boxed in an almost identical manner.
He won the vacant Michigan version of the world light heavyweight championship in 1963, outpointing Henry Hank over 15 rounds, and twice unsuccessfully challenged for the world title, losing to Harold Johnson for the National Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxi ...
title in 1961, and in 1966 losing what many felt was a controversial decision to José Torres
José ("Chegüi") Torres (May 3, 1936 – January 19, 2009) was a Puerto Rican-born American professional boxer. As an amateur boxer, he won a silver medal in the junior middleweight division at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. In 1965, he ...
for the world title. ''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 ...
'' named the Torres bout the "Fight of the Year". After the controversial Torres fight, Cotton was billed as the "Uncrowned Light Heavyweight Champion of the World."
Cotton fought 81 times in his career, winning 56, losing 23 and drawing 2 fights. He retired from boxing in 1967.
After his boxing career ended, Cotton worked for the Boeing Aircraft Company
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
as a tool and die maker
Tool and die makers are highly skilled crafters working in the manufacturing, manufacturing industries. Variations on the name include tool maker, toolmaker, die maker, diemaker, Moldmaker, mold maker, moldmaker or tool jig and die-maker depending ...
. He was also a member of the Washington State Boxing Commission. Cotton also owned a restaurant in Seattle which bore his name.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotton, Eddie
1926 births
1990 deaths
Boxers from Oklahoma
Sportspeople from Muskogee, Oklahoma
American male boxers
Light-heavyweight boxers