Charley Retzlaff, alias The Duluth Dynamiter (October 28, 1904 – June 4, 1970) was an American heavyweight 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 , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, 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 in ...

Professional career

Retzlaff made his professional debut with a second-round knockout 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. 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 Saint Paul, Minnesota on November 8, 1908, and called Minneapoli ...

. Of Retzlaff, famed sportswriter

Damon Runyon Alfred Damon Runyon (October 4, 1880 – December 10, 1946) was an American newspaperman and short-story writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To N ...

would say "

e is E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in 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 ); plur ...

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 among the top ten heavyweight boxers in the world. In January 1936 Retzlaff lost by first-round knockout to a young prospect named Joe Louis. 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. Anderson set a 1500 metres world record in Gothenburg in August 1943 with a ...

. 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 {{DEFAULTSORT:Retzlaff, Charley 1904 births 1970 deaths Heavyweight boxers Boxers from Minnesota American male boxers