Tunney Morgan Hunsaker (September 1, 1930 – April 27, 2005) was a mid-20th century American professional boxer, who also served as the Police Chief of

Fayetteville, West Virginia Fayetteville is a town in and the county seat of Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,892 at the 2010 census. Fayetteville was listed as one of the 2006 "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Budget Travel Maga ...

Early life

He was born in the Western

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

town of

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nin ...

, in Caldwell County. In his youth he served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

, stationed at

Lackland Air Force Base Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of the city of S ...

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

Boxing career

In 1960, Hunsaker was

Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

's (later

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...

) first opponent in a professional

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

bout. After the fight Hunsaker said, "Clay was as fast as lightning ... I tried every trick I knew to throw at him off balance but he was just too good". In a thumbnail profile of the fight the following January, young Cassius was reported as having remarked that Hunsaker's style was far different from what Clay had been exposed to as an amateur and Olympian; the young fighter admitted to nervousness going in, and that Hunsaker's aforementioned pro style, had given him trouble. This respect appears genuine, as it was lasting—in his autobiography, Ali said Hunsaker dealt him one of the hardest body blows he ever took in his career. Ali and Hunsaker became good friends and stayed in touch over the years. Hunsaker said he did not agree with Ali's decision to refuse military service, but praised him as a great humanitarian and athlete. In the fight game, Hunsaker was a small heavyweight, perhaps better suited for light-heavy classification (175 lbs. limit); today, he would most likely compete as a cruiserweight (190 lbs. limit). He fought as a boxer-puncher, by his own telling. Hunsaker once appeared on the undercard at Madison Square Garden. Hunsaker ended up with a record of 17 wins with 15 defeats with 8 wins by knockout. His career ended after a boxing-related head injury suffered on April 6, 1962, in Beckley, West Virginia. Rushed to a Beckley hospital, Hunsaker was in a coma for 9 days during which he underwent two brain operations. His boxing record stood at 18 wins, 15 losses and 9 KOs.

Law enforcement career

Hunsaker served as Fayetteville police chief for 38 years, and was the youngest police chief in the history of West Virginia. He was later inducted into the Law Enforcement Hall Of Fame.

Death

Hunsaker suffered the physical effects of his last match for the rest of his life. He was 74 when he died on 27 April 2005, having been afflicted with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...

in his last years. His body was buried in Huse Memorial Park cemetery,

Personal life

Fayette Station Bridge - Tunney Hunsaker Sign

Hunsaker was active in the Oak Hill

Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa within Johnson County, Kansas. With its members ...

for many years, teaching a Sunday School class for fifth and sixth grade boys. He was three times named Sunday School Teacher of the Year. At the time of his death in 2005 he had been married to wife Patricia for over thirty years. In the US state of

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

, the Fayette Station Bridge carrying County Route 82 over the New River at the bottom of New River Gorge was named after him.

Professional boxing record

, - , align="center" colspan=8, 17 Wins (8 knockouts, 9 decisions), 15 Losses (7 knockouts, 8 decisions), 1 Draw , - , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Result , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Record , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opponent , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Type , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Round , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Date , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Location , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Notes , -align=center , Loss , 17–15–1 , align=left, Joe Shelton , KO , 10 , April 6, 1962 , align=left, Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center,

Beckley, West Virginia Beckley is a city in and the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It was founded on April 4, 1838. This city is the home of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology or West Virginia University, Beckley Campus. ...

, align=left, , - , -align=center , Win , 17–14–1 , align=left, Thomas Dejarnette , KO , 1 , February 24, 1962 , align=left,

West Virginia State Penitentiary The West Virginia Penitentiary is a gothic-style prison located in Moundsville, West Virginia. Now withdrawn and retired from prison use, it operated from 1876 to 1995. Currently, the site is maintained as a tourist attraction, museum, training f ...

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 16–14–1 , align=left, Sonny Banks , KO , 2 , October 16, 1961 , align=left,

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 16–13–1 , align=left, Thomas Dejarnette , TKO , 8 , September 28, 1961 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , -align=center , Win , 16–12–1 , align=left, Herman Wilson , TKO , 6 , August 22, 1961 , align=left, Fairgrounds Stadium,

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–12–1 , align=left, Tod Herring , UD , 10 , April 25, 1961 , align=left, City Auditorium,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–11–1 , align=left, Alejandro Lavorante , KO , 5 , March 21, 1961 , align=left,

Freeman Coliseum Freeman Coliseum is a sports and concert venue located in San Antonio, Texas. It has been host to thousands of events including the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, concerts, trade shows, motor sports, circus, professional sports including profes ...

, align=left, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–10–1 , align=left,

, UD , 6 , October 29, 1960 , align=left,

Freedom Hall Freedom Hall is a multi-purpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is best known for its use as a basketball arena, previously serving as the home ...

, align=left, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–9–1 , align=left, Tom McNeeley , TKO , 9 , April 12, 1960 , align=left,

Boston Arena Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in use for ice hockey. The arena opened in 1910 on wh ...

, Boston, Massachusetts , align=left, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–8–1 , align=left, Johnny Jenkins , SD , 6 , February 5, 1960 , align=left,

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...

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, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–7–1 , align=left, Jim O'Connell , PTS , 10 , January 16, 1960 , align=left,

Kenova, West Virginia Kenova is a city in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States, situated at the confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers. Located near a tristate border, the city's name is a portmanteau of Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia (Va). Founded in 1 ...

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–6–1 , align=left, Hosea Chapman , UD , 12 , November 14, 1959 , align=left, Memorial Auditorium,

, align=left, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–5–1 , align=left, Bert Whitehurst , TKO , 10 , September 30, 1959 , align=left,

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 15–4–1 , align=left, Ernie Terrell , PTS , 8 , July 24, 1959 , align=left,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 15–3–1 , align=left, Bennie Thomas , PTS , 8 , July 1, 1959 , align=left,

, , - , -align=center , Draw , 14–3–1 , align=left, Hosea Chapman , SD , 12 , June 20, 1959 , align=left,

Ravenswood, West Virginia Ravenswood is a city in Jackson County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,865 at the 2020 census. Geography Ravenswood is located at (38.952922, -81.761357), along the Ohio River at the mouth of Sandy ...

, align=left, , - , -align=center , Win , 14–3 , align=left, Billy Walters , KO , 1 , May 2, 1959 , align=left,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 13–3 , align=left, Terrell Pruitt , UD , 6 , March 28, 1959 , align=left,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 12–3 , align=left, Tiny Gibson , KO , 3 , September 30, 1958 , align=left,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 11–3 , align=left, Herbert Hair , KO , 2 , August 16, 1958 , align=left, Memorial Auditorium,

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 10–3 , align=left, Emil Brtko , KO , 2 , June 23, 1958 , align=left, High School Stadium,

Charleroi, Pennsylvania Charleroi ( ) is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, along the Monongahela River, 21 miles south of Pittsburgh. Charleroi was settled by Walloons in 1890 and incorporated in 1891. The 2020 census recorded a population of 4,210. There has ...

, align=left, , - , -align=center , Win , 10–2 , align=left, Jim Saddler , SD , 6 , June 9, 1953 , align=left, Municipal Auditorium,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 9–2 , align=left, O'Neal Crocker , TKO , 4 , June 2, 1953 , align=left, Ringside Club,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 8–2 , align=left, Carl Griffin , KO , 1 , April 20, 1953 , align=left,

Dallas Sportatorium The Sportatorium, located in downtown Dallas, Texas, was a barn-like arena used primarily for professional wrestling events. The building, which stood at 1000 S. Industrial Blvd, or the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and Cadiz Street (near ...

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, align=left, , - , -align=center , Win , 7–2 , align=left, Joe Arthur , SD , 10 , March 10, 1953 , align=left, Municipal Auditorium,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 6–2 , align=left, Ranchero Alonzo , PTS , 8 , February 10, 1953 , align=left, Municipal Auditorium,

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 5–2 , align=left, Ranchero Alonzo , PTS , 6 , December 30, 1952 , align=left, Municipal Auditorium,

, , - , -align=center , Loss , 5–1 , align=left, Whitey Berlier , PTS , 10 , November 5, 1952 , align=left,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 5–0 , align=left, Pat Viola , UD , 6 , October 20, 1952 , align=left, Municipal Auditorium,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 4–0 , align=left, Jesus Vargas , KO , 3 , October 7, 1952 , align=left, Municipal Auditorium,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Ranchero Alonzo , PTS , 6 , September 23, 1952 , align=left, Municipal Auditorium,

, , - , -align=center , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Pat Viola , PTS , 6 , July 31, 1952 , align=left,

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, , - , -align=center , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Pat Viola , UD , 4 , July 22, 1952 , align=left, Municipal Auditorium,

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunsaker, Tunney 1930 births 2005 deaths American municipal police chiefs Boxers from West Virginia People from Fayetteville, West Virginia American members of the Church of the Nazarene American male boxers 20th-century Methodists