Bad news: Philadelphia’s great “Mr. Blue Collar”, “Bad” Bennie Briscoe – age 67 – passes. February 8, 1943 to December 28, 2010.

Bennie Briscoe was a top-rated Middleweight contender during the 1970s, unsuccessfully challenging for the World Title on three different occasions. In his first fight with Carlos Monzon in Argentina, Briscoe walked away with a draw. He said getting a draw in Argentina is getting a victory in the United States. In his rematch with Monzon for the title, Briscoe badly stunned the champion in the 9th round, but failed to score a knockout and lost by decision after 15 rounds in Buenos Aires. Monzon always respected Briscoe, and when the champion was in New York one year later for the Boxing Writers dinner, he gave Briscoe a warm greeting.

Briscoe always wore a Jewish “Star of David” on his boxing trunks. Boxing magazines and news reports in the early 1970s said he was practicing the “Jewish faith.” In reality, it was because two of his managers, Jimmy Iselin and Arnold Weiss, were Jewish.

Regarded as one of the best never to win a world title, Briscoe scored wins over Charley Scott, George Benton, Vicente Rondon, Kitten Hayward, Tom Bethea, Juarez DeLima, Carlos Marks, Rafael Gutierrez, Art Hernandez (for the NABF title), Billy “Dynamite” Douglas, Tony Mundine, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, Jean Mateo and Tony Chiaverini. He also lost and drew with Emile Griffith in two fights.

Briscoe finished with 66 wins (53 knockouts), 24 losses, five draws and one No Contest.

* Professional boxing record for Bennie Briscoe from BoxRec

Henry

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