Boxing Tale of Two Eddie Cottons
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Occasionally in boxing, and in other professional sports, two names which are identical create a bit of a mix up. In the light heavyweight division, there is one such mix up which some people don’t quite get. The mix u has to do with the two Eddie Cottons.
The boxing Eddie ‘Gun’ Cotton (1926-1990) was a light heavyweight contender out of Seattle, Washington, who compiled a career record of 56 wins, 23 losses, and two draws, with 33 knockouts. In terms of critical performances, Cotton was decisioned in ten round bouts by Dave Whitlock (1955 Lost 10), Archie Moore (1957 Lost 10), Sonny Ray (1957 Lost 10), Sixto Rodriguez (1959 Lost 10), Hank Casey and (1959 Lost 10). Between 1960 to 1961, Cotton won six bouts, then lost a National Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight title bout to Harold Johnson (1961 Lost 15).
The boxing Cotton lost twice to Mauro Mina (1962 Lost 10 and 1963 Lost 12). Cotton lost and won with Johnny Persol (1964 Lost 10 and 1964 Win TKO 4). Cotton then lost three times in a row to Wayne Thornton (1964 Lost 10 and Lost TKO 9, and 1965 Lost 10). Cotton then lost to Piero La Papa (1965 Lost 10). Cotton was unsuccessful in three tries against Roger Rouse (1965 Draw 10, 1965 Lost RTD 7, and1966 Lost 12).
The boxing Cotton still founds occasional wins here and there, and somehow qualified for the title fight he fought with Jose Torres at the Conventional Center in Las Vegas, Nevada for the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council World Light Heavyweight titles 1966 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year, Lost 15). Bob Foster, who watched the bout and who had bad luck at heavyweight, was determined to drop to light heavyweight and win the title after watching the bout between Cotton and Torres, which future world champion Foster regarding as absolutely horrible. Foster knocked out Cotton in the third round in May 1967 at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C. Cotton retired after scoring a first round knockout over Ernie Gipson in Anchorage, Alaska, in August 1967.
The boxing Cotton worked for the Boeing Aircraft Company and owned a restaurant under his own name in Seattle in later years, and also served as a member of the Washington State Boxing Commission. Cotton died from a blood infection following a second liver transplant on June 24, 1990 at age 64.
The refereeing Eddie Cotton is very much alive. A resident of Patterson, New Jersey, he has refereed over 250 professional bouts since 1992, primarily in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, but also numerous world title bouts in Germany and other parts of the world. Known for point deductions and disqualifications for repeating fouling, the living Eddie Cotton is one of the best referees in the world today. For the record, the two Eddie Cottons are not related. Cotton was last seen refereeing the WBO Super Middleweight World title bout between Robert Stieglitz and Isaac Ekpo in Leipsig, Germany, on December 19, 2013, won by Stieglitz by unanimous decision in 12.
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