NFL Heavyweight Boxer Chuck Powell Dies, Fought Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Charlie ‘Chuck’ Powell, perhaps the greatest all-around athlete ever to come out of San Diego, California, who was a star in the National Football League, and for a time a world ranked professional heavyweight boxer, died in his native San Diego Friday at age 82.
Powell was the only professional football player to fight a past, present or future world heavyweight champion, and he did it twice, a feat yet unequaled by Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones, Mark Gastineau, Seth Mitchell, Tye Fields, and all other boxing heavyweights.
Fighting between 1953 and 1965, Powell compiled a professional ring record in the heavyweight division of 25-11-3, with 17 knockouts. Powell fought Muhammad Ali in 1963 just before Ali best Liston twice in world heavyweight title bouts, and lost to Floyd Patterson in 1964 just after Patterson had lost twice to Sonny Liston in world heavyweight title bouts.
Powell learned how to box with lessons from his talented boxing neighbor, world light heavyweight champion Archie Moore, adding to his other considerable athletic talents.
Unbeaten in his first 12 pro bouts, a 1959 eighth round stoppage of Cuba’s Nino Valdes propelled Powell into the world heavyweight ratings. Powell also beat Charley Norkus in a rematch (Win 10), and lost a rematch (Lose 12) for the USA California Heavyweight title to Roger Rischer.
Powell, in his first game as a defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers, sacked quarterback Bobby Layne of the Detroit Lions ten times, in an era before the quarterback sack statistics were compiled. Powell played seven seasons with the 49ers and the Oakland Raiders in the old American Football League. A slugging home run hitter who was signed by the St. Louis Browns, he played one season of minor league baseball with their Class C Affiliate team the Stockton Ports. Powell could run a 100 yards in under 10 seconds, and throw the shot put more than 57 feet of distance. He earned 12 varsity letters at San Diego High School in baseball, basketball, football, and track, and passed on a tryout with the Harlem Globetrotters.
Powell remembered losing the weight for boxing over the winter, and putting the weight back for football in the spring. Powell is survived by his wife Irma, to whom he was married for 60 years, one sister and four brothers, including Art Powell, who played 10 NFL seasons as a receiver, and Jerry Powell, a receiver for the Honolulu Hawaiians of the World Football League.
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