Boxing in the 1950s beaten by Pérez), won Japan's first world title, and Hogan Bassey won the first belt for Nigeria. Popular American fighters in the 1950s proved legendary: Sugar Ray Robinson would still win (and lose) world titles, Rocky Marciano became the only heavyweight world champion in history to retire with perfect record. Jersey Joe Walcott the oldest heavyweight champion (until George Foreman regained the title in 1994), Archie Moore broke the all-time knockout record as well as the record for the oldest champion, at 48, for "any" division, Ezzard Charles proved to be a reliable substitute for Joe Louis as heavyweight champ,
Joe Grim Grim again made it to the final bell. Between rounds Johnson remarked to his cornermen: "he ain't human." Afterwards he said: "I just don't believe that man is made of flesh and blood." His reputation as a man who could not be knocked out attracted numerous other high profile opponents for Grim, among them Barbados Joe Walcott, Jack Blackburn, Joe Gans, Dixie Kid, Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, Battling Levinsky, and Peter Maher, all of whom were unable to stop him, despite many administering heavy beatings. Gans gave him a "severe pounding" and knocked him down in most rounds. The amount of