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,
Barbados Joe Walcott earned in the ring and eventually found employment as a custodian at the old Madison Square Garden. He died at 62 on October 4, 1935. He was reported missing in December 1935, by his daughter. He had been last seen around Mansfield, Ohio, on a trip he was taking to find work in Hollywood. It was later reported he died in a car accident in Massillon, Ohio, fifty miles from Mansfield. Nat Fleischer rated Walcott as the greatest welterweight of all time and in 2003 he was included in the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.