[Rocco Del Sesto]

01/18/67 Wednesday
St. Paul, MN, USA
James J. Beattie – HW (20-3-1) vs. Ed Hurley – HW (8-4-0)

James J. Beattie Rating 3 USA
Heavyweight 1962-79
41 wins / 10 losses / 1 draw / 34 KO

Hometown: St. Paul, MN
Trainer: Freddie Fierro
Manager: Charlie Bauer/Glen Flanag

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

From 1962 to 1968 Beattie ran up a 31-4-1 record when in 1968 he lost consectutive fights by TKO to Buster Mathis and a Tommy Fields. Came back in 1976-1979 and rung up a 10-6 record in that time. Big wina in career was against Tom McNeeley, Dick Wipperman three times, Billy Tisdale, Dick Greatorex, Mel Turnbow, Ed Hurley twice, Lou Bailey, Levi Forte, Aaron Easting, and Willie Ray Richardson twice. Lost fights against Mathis, Scott LeDoux, Leroy Jones, James J. Woody, Al Jones, and Tommy Fields.

I posted Beattie some time back. I did some retesting of him and tweeked some ratings. His overall went down from 4 to 3.


Ed "Baker Boy" Hurley Rating 1 USA
Heavyweight 1965-68
11 wins / 9 losses / 1 draw / 3 KO

Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Manager: Gene Fesenmaier

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Won fights against Ron Marsh and Billy Marsh. Also defeated a Bob Avery(14-13-4,6) and Don Koontz(11-5-0,5). Lost fights against Memphis Al Jones, Marsh, Aaron Eastling twice, James J. Beattie twice, and Buster Mathis. Fought a 6 round draw with Fred Askew(20-15-2,11).

The fight....
After racking up wins against Dick Greatorex, Tom McNeeley, Alonzo Johnson, Orvin Veazey and Mel Turnbow in 1965, Beattie finished up 1965 loosing by 7th round TKO against James J. Woody. In 1966 then he fought only twice leading up to this bout with Hurley, winning 3 round KO fights against a Sonny Andrews and Barry O’Neil. Hurley is coming off a 10 round decision loss to Ron Marsh in late November 1966 which was his 3rd loss in his last 5 fights. This scheduled 10 round fight went the full distance with Beattie coming out on top with the decision victory.
Our replay fight was a good fight with back and forth action from both of our fighters. Through 9 rounds, neither had been able to land a knock out punch but each was landing plenty of punches such that going into the 10th round the fight was still not totally decided. After the first 9 rounds Beattie held a narrow margin with two judges having it scored 86-85 and 87-85 for Beattie and the 3rd judge having it even 86-86. The 10th round starts with Hurley glancing a hook off Beattie’s side. Both fighters are laboring at this point and clinching each other a lot. Hurley then manages to land a jab and then a cross after missing with another jab. Hurley then fires a volley of punches but Beattie has moved laterally and out of harm’s way by the time Hurley threw his punches. Then at 1:49 in last round, lightening suddenly strikes when Beattie lands a clean uppercut that catches Hurley flush. Hurley drops like he’s been shot! He’s counted out. Beattie scores himself and sudden and unexpected knockout victory at the 2:00 mark in the 10th and final round! It really looked like Hurley was maybe going to be able to at least pull out a draw in this fight when BAM!