The name Coley Wallace is not a well-known name in boxing or in the movies, but…….Born in Jacksonville, Florida, then moving to Harlem, New York, Wallace, 6-1 at the time, was the last opponent to defeat the future world unbeaten heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, 11-3, in March of 1948 in the Eastern Golden Gloves tournament which he would go onto win.
Wallace would then go on to win the National AAU tournament at the Boston Garden in April 1948, qualifying him for the Olympic trials in the same facility. He would stop future pro Charley “The Bayonne Bomber” Norkus in the quarter-finals, then stop Art Seay, 11-1, and then lose to Norvel Lee in the semi-finals. Lee lost in the finals and became an Olympic alternate. Lee lost in the quarter-finals of the London Olympics in 1948.
Lee would defeat future world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson and two future Olympic Gold Medalists in Pete Rademacher (1956) and Ed Sanders (1952).
Wallace would go on to win the 1949 New York Golden Gloves and then lose in the Eastern finals. He also lost to Jimmy Bivins, 86-25-1, who was recognized as heavyweight champion while Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis served in the US Army. He lost in the amateurs to future world heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles. In the pro’s, he ended up 22-7 after going 18-1 and 4-6. In the amateurs, he was 25-3.
His amateur highlights included:
1948 New York Daily News Golden Gloves Open Division heavyweight champion defeating Gilmore Newkirk (later won the 1950 GG title).
In 1948, he defeated Marciano by split decision in the semi-final and defeated Bob Baker (51-16-1 as a pro) in the final.
In 1948, he defeated Clarence Henry (34-6-1 as a pro) for the New York inter-city Golden Gloves title.
1948 National AAU, he defeated Bill Bangert for the title.
1948 Olympic trials, he was defeated by Norval Lee, 37-4, in the semi-final bout.
1949, he won the New York Dailey News Open Division, defeating Jimmy Gambino (11-1 as a pro).
1949 New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, he was defeated by Bob Baker in the semi-final and defeated Jimmy Hillard in the consolation bout.
He served as a boxing judge for 6 fights (82 to 89) and a referee for two fights (1974). In 2005, he passed away at the age of 77.
Wallace in 1953 would go on to portray Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis in the 1953 movie “The Joe Louis Story!” He was a ½” taller than Louis. So, there you have it, Wallace, the man who last defeated Rocky Marciano and portrayed Joe “The Brown” Bomber in the movies!
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