Zora Folley - Boxer
Zora Bell Folley, there is much to talks about
beyond the boxing ring from his service in
the Korean War, to his stint in politics, and
the memorial park in Chandler< Arizona
named the Zora Folley Memorial Park.
As a professional boxer, he would be a top
contender for many years, but did not
receive a title shot until the end days
of his boxing journey in 1967.
Sadly, the life of Zora Folley came to a tragic end when he
was injured in a swimming pool, and died shortly after in
the hopital. And, he is now one of the lost warriors.
Zora's zone in the world of pro boxing:
many of the top rated boxer including Canada's Bob Cleroux. And,
his 1967 title shot was against Cassius Clay/ Muhammad Ali.
Pride and Respect: Zora Folley and Muhammad Ali:
* There is no doubt what so ever, that there was mutual respect
between the veteran Zora Folley and the champ Ali when they
squared off in the ring. And, this memory was recalled by
Zora Folley Jr. when as a 14 year old he endured the pain
of the loss, but was spoken to by Ali himself.
with pride as
reported in the
"Arizona Central".
Looking back at the ring record:
From the mid-fifties until 1970, Zora faced some of the
best boxers such as:
Nino Valdes, Wayne Bethea, Art Swiden, Eddie Machen, Joe Bygraves,
Henry Cooper, Doug Jones, Ernie Terrell, George Chuvalo, Sonny Liston,
and Muhammad Ali, and many more.
Art Swiden never stopped talking about Zora Foley, for his skill, for the fact that he whipped his butt in the ring and for his style! I remember Art talking about Foley so many times, he fought him in Las Vegas, May 19, 1958, and lost, so this is decades after his loss to him, in 1976 plus. I think if a boxer speaks highly about an opponent of his in the ring, you can be sure, he was well respected! Nothing says admiration then speaking about him 3 decades later! Thanks Brian once again for your work here. Much appreciated by all.
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