Brief Lives: Virgil Akins - Hannibal Boxing
Hannibal Boxing Virgil Akins knocks down Vince Martinez during their fight for the vacant welterweight world title at the Arena in St. Louis on June 6,1958. Akins won by TKO in round four. Finally, after all the hard years toiling in hothouse gyms and all the years crisscrossing the country as an itinerant journeyman—smoke-filled halls, catcalls and hisses when facing the local hero, narrow losses tallied on doubtful scorecard after doubtful scorecard—Virgil Akins became one of The Chosen. It took “Honeybear” more than a decade to win the welterweight title, and when he did, it vaulte...
Source: hannibalboxing.com