Earl Walls

Earl Walls (February 19, 1928 – December 13, 1996) was a Canadian professional heavyweight boxer who competed from 1948 to 1955. He won the Canadian heavyweight championship in 1952 and was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame in 1978.

Early life Earl Walls, an African-Canadian, was born on February 19, 1928, in Puce, Ontario.

Alongside nine brothers and sisters, he was raised on the family farm in Essex County, Ontario. His great-grandfather had fled slavery in North Carolina, reaching Canada through the Underground Railroad.

While attending a boxing match at the Detroit Olympia, Walls stepped in to replace an absent fighter, only to be blown out in a bout refereed by Joe Louis. Jones brought him to New York City, where he trained at Stillman's Gym for four months before turning professional, sparring with 31 main-event heavyweights. After three defeats, he shifted his training to Alberta.

Taking the Canadian heavyweight championship, June 1952 He captured the Canadian heavyweight championship in Edmonton on June 14, 1952, with a knockout win over then-Canadian heavyweight champion Vern Escoe.

Before 10,000 fans in Edmonton, Walls battled Rex Layne of the U.S. on June 3, 1953, in a non-title bout. The contract called for a rematch in Salt Lake City within thirty days. Walls once again stopped Layne by knockout in round six of their rematch on September 8, 1953. Walls had begun training under Dan Florio starting with the Layne bouts.

He retained his Canadian heavyweight boxing title against James J. Parker in front of 6,500 fans at the Maple Leaf Gardens. The twelve-round battle was ruled as a controversial draw.

In 1955, on track to be the second Canadian after Tommy Burns to claim the world heavyweight title, he was ranked fifth in the world and seemed destined to face Rocky Marciano.

Death Earl Walls died on December 13, 1996, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Awards and recognition 1978 Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Afro-American Sports Hall of Fame inductee 1992 Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame inductee 2001 Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame inductee