Johnny Coulon
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John Frederic Coulon (12 February 1889, Toronto, Canada – 29 October 1973, Chicago, Illinois) was the bantamweight boxing champion of the world from 6 March 1910, when he wrested the crown from England's Jim Kendrick, until 1914, when he was defeated by Kid Williams.
Born in Canada to American parents Emile Eugene Coulon (1857-1911) and Sarah Loretta Waltzinger (1857-1923), he grew up in turn of the century Chicago, where as a prelim fighter he became known as "The Cherry Picker from Logan Square." He turned pro at sixteen and was champion at twenty-one. His career, managed by his father, Eugene "Pop" Coulon, stretched from 1905 to 1920. The hall-of-famer is listed as losing only four times in ninety-seven fights, but he claimed to have fought over three hundred pro fights.
Coulon won his first 26 bouts before losing a 10-round decision to Kid Murphy. In a rematch with Murphy in 1908, Coulon reversed the decision and earned recognition as the American bantamweight champion.
After capturing the world title against Kendrick in 19 rounds, he defended the title against Earl Denning, Frankie Conley, Frankie Burns and Kid Williams. He finally lost the crown in 1914 when Williams stopped him in the third round. He also faced Harry Forbes during his career. Coulon met three Hall-of-Famers in his career: Kid Williams, Pete Herman and Charley Goldman, who is best known for training Rocky Marciano.
Coulon served in the United States Army during World War I, often instructing soldiers on how to fight. He boxed twice after his service stint and retired from the ring in 1920 with a record of 56 wins, 4 draws and 32 no-contests.
After retirement, he began public performances with a stupendous stage act. He would appear stripped to the waist and challenge anyone in the audience to try to lift him off his feet. It seemed an empty challenge since at five feet and barely 110 pounds, he was smaller than many schoolboys. But each who took up the challenge soon left the stage baffled and frustrated. Coulon himself never made any extravagant claims that he could violate natural laws. He was content to make a living by presenting a baffling stage act. The trick was that Coulon would feign a struggle, grabbing the opponent by the neck and applying pressure to a nerve there.
In 1921, Johnny married Marie Maloney (1892-1984). She never saw him fight professionally, but together they opened Coulon's Gymnasium on the South Side of Chicago. Marie was the business manager. "His professional career was over when we met, but together we saw oh so many of the great ones train at our gym down thru the years -- men like Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Jim Braddock, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali." Ali would often use the gym to keep himself toned during his exile years. Coulon managed junior welterweight champion Eddie Perkins (74-20-4) and Light-heavyweight contender Allen Thomas.
Coulon knew everyone. Ernest Hemingway visited Coulon's and insisted on sparring with the local pugs. LeRoy Neiman sketched boxers working out. A cult movie of the sixties, Medium Cool, filmed scenes at the gym, where Coulon briefly appeared, a tiny old man captured forever on celluloid.
Coulon was not only a topnotch trainer, but living boxing history. He was a close friend of Jack Johnson, had frequented Johnson's restaurant the "Café De Champion," and had even been a pallbearer at the great champion's funeral. He had known every heavyweight champion since the Great John L. Sullivan, had been bantamweight champion of the world, had trained hundreds of fighters and was a revered celebrity in Chicago during the 1960s. At seventy-six he could leave a ring by jumping over a top rope, landing softly on his feet. He celebrated a birthday by walking the length of the gym on his hands. He died at 84 in 1973 in Chicago and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Johnny Coulon was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1955 (Sport: Boxing; Theme: Strength & Science), was installed in the Catholic Youth Organization's Club of Champions for his contributions to amateur boxing in 1971, and into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999.
