Virgil Akins (March 10, 1928 – January 22, 2011) was an American boxer who won the Undisputed Welterweight Championship of the World in 1958. Nicknamed ‘Honeybear’, Akins was the first World Champion boxer from St. Louis.

Career Akins was born and died in St. Louis, Missouri.

Akins was considered lanky, but proved nevertheless to be a powerful hitter with either hand. He began his career as a Lightweight in 1948, continuing to fight in that division for 6 years before finally growing into the Welterweight class. He was long considered to be an effective operator and boasted wins over future World Champions Joe Brown and Wallace ‘Bud’ Smith, as well as ending the incredible forty-seven fight winning streak of Ronnie Delaney, by way of knock-out in 1955.

Akins had powered his way up the rankings in both divisions and finally got his chance of a World title once Carmen Basilio relinquished the Welterweight Championship to concentrate on defending his new Middleweight crown. An elimination tournament including six of the World's top-rated Welterweights was swiftly established in an effort to find Basilio's successor. Akins emerged the victor and new World Champion on June 6, 1958, by pounding favourite Vince Martinez to a fourth round destruction. All told, Martinez went down nine times, having never seriously recovered from a shattering right delivered early in the First.

Akins's reign would not last long however. Six months later, he lost his title to Don Jordan by way of unanimous decision and in only his first defense. Akins disputed the result but fared no better in the return, held the following Spring. From that moment on, it was downhill all the way for the former champion, who would win just ten of his last twenty-three fights before hanging up his gloves in 1962.

Akins's contract was "owned" under the table by the notorious Frank "Blinky" Palermo, a member of the Philadelphia crime family. Palermo was imprisoned in 1961 for conspiracy and extortion for the covert ownership of prizefighters.

Akins died at the age of 82 on January 22, 2011.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes93Loss Rip RandallUD10Mar 20, 1962 92Loss60–30–2 Ralph DupasUD10Dec 27, 1961 91Win60–29–2 Vince BonomoTKO4 (10)Dec 13, 1961 90Draw59–29–2 Stefan RedlTKO10 (?)Nov 17, 1961 89Win59–29–1 Jose Antonio BurgosTKO10 (?)Oct 16, 1961 88Loss58–29–1 Kenny LaneUD10Sep 22, 1961 87Loss58–28–1 Henry WhiteMD10Sep 5, 1961 86Win58–27–1 Cecil ShortsTKO8 (10)Jul 10, 1961 85Win57–27–1 Billy CollinsUD10May 15, 1961 84Win56–27–1 Gerald GrayMD10Mar 4, 1961 83Win55–27–1 TJ JonesTKO9 (10)Jan 16, 1961 82Loss54–27–1 Candy McFarlandSD10Dec 6, 1960 81Win54–26–1 Carl HubbardKO5 (10)Nov 21, 1960 80Loss53–26–1 Luis Manuel RodriguezUD10Jul 6, 1960 79Win53–25–1 Charley ScottUD10May 20, 1960 78Win52–25–1 Fernando BarretoPTS10Apr 1, 1960 77Loss51–25–1 Wally SwiftPTS10Mar 8, 1960 76Loss51–24–1 Don FullmerUD10Jan 28, 1960 75Loss51–23–1 Denny MoyerSD10Dec 10, 1959 74Loss51–22–1 Kenny LaneMD10Oct 28, 1959 73Win51–21–1 Stan HarringtonMD10Aug 14, 1959 72Loss50–21–1 Luis Manuel RodriguezUD10Jun 17, 1959 71Loss50–20–1 Don JordanUD15Apr 24, 1959 70Loss50–19–1 Don JordanUD15Dec 5, 1958 69Loss50–18–1 Del FlanaganUD10Sep 18, 1958 68Win50–17–1 Charley Tombstone SmithTKO10 (10)Aug 20, 1958 67Win49–17–1 Vince MartinezTKO4 (15)Jun 6, 1958 66Win48–17–1 Issac LogartTKO6 (12)Mar 21, 1958 65Win47–17–1 Tony DeMarcoTKO12 (15)Jan 21, 1958 64Win46–17–1 Tony DeMarcoKO14 (15)Oct 29, 1957 63Loss45–17–1 Gil TurnerPTS10Sep 18, 1957 62Win45–16–1 Garnet HartTKO8 (10)Aug 9, 1957 61Loss44–16–1 Franz SzuzinaUD10Jul 8, 1957 60Win44–15–1 Walter ByarsUD10Jun 12, 1957 59Win43–15–1 Jimmy BeechamTKO3 (10)May 24, 1957 58Win42–15–1 Franz SzuzinaUD10Mar 4, 1957 57Win41–15–1 Al AndrewsTKO6 (10)Jan 31, 1957 56Win40–15–1 Sammy WalkerUD10Jan 8, 1957 55Win39–15–1 Pat LowryKO2 (10)Oct 22, 1956 54Loss38–15–1 Charlie SawyerUD10Sep 15, 1956 53Win38–14–1 Don JoseTKO4 (10)Jun 21, 1956 52Win37–14–1 Hector ConstanceUD10Mar 21, 1956 51Win36–14–1 Andy WatkinsTKO2 (10)Mar 8, 1956 50Win35–14–1 Mel BarkerTKO8 (10)Jan 26, 1956 49Win34–14–1 Clarence CookKO4 (10)Jan 19, 1956 48Win33–14–1 Rudolph BentTKO5 (10)Jan 3, 1956 47Loss32–14–1 Issac LogartUD10Dec 2, 1955 46Win32–13–1 Harold JonesUD10Sep 13, 1955 45Win31–13–1 Issac LogartSD10Aug 8, 1955 44Win30–13–1 Bill SudduthTKO8 (10)Jun 21, 1955 43Win29–13–1 Joe MiceliTKO1 (10)May 23, 1955 42Win28–13–1 Ronnie DelaneyKO8 (10)May 2, 1955 41Draw27–13–1 Johnny BrownPTS8Apr 8, 1955 40Win27–13 Tommy MaddoxTKO4 (10)Mar 15, 1955 39Win26–13 Johnny BrownTKO10 (10)Mar 2, 1955 38Win25–13 Henry HankUD8Oct 26, 1954 37Loss24–13 Andrew BrownSD10Oct 16, 1954 36Win24–12 Joey GreenwoodTKO8 (10)Jun 2, 1954 35Loss23–12 Philip KimTKO10 (10)Aug 29, 1953 34Loss23–11 Johnny GonsalvesMD10Apr 4, 1953 33Loss23–10 Joe MiceliUD10Sep 30, 1952 32Loss23–9 Johnny SaxtonUD10Jul 30, 1952 31Win23–8 Jay WatkinsTKO2 (10)May 8, 1952 30Win22–8 Henry DavisTKO9 (10)Feb 29, 1952 29Win21–8 Joe GilmerTKO9 (10)Feb 19, 1952 28Win20–8 Baby LeRoyTKO4 (10)Feb 8, 1952 27Loss19–8 Luther RawlingsPTS8Dec 24, 1951 26Win19–7 Joe BrownUD10Dec 6, 1951 25Win18–7 Luther RawlingsSD10Oct 17, 1951 24Win17–7 Freddie DawsonSD10Sep 26, 1951 23Loss16–7 Joe BrownPTS10Jul 6, 1951 22Win16–6 Tommy CampbellPTS10Jun 8, 1951 21Loss15–6 Joe BrownPTS10May 25, 1951 20Win15–5 Wallace Bud SmithPTS10Apr 17, 1951 19Win14–5 Wallace Bud SmithPTS10Apr 4, 1951 18Win13–5 Gene ParkerTKO6 (6)Mar 9, 1951 17Loss12–5 Gene ParkerUD6Jan 18, 1951 16Win12–4 Joe SgroUD10Dec 6, 1950 15Win11–4 Rudy ZadellTKO3 (8)Nov 1, 1950 14Win10–4 Nelson LeveringKO2 (8)Oct 24, 1950 13Win9–4 Art EdmundsonPTS8Oct 5, 1950 12Loss8–4 Joe FisherPTS8Jul 15, 1950 11Loss8–3 Nelson LeveringPTS6Jul 6, 1950 10Loss8–2 Arthur PersleyPTS6Sep 29, 1949 9Win8–1 Clem CusterPTS8Mar 30, 1949 8Win7–1 Willie CheatumPTS8Mar 8, 1949 7Win6–1 Russ MooreKO2 (6)Feb 15, 1949 6Win5–1 Joe HendersonKO3 (6)Jan 17, 1949 5Win4–1 Danny RobinsonPTS6Nov 23, 1948 4Win3–1 Ollie CobbinsPTS6Jul 12, 1948 3Win2–1 Charlie BaxterPTS6Apr 21, 1948 2Loss1–1 Charlie BaxterTKO3 (6)Apr 5, 1948 1Win1–0 Albert AdamsPTS6Mar 10, 1948

Titles in boxing Major world titles NYSAC welterweight champion (147 lbs) NBA (WBA) welterweight champion (147 lbs)

The Ring magazine titles The Ring welterweight champion (147 lbs)

Regional/International titles Massachusetts welterweight champion (147 lbs)

Undisputed titles Undisputed welterweight champion

Honors Named The Ring magazine Progress of the Year fighter for 1958. Elected to the Gateway Classic Walk of Fame

See also List of welterweight boxing champions

References

External links

https://titlehistories.com/boxing/na/usa/ny/nysac-wl.html boxrec.com boxrec.com Biographical Information from: (i) The Ring Record Book & Boxing Encyclopedia, 1959 (Nat Fleischer, The Ring Book Shop Inc., 1959). See p. 4. (ii) STL Today . Details of Akin's Ring Record from: (i) The Boxing Records Archive . (ii) The Cyber Boxing Zone .