Wipperman, Dick

A heavyweight from Buffalo, New York, Wipperman fought professionally in the 1960s. In March 1966, he fought Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden and was knocked out in the fifth round (it was Frazier's first appearance at the Garden).

Birth and Death Dates:
b. July 9, 1941

Career Highlights:
Wipperman began his professional boxing career in 1961 with two fights against Abdur Haleem (aka Buddy Moore). Dick won the first fight, but lost the second (both were held in Ohio). The following year, he fought in Ohio and in the Buffalo in the first half of the year, but also faced Johnny Barrazza in a couple of fights, the first in Comiskey Park in Chicago (September 1962) and the second in at Madison Square Garden in New York (October 1962) - Wipperman won both fights in four-round decisions. (The Barrazzi fight at the Garden was the undercard of middleweight Reuben 'Hurricane' Carter's Garden debut. Carter was made famous by being falsely convicted for a double murder, Bob Dylan's song Hurricane, and a movie of the same title starring Denzel Washington).

After losing his final fight in 1962, Wipperman went undefeated in 1963 (seven fights), including a four-round decision over Julie Reynolds at the Garden in March of that year. Then, in 1964, he fought a couple of more times at the Garden and then traveled to London in January 1965 to fight Henry Cooper, the British heavyweight champion - he lost on a fifth-round technical knockout. Wipperman then returned to the United States and fought a couple of more times before finishing 1965 with a November bout in Toronto (an eight-round decision over Alonzo Johnson).

The following year, Wipperman fought a young Joe Frazier at the Garden and was knocked out in the fifth round. Wipperman continued to fight for another few years, but eventually retired in 1968 with almost fifty fights to his name.

Origin:
Buffalo, New York

Physical description:
200-210 pounds

Career Statistics:
Professional record (incomplete):
Wins: 32 wins (16 by knockout)
Losses: 14
Draws: 1

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