Boxing in The 1950s - 1955

1955

• February 24- African-American IH "Sporty" Harvey, who had successfully challenged boxing segregation in court, fights Buddy Turman in the first legal interracial boxing match in Texas.
• May 16- Rocky Marciano retains the world Heavyweight title with a ninth round knockout of Don Cockell, at San Francisco.
• May 30- In a rematch, Pascual Pérez retains the world Flyweight title with a fifth round knockout of former world champion Yoshio Shirai, Tokyo, Japan.
• June 10- Carmen Basilio becomes world Welterweight champiom, knocking out champion Tony DeMarco in round twelve, at Syracuse.
• June 21- Archie Moore retains his world Light Heavyweight crown with a third round knockout of world Middleweight champion Bobo Olson, in New York.
• June 29- Wallace (Bud) Smith becomes world Lightweight champion, defeating Jimmy Carter by a fifteen round split decision, in Boston.
• September 21- Rocky Marciano fights for the last time, recovering from a knockdown to beat world Light Heavyweight champion Archie Moore by a knockout in round nine at New York, and retiring undefeated with 49 wins, 43 by knockout, as of 2006, the only world Heavyweight champion to go undefeated through his career.
• October 19- Wallace (Bud) Smith retains his world Lightweight title by a fifteen round decision in a rematch with former three time world champion Jimmy Carter, Cincinnati.
• November 30- In a rematch, Carmen Basilio retains his world Welterweight title by knocking out former world champion Tony DeMarco in the twelfth round, at Boston.
• December 9- Sugar Ray Robinson joins the exclusive group of fighters who have been world champion three or more times in one division, winning the world Middleweight title for the third time, with a second round knockout of champion Carl Olson, at Chicago