# Chalky Wright

Albert "Chalky" Wright (February 1, 1912 – August 12, 1957) was an American featherweight boxer who fought from 1928 to 1948 and held the world featherweight championship in 1941–1942. His career record was 171 wins (with 87 knockouts), 46 losses and 19 draws. In 2003, Wright ranked #95 on The Ring magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time.

## Early years and family

Wright was born in Willcox, Arizona, though a few sources erroneously give Wright's place of birth as Durango, Colorado, or Durango, Mexico), the youngest of seven children born to James ("Jim") and Clara Wright (née Martin). Wright's maternal grandfather, Caleb Baines Martin, was a runaway slave from Natchez, Mississippi, who fled to the Arizona Territory shortly before the Civil War. After serving in the Union Army as a Buffalo Soldier, he homesteaded 160 acres in Graham County, Arizona. He bought cattle from Colonel Henry Hooker and established a dairy ranch on the property (which eventually grew to 640 acres), making him the first African American ranch owner in Southwest Arizona. He supplied dairy produce to Fort Grant and surrounding settlers.
Wright's father was born in Mexico and also raised cattle. Wright's mother worked as a housekeeper. Shortly after Wright's birth, his father left the family. Around 1918, Clara Wright moved her children to Colton, California. It was there that Wright developed a love for boxing.

## Professional career

Wright began his professional boxing career at the age of 16, boxing for the San Bernardino Boxing Club. The five-foot, 7½-inch Wright was unusually tall for his 126-pound weight, giving him a long reach. His first fight took place on February 23, 1928 against Nilo Balle, who he defeated in four rounds. Wright began fighting on the East Coast of the United States in 1938, losing a knockout to Henry Armstrong. Armstrong, however was impressed with his boxing style, and began using Wright as a sparring partner. Impressed with his technique, Armstrong's manager Eddie Walker picked up Wright as a client. He began winning again, and by 1938 was moving up rapidly in the ranks.
By 1941, he was among the world's top featherweight boxers. He beat Sal Bartolo on May 22 at Madison Square Garden to get a chance at the New York State Athletic Commission featherweight championship then held by Joey Archibald. The modest crowd of 4,000 booed the decision for Wright, favoring the younger, whiter, and more regional Italian Bartolo from Boston.
Wright's pre-match regimen was described as "unorthodox" by the Baltimore Afro-American. Before the Terranova fight Chalky was in and out of the Hotel Theresa bar for four days. He smoked evil smelling, twisted cigars. He drank freely of whatever his palate called for. He went where he wanted as late as 2 and 3 a.m., and then climbed into the ring at the Garden to put on a master exhibition of boxing and hitting power.

### Taking the world featherweight title, September 1941

On September 11, 1941, Wright dethroned reigning New York State Athletic Commission's (NYSAC) world featherweight champion Joey Archibald with a TKO in the eleventh round in Washington, D.C., taking the featherweight title, as recognized by the NYSAC and Maryland. A left hook to the body and a right to the jaw ended the eleventh, 54 seconds after the bell. Wright had kept his left jabbing and hooking to the face of his opponent and his rights to the body were equally punishing. Archibald fought back well after the first few rounds, and showed excellent footwork, but was unable to hurt or slow Wright.
Wright successfully defended the title against former champion Harry Jeffra gaining a tenth-round technical knockout on June 19, 1942 in Baltimore. The first six rounds remained somewhat close, but Jeffra was badly hurt in the seventh and eighth, as he lost his speed and fell victim to Wright. Jeffra was floored for a count of nine in the ninth, and his defeat looked in inevitable, as Wright continued to bang away at him after he arose for the rest of the round. As Wright continued to land blows against the nearly defenseless Jeffra in the opening of the tenth, the referee stopped the bout, coming between the contestants to end the match.
Before a crowd of 12,000, Wright successfully defended his title again on September 25, 1942 against LuLu Constantino in a fifteen-round split decision at Madison Square Garden. The Associated Press gave Wright nine rounds, with five to Constantino, and one even. Wright did most of his work from the fifth round on, and clearly had the edge in the eighth through fifteenth.

#### Losing the world featherweight title, November 1942

He lost his title in a fifteen-round unanimous decision before a crowd of 19,000, Willie Pep, eight years his junior, on November 20, 1942 at Madison Square Garden. Pep, who made his fiftieth straight victory, used brilliant blocking and adroit shifting of his body along the ropes to defend the strong punching of his opponent. Pep used well timed left jabs effectively at many points in the bout, which was not entirely one-sided. The Associated Press gave Wright four rounds, including the fifth through seventh, but strongly favored Pep, who won decisively, with eleven.
Still fighting in 1946, he won only two of eleven remaining fights, bucking the odds and continuing to box as he turned an "ancient" thirty-four years of age. He finally retired March 9, 1948, after losing to Ernie Hunick when he did not answer the bell for the fourth round.

## Post boxing career

After his retirement, Wright worked as a trainer for lightweight contender Tommy Campbell. In January 1954, Jet magazine reported that Wright claimed he had written his autobiography, Me and You, under the pen name "Jay Caldwell". The book remains unreleased.
In October 1954, Wright opened a bar in Los Angeles called the "Knockout Lounge". He claimed that all of the bartenders were ex-boxers. By the mid-1950s, Wright had gambled away the fortune he had earned as a boxer. At the time of his death, he was working in a Los Angeles bakery.

## Personal life

Wright was married twice and had one child. His first marriage, which ended in divorce, was to Gertrude "Gert" Arnold. His subsequent marriage to Jennie Batch in 1937 produced a son, Albert James. They were separated at the time of his death.

### Confidential magazine scandal

In the 1930s, Wright became friendly with actress Mae West. West was a boxing fan and helped to finance Wright's boxing career. He eventually became her live-in bodyguard and chauffeur for a time. The two reportedly began a romantic relationship though both publicly denied this.
In November 1955, the popular tabloid Confidential wrote an exposé, titled "Mae West's Open Door Policy". The story, intended to raise scandal and arouse interest, described West's live-in love affair with the "bronze boxer" and how she frequently gave Wright hundreds of dollars to gamble. West denied the story and sued for libel and defamation. She won the suit and Confidential published a retraction. In August 1957, a highly publicized criminal libel case was brought against Confidential to expose the tactics used by the magazine's writers. Celebrity testimony was to include that of both West and Wright. Though Wright died before he could testify, West testified a writer for Confidential had approached Wright falsely claiming he wanted information on West for a biographical film. West noted that Wright was paid $200 for the information, but insisted "...he didn't say any of the things they claim he did."

## Early death from drowning

By 1957, Wright was in ill health, and had been hospitalized in July for a heart condition. On August 12, 1957, Wright's mother found his body in the bathtub in her Los Angeles apartment. His head was submerged underwater and the tap was running. Rumors of foul play and suicide immediately began to surface as Wright was scheduled to testify in the high-profile libel suit against Confidential magazine. These rumors were furthered when Wright's first wife Gert Arnold, who was expected to testify, claimed she received an anonymous phone call from a "gruff voiced man" who told her "...if you know what's good for you, you'll clam up about this whole thing."
It was later determined that Wright, who had been hospitalized for a heart condition six weeks before his death, suffered a heart attack while in the bathtub causing him to slip and fall. He then struck his head on the tap, which rendered him unconscious, and he drowned. Investigators noted that Wright had attempted to stop himself from falling by grabbing a towel rack which was found pulled from the wall. His death was ruled accidental.
Wright's funeral was held on August 26. Baptist minister Henry Armstrong, a former sparring partner, and opponent, delivered the eulogy. He was buried in Lincoln Memorial Park in Carson, California.

## Honors

Wright was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1976 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997.
In 2003, The Ring ranked Wright #95 on their 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time list.
In 2012, Wright was inducted into the Colton, California Sports Hall of Fame.

## Professional boxing record

| 238 fights | 171 wins | 46 losses |
| By knockout | 87 | 7 |
| By decision | 84 | 39 |
| Draws | 19 | 19 |
| No contests | 2 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| 238 | Loss | 171–46–19 (2) | Ernie Hunick | RTD | 3 (10) | Mar 9, 1948 | Fairgrounds Coliseum, Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| 237 | Loss | 171–45–19 (2) | Larry Cisneros | PTS | 10 | Jun 24, 1947 | Zimmerman Field, Albuquerque, New Mexico | |
| 236 | Draw | 171–44–19 (2) | Frankie Saucedo | PTS | 10 | May 12, 1947 | Plaza de Toros, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico | |
| 235 | Loss | 171–44–18 (2) | Willie Pep | KO | 3 (10) | Nov 27, 1946 | Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
| 234 | Loss | 171–43–18 (2) | Enrique Bolanos | UD | 10 | Oct 15, 1946 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 233 | Loss | 171–42–18 (2) | Johnny Dell | PTS | 10 | Aug 27, 1946 | Dexter Park Arena, Woodhaven, Queens, New York City, New York | |
| 232 | Loss | 171–41–18 (2) | Frankie Moore | PTS | 10 | Apr 17, 1946 | Auditorium, Oakland, California | |
| 231 | Loss | 171–40–18 (2) | Frankie Moore | KO | 1 (10) | Mar 27, 1946 | Auditorium, Oakland, California | |
| 230 | Win | 171–39–18 (2) | Georgie Hansford | RTD | 3 (10) | Mar 5, 1946 | Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
| 229 | Loss | 170–39–18 (2) | Enrique Bolanos | UD | 10 | Feb 19, 1946 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 228 | Win | 170–38–18 (2) | Pedro Firpo | UD | 10 | Jan 25, 1946 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York | |
| 227 | Win | 169–38–18 (2) | Johnny Bratton | UD | 10 | Dec 14, 1945 | Coliseum Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| 226 | Win | 168–38–18 (2) | Leroy Willis | UD | 10 | Nov 2, 1945 | Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan | |
| 225 | Win | 167–38–18 (2) | Bobby Ruffin | UD | 10 | Oct 5, 1945 | Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan | |
| 224 | Win | 166–38–18 (2) | Humberto Zavala | UD | 10 | Sep 21, 1945 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 223 | Win | 165–38–18 (2) | Enrique Bolanos | SD | 10 | Aug 28, 1945 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 222 | Win | 164–38–18 (2) | Henry Jordan | KO | 6 (10) | Jul 31, 1945 | MacArthur Stadium, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 221 | Win | 163–38–18 (2) | Willie Joyce | UD | 10 | Apr 17, 1945 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 220 | NC | 162–38–18 (2) | Jackie Wilson | NC | 7 (10) | Apr 9, 1945 | Coliseum, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 219 | Loss | 162–38–18 (1) | Willie Joyce | UD | 10 | Feb 5, 1945 | Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
| 218 | Loss | 162–37–18 (1) | Willie Pep | UD | 10 | Dec 5, 1944 | Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | |
| 217 | Loss | 162–36–18 (1) | Willie Pep | UD | 15 | Sep 29, 1944 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | For NYSAC and The Ring featherweight titles |
| 216 | Win | 162–35–18 (1) | Johnny Cockfield | TKO | 5 (10) | Jul 17, 1944 | Bain Field, Norfolk, New Jersey | |
| 215 | Win | 161–35–18 (1) | Ruby Garcia | TKO | 8 (10) | Jul 10, 1944 | Houston, Texas | |
| 214 | Win | 160–35–18 (1) | Vince Dell'Orto | KO | 3 (10) | Jun 5, 1944 | Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. | |
| 213 | Win | 159–35–18 (1) | Sammy Daniels | KO | 8 (10) | May 22, 1944 | Coliseum, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 212 | Win | 158–35–18 (1) | Clyde English | TKO | 1 (10) | May 1, 1944 | Casino Hall, Scranton, Pennsylvania | |
| 211 | Draw | 157–35–18 (1) | Young Finnigan | PTS | 10 | Mar 5, 1944 | Estadio Olimpico, Panama City, Panama | |
| 210 | Win | 157–35–17 (1) | Al Carlos | KO | 6 (10) | Feb 6, 1944 | Estadio Olimpico, Panama City, Panama | |
| 209 | Win | 156–35–17 (1) | Baby Al Brown | KO | 5 (10) | Jan 23, 1944 | Estadio Olimpico, Panama City, Panama | |
| 208 | Win | 155–35–17 (1) | Al Reasoner | RTD | 1 (10) | Nov 19, 1943 | Coliseum Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| 207 | Win | 154–35–17 (1) | Billy Banks | TKO | 5 (10) | Nov 8, 1943 | Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
| 206 | Win | 153–35–17 (1) | Patsy Spataro | TKO | 2 (8) | Oct 26, 1943 | Broadway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 205 | Win | 152–35–17 (1) | Angel Aviles | TKO | 7 (10) | Aug 9, 1943 | Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. | |
| 204 | Loss | 151–35–17 (1) | Lulu Costantino | PTS | 10 | Jul 21, 1943 | Lakefront Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio | |
| 203 | Win | 151–34–17 (1) | National Kid | KO | 8 (10) | Jul 3, 1943 | Tropical Stadium, Havana, Cuba | |
| 202 | Win | 150–34–17 (1) | Phil Terranova | KO | 5 (15) | Jun 4, 1943 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 201 | Win | 149–34–17 (1) | Billy Pinti | KO | 4 (8) | May 25, 1943 | Broadway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 200 | Win | 148–34–17 (1) | Frankie Carto | TKO | 8 (10) | May 17, 1943 | Coliseum, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 199 | Win | 147–34–17 (1) | Joey Pirrone | KO | 3 (10) | Mar 10, 1943 | Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | |
| 198 | Win | 146–34–17 (1) | Joey Peralta | PTS | 10 | Feb 23, 1943 | Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri | |
| 197 | Win | 145–34–17 (1) | Morris Parker | KO | 4 (10) | Feb 15, 1943 | Laurel Garden, Newark, New Jersey | |
| 196 | Win | 144–34–17 (1) | Joey Peralta | PTS | 10 | Jan 15, 1943 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 195 | Loss | 143–34–17 (1) | Willie Pep | UD | 15 | Nov 20, 1942 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | Lost NYSAC and The Ring featherweight titles |
| 194 | Win | 143–33–17 (1) | Henry Vasquez | TKO | 8 (10) | Oct 20, 1942 | Arena, New Haven, Connecticut | |
| 193 | Win | 142–33–17 (1) | Carlos Cuebas | TKO | 4 (10) | Oct 13, 1942 | Auditorium, Hartford, Connecticut | |
| 192 | Win | 141–33–17 (1) | Lulu Costantino | SD | 15 | Sep 25, 1942 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | Retained NYSAC and The Ring featherweight titles |
| 191 | Win | 140–33–17 (1) | Joe Marinelli | KO | 2 (10) | Aug 27, 1942 | Arena Gardens, Detroit, Michigan | |
| 190 | Win | 139–33–17 (1) | Curley St Angelo | KO | 2 (10) | Aug 15, 1942 | Century Stadium, West Springfield, Massachusetts | |
| 189 | Loss | 138–33–17 (1) | Allie Stolz | UD | 10 | Aug 6, 1942 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 188 | Win | 138–32–17 (1) | Lou Transparenti | TKO | 4 (15) | Jul 13, 1942 | Coliseum, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 187 | Win | 137–32–17 (1) | Harry Jeffra | TKO | 10 (15) | Jun 19, 1942 | Oriole Park, Baltimore, Maryland | Retained NYSAC and The Ring featherweight titles |
| 186 | Win | 136–32–17 (1) | Lulu Costantino | MD | 8 | May 7, 1942 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York | |
| 185 | Loss | 135–32–17 (1) | Vern Bybee | UD | 10 | Apr 6, 1942 | Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California | |
| 184 | Win | 135–31–17 (1) | Jorge Morelia | TKO | 6 (10) | Mar 24, 1942 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 183 | Win | 134–31–17 (1) | Richie Fontaine | PTS | 10 | Feb 18, 1942 | Auditorium, Oakland, California | |
| 182 | Win | 133–31–17 (1) | Richie Lemos | TKO | 6 (10) | Feb 3, 1942 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 181 | Loss | 132–31–17 (1) | Bobby Ruffin | UD | 10 | Jan 13, 1942 | New York Coliseum, Bronx, New York City, New York | |
| 180 | Win | 132–30–17 (1) | Jorge Morelia | TKO | 6 (10) | Nov 28, 1941 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 179 | Win | 131–30–17 (1) | Ray Lunny | PTS | 10 | Oct 31, 1941 | Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California | |
| 178 | Win | 130–30–17 (1) | Leo Rodak | PTS | 10 | Oct 14, 1941 | Uline Arena, Washington, D.C. | |
| 177 | Loss | 129–30–17 (1) | Joey Peralta | UD | 10 | Oct 2, 1941 | Kingston Armory, Kingston, Pennsylvania | |
| 176 | Win | 129–29–17 (1) | Joey Archibald | KO | 11 (15) | Sep 11, 1941 | Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. | Won NYSAC and The Ring featherweight titles |
| 175 | Win | 128–29–17 (1) | Paco Villa | KO | 6 (8) | Aug 5, 1941 | Queensboro Arena, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York | |
| 174 | Win | 127–29–17 (1) | Jackie Wilson | UD | 10 | Jul 17, 1941 | Oriole Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 173 | Win | 126–29–17 (1) | Bobby McIntire | TKO | 5 (8) | Jun 24, 1941 | Queensboro Arena, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York | |
| 172 | Win | 125–29–17 (1) | Lloyd Pine | TKO | 2 (10) | Jun 17, 1941 | Kingston Armory, Kingston, Pennsylvania | |
| 171 | Win | 124–29–17 (1) | Guillermo Puentes | PTS | 8 | Jun 3, 1941 | Queensboro Arena, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York | |
| 170 | Win | 123–29–17 (1) | Norment Quarles | PTS | 8 | May 29, 1941 | Garden Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey | |
| 169 | Win | 122–29–17 (1) | Sal Bartolo | PTS | 8 | May 22, 1941 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 168 | Win | 121–29–17 (1) | Charley Varre | PTS | 8 | May 1, 1941 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York | |
| 167 | Win | 120–29–17 (1) | Charles Schnappauf | TKO | 5 (10) | Mar 17, 1941 | South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | |
| 166 | Win | 119–29–17 (1) | Texas Lee Harper | KO | 3 (10) | Mar 5, 1941 | Uline Arena, Washington, D.C. | |
| 165 | Win | 118–29–17 (1) | Maurice Arnault | TKO | 2 (10) | Feb 24, 1941 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 164 | Win | 117–29–17 (1) | Frankie Terranova | TKO | 5 (10) | Feb 19, 1941 | Lyric Theatre, Allentown, Pennsylvania | |
| 163 | Win | 116–29–17 (1) | Norman Rahn | TKO | 2 (8) | Feb 4, 1941 | Grotto Auditorium, Jersey City, New Jersey | |
| 162 | Win | 115–29–17 (1) | Norment Quarles | PTS | 8 | Jan 14, 1941 | Grotto Auditorium, Jersey City, New Jersey | |
| 161 | Win | 114–29–17 (1) | Mel Williams | TKO | 5 (8) | Jan 6, 1941 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York | |
| 160 | Loss | 113–29–17 (1) | Jimmy Leto | MD | 10 | Dec 9, 1940 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 159 | Win | 113–28–17 (1) | Teddy Baldwin | TKO | 4 (8) | Oct 7, 1940 | Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
| 158 | Win | 112–28–17 (1) | Joey Ferrando | TKO | 4 (10) | Sep 9, 1940 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 157 | Win | 111–28–17 (1) | Paul Junior | TKO | 5 (10) | Aug 12, 1940 | Gardens, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
| 156 | Win | 110–28–17 (1) | Joey Silva | TKO | 7 (10) | Jul 15, 1940 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 155 | Win | 109–28–17 (1) | Saverio Turiello | PTS | 10 | Jun 24, 1940 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 154 | Loss | 108–28–17 (1) | Herbert Lewis Hardwick | MD | 10 | Apr 29, 1940 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 153 | Win | 108–27–17 (1) | Tommy Speigal | PTS | 10 | Apr 1, 1940 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 152 | Win | 107–27–17 (1) | Charley Gomer | KO | 4 (10) | Mar 11, 1940 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 151 | Win | 106–27–17 (1) | Mike Martinez | TKO | 3 (10) | Feb 22, 1940 | Coliseum, Baltimore, Maryland | Martinez sustained a cut eye, causing the fight to be stopped |
| 150 | Win | 105–27–17 (1) | Frankie Gilmore | MD | 8 | Feb 19, 1940 | Valley Arena, Holyoke, Massachusetts | |
| 149 | Loss | 104–27–17 (1) | Paul Junior | UD | 10 | Jan 29, 1940 | Exposition Building, Portland, Oregon | |
| 148 | Win | 104–26–17 (1) | Sammy Julian | PTS | 8 | Jan 16, 1940 | Broadway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 147 | Win | 103–26–17 (1) | Everette Rightmire | PTS | 6 | Dec 1, 1939 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 146 | Loss | 102–26–17 (1) | Lew Feldman | UD | 10 | Sep 18, 1939 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 145 | Win | 102–25–17 (1) | Billy Bullock | TKO | 5 (10) | Aug 21, 1939 | Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland | |
| 144 | Win | 101–25–17 (1) | Teddy Baldwin | PTS | 8 | Aug 8, 1939 | Belmont Park, Garfield, New Jersey | |
| 143 | Win | 100–25–17 (1) | Richie Tanner | KO | 7 (10) | Jun 8, 1939 | The Stadium, Liverpool, Merseyside, England | |
| 142 | Win | 99–25–17 (1) | George Daly | PTS | 8 | May 25, 1939 | Harringay Arena, Harringay, London, England | |
| 141 | Win | 98–25–17 (1) | Dan McAllister | TKO | 5 (10) | Apr 27, 1939 | The Stadium, Liverpool, Merseyside, England | |
| 140 | Win | 97–25–17 (1) | Carl Guggino | PTS | 8 | Mar 21, 1939 | Broadway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 139 | Win | 96–25–17 (1) | Joe De Jesus | KO | 2 (10) | Mar 11, 1939 | Rockland Palace, New York City, New York | |
| 138 | Loss | 95–25–17 (1) | Johnny Bellus | PTS | 8 | Feb 14, 1939 | New York Coliseum, Bronx, New York City, New York | |
| 137 | Loss | 95–24–17 (1) | Lew Feldman | PTS | 8 | Jan 31, 1939 | Broadway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 136 | Win | 95–23–17 (1) | Johnny Rohrig | PTS | 8 | Jan 14, 1939 | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 135 | Win | 94–23–17 (1) | Tommy Speigal | PTS | 10 | Jan 3, 1939 | Broadway Arena, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 134 | Loss | 93–23–17 (1) | Joey Ferrando | PTS | 8 | Dec 26, 1938 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 133 | Win | 93–22–17 (1) | Pete DeGrasse | KO | 5 (8) | Dec 5, 1938 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 132 | Win | 92–22–17 (1) | Vince Dell'Orto | PTS | 6 | Nov 25, 1938 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 131 | Win | 91–22–17 (1) | Cristobal Jaramillo | PTS | 8 | Nov 7, 1938 | St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York | |
| 130 | Win | 90–22–17 (1) | Al Reid | KO | 4 (6) | Aug 17, 1938 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 129 | Loss | 89–22–17 (1) | Henry Armstrong | KO | 3 (10) | Feb 1, 1938 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 128 | Win | 89–21–17 (1) | Bus Breese | PTS | 10 | Nov 30, 1937 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 127 | Win | 88–21–17 (1) | Babe Santello | KO | 1 (10) | Oct 19, 1937 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 126 | Loss | 87–21–17 (1) | Baby Arizmendi | PTS | 10 | Oct 5, 1937 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 125 | Win | 87–20–17 (1) | Georgie Hansford | PTS | 10 | Sep 7, 1937 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 124 | Draw | 86–20–17 (1) | Georgie Hansford | PTS | 10 | Aug 17, 1937 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 123 | Win | 86–20–16 (1) | Norbert Meehan | TKO | 5 (6) | Jul 21, 1937 | Auditorium, Oakland, California | |
| 122 | Win | 85–20–16 (1) | Henry Mendola | KO | 1 (10) | Jul 5, 1937 | Stockton, California | |
| 121 | Win | 84–20–16 (1) | Mike Martinez | TKO | 3 (6) | Jun 9, 1937 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 120 | Win | 83–20–16 (1) | Sonny Valdez | PTS | 4 | May 18, 1937 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 119 | Win | 82–20–16 (1) | Kid Ray | PTS | 6 | Apr 14, 1937 | Greenwich Coliseum, Tacoma, Washington | |
| 118 | Win | 81–20–16 (1) | Jimmy McClain | KO | 2 (?) | Jan 15, 1937 | Bremerton A.C., Bremerton, Washington | |
| 117 | Win | 80–20–16 (1) | Douglas Worth | TKO | 1 (6) | Sep 29, 1936 | Auditorium, Portland, Oregon | |
| 116 | Draw | 79–20–16 (1) | Cecil Payne | PTS | 6 | Aug 20, 1936 | Greenwich Coliseum, Tacoma, Washington | |
| 115 | Win | 79–20–15 (1) | Eddie Spina | PTS | 6 | Jul 6, 1936 | Multnomah Stadium, Portland, Oregon | |
| 114 | Win | 78–20–15 (1) | Eddie Spina | PTS | 6 | May 21, 1936 | Greenwich Coliseum, Tacoma, Washington | |
| 113 | Win | 77–20–15 (1) | Willie Davies | TKO | 7 (8) | Apr 28, 1936 | Auditorium, Portland, Oregon | |
| 112 | Win | 76–20–15 (1) | Elmer Brown | PTS | 10 | Apr 17, 1936 | Fox Theater, Butte, Montana | |
| 111 | Win | 75–20–15 (1) | Young Corpuz | PTS | 10 | Apr 10, 1936 | Aberdeen, Washington | |
| 110 | Win | 74–20–15 (1) | Claude Varner | PTS | 10 | Mar 25, 1936 | Denman Auditorium, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| 109 | Loss | 73–20–15 (1) | Pablo Dano | KO | 2 (10) | May 10, 1935 | Civic Auditorium, Watsonville, California | |
| 108 | Win | 73–19–15 (1) | Mark Diaz | TKO | 4 (10) | Apr 6, 1935 | L Street Arena, Sacramento, California | |
| 107 | Loss | 72–19–15 (1) | Chico Cisneros | PTS | 10 | Feb 16, 1935 | Arena Nacional, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico | |
| 106 | Loss | 72–18–15 (1) | Baby Arizmendi | KO | 4 (10) | Feb 2, 1935 | Arena Nacional, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico | |
| 105 | Loss | 72–17–15 (1) | Lew Monte | PTS | 6 | Nov 17, 1934 | Ridgewood Grove, Brooklyn, New York City, New York | |
| 104 | Loss | 72–16–15 (1) | Mose Butch | PTS | 10 | Oct 8, 1934 | Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
| 103 | Win | 72–15–15 (1) | Perfecto Lopez | PTS | 6 | Jun 29, 1934 | Ventura A.C., Ventura, California | |
| 102 | Loss | 71–15–15 (1) | Freddie Miller | PTS | 8 | Jun 8, 1934 | El Centro A.C., El Centro, California | |
| 101 | Draw | 71–14–15 (1) | Perfecto Lopez | PTS | 6 | May 29, 1934 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 100 | Win | 71–14–14 (1) | Frankie Venegas | KO | 5 (10) | May 25, 1934 | El Centro, California | |
| 99 | Win | 70–14–14 (1) | Albert Ladou | PTS | 4 | May 1, 1934 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 98 | Win | 69–14–14 (1) | Jimmy Alvarado | TKO | 3 (4) | Apr 17, 1934 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 97 | Win | 68–14–14 (1) | Augie Soliz | TKO | 5 (6) | Feb 20, 1934 | Crystal Pool, Seattle, Washington | |
| 96 | Win | 67–14–14 (1) | Bobby Gray | PTS | 6 | Jan 30, 1934 | Crystal Pool, Seattle, Washington | |
| 95 | Loss | 66–14–14 (1) | Eddie Shea | KO | 1 (10) | Oct 17, 1933 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | For US–California State featherweight title |
| 94 | Draw | 66–13–14 (1) | Allan Foston | PTS | 8 | Sep 19, 1933 | Auditorium, Portland, Oregon | |
| 93 | Win | 66–13–13 (1) | Willie Jubera | RTD | 2 (6) | Sep 5, 1933 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 92 | Win | 65–13–13 (1) | Huerta Evans | TKO | 4 (6) | Sep 1, 1933 | Dreamland Auditorium, San Francisco, California | |
| 91 | Win | 64–13–13 (1) | Whitey Neal | PTS | 6 | Aug 22, 1933 | Multnomah Stadium, Portland, Oregon | |
| 90 | Win | 63–13–13 (1) | Mickey Cohen | TKO | 3 (8) | Apr 11, 1933 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 89 | Win | 62–13–13 (1) | Pedro Villanueva | PTS | 6 | Jan 6, 1933 | Ventura A.C., Ventura, California | |
| 88 | Win | 61–13–13 (1) | Benny Garcia | PTS | 6 | Dec 15, 1932 | Ventura A.C., Ventura, California | |
| 87 | Win | 60–13–13 (1) | Huerta Evans | PTS | 10 | Dec 7, 1932 | Wilmington Bowl, Wilmington, California | |
| 86 | Win | 59–13–13 (1) | Al Greenfield | PTS | 4 | Nov 22, 1932 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 85 | Win | 58–13–13 (1) | Baby Jack Dempsey | KO | 2 (4) | Nov 15, 1932 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 84 | Win | 57–13–13 (1) | Johnny Ryan | TKO | 2 (6) | Nov 9, 1932 | Wilmington Bowl, Wilmington, California | |
| 83 | Win | 56–13–13 (1) | Victor Kid Ponce | KO | 1 (6) | Oct 19, 1932 | Wilmington Bowl, Wilmington, California | |
| 82 | Win | 55–13–13 (1) | Jesse Maxey | KO | 1 (4) | Oct 11, 1932 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 81 | Draw | 54–13–13 (1) | Mose Bailey | PTS | 6 | Sep 2, 1932 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 80 | Win | 54–13–12 (1) | Johnny Minella | PTS | 6 | Aug 26, 1932 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 79 | Win | 53–13–12 (1) | Al Greenfield | PTS | 4 | Jul 12, 1932 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 78 | Win | 52–13–12 (1) | Huerta Evans | TKO | 5 (6) | Jun 7, 1932 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 77 | Win | 51–13–12 (1) | Joe Pimentel | KO | 2 (6) | May 18, 1932 | Golden Gate Arena, San Francisco, California | |
| 76 | Win | 50–13–12 (1) | Willie Davies | PTS | 4 | May 3, 1932 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 75 | Win | 49–13–12 (1) | Al Greenfield | PTS | 6 | Apr 29, 1932 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 74 | Draw | 48–13–12 (1) | Martin Zuniga | PTS | 6 | Feb 16, 1932 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 73 | Win | 48–13–11 (1) | Ray Montoya | PTS | 6 | Feb 5, 1932 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 72 | Win | 47–13–11 (1) | Tony Tassi | TKO | 4 (6) | Jan 12, 1932 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 71 | Win | 46–13–11 (1) | Clem Avila | PTS | 6 | Nov 24, 1931 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 70 | Draw | 45–13–11 (1) | Huerta Evans | PTS | 10 | Oct 29, 1931 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 69 | Win | 45–13–10 (1) | Huerta Evans | PTS | 8 | Oct 8, 1931 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 68 | Win | 44–13–10 (1) | Mike Cordova | PTS | 6 | Sep 15, 1931 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 67 | Win | 43–13–10 (1) | Baby Jack Dempsey | KO | 2 (4) | Aug 11, 1931 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 66 | Draw | 42–13–10 (1) | Martin Zuniga | PTS | 6 | Aug 6, 1931 | Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California | |
| 65 | Win | 42–13–9 (1) | Adam Moraga | TKO | 3 (4) | Jul 29, 1931 | Wilmington Bowl, Wilmington, California | |
| 64 | Loss | 41–13–9 (1) | Martin Zuniga | PTS | 6 | Jul 4, 1931 | Ventura A.C., Ventura, California | |
| 63 | Win | 41–12–9 (1) | Rod Alcantera | KO | 1 (6) | Jun 12, 1931 | Ventura A.C., Ventura, California | |
| 62 | Win | 40–12–9 (1) | Claude Roberts | PTS | 6 | May 1, 1931 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 61 | NC | 39–12–9 (1) | Frank Abendino | NC | 2 (6) | Apr 27, 1931 | Bakersfield Arena, Bakersfield, California | Referee declared a "no-contest" as Wright had a decided edge over his foe |
| 60 | Win | 39–12–9 | Ricky Hall | PTS | 6 | Apr 24, 1931 | Pismo Beach Arena, Pismo Beach, California | |
| 59 | Win | 38–12–9 | Mike Cordova | PTS | 8 | Apr 7, 1931 | Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California | |
| 58 | Win | 37–12–9 | Mike Cordova | PTS | 4 | Mar 31, 1931 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 57 | Win | 36–12–9 | Ernie Chacon | PTS | 4 | Mar 10, 1931 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 56 | Win | 35–12–9 | Sailor Ray Butler | PTS | 10 | Feb 13, 1931 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 55 | Win | 34–12–9 | Bobby Guinn | TKO | 2 (6) | Jan 28, 1931 | Wilmington Bowl, Wilmington, California | |
| 54 | Loss | 33–12–9 | Huerta Evans | PTS | 6 | Jan 13, 1931 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 53 | Loss | 33–11–9 | Ray Montoya | PTS | 10 | Dec 12, 1930 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 52 | Win | 33–10–9 | Ray Cervantes | PTS | 6 | Nov 18, 1930 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 51 | Win | 32–10–9 | Jerry Duffy | PTS | 6 | Nov 14, 1930 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 50 | Win | 31–10–9 | Johnny Lee | KO | 3 (6) | Nov 7, 1930 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 49 | Draw | 30–10–9 | Mose Bailey | PTS | 6 | Oct 24, 1930 | Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| 48 | Win | 30–10–8 | Marion Cano | KO | 4 (4) | Oct 21, 1930 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 47 | Win | 29–10–8 | Kid Avelino | PTS | 6 | Oct 7, 1930 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 46 | Win | 28–10–8 | Manuel Trevino | KO | 1 (4) | Sep 16, 1930 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 45 | Win | 27–10–8 | Sid Torres | PTS | 6 | Aug 12, 1930 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 44 | Draw | 26–10–8 | Sammy Seaman | PTS | 6 | Jul 21, 1930 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 43 | Win | 26–10–7 | Carlos Chipres | KO | 2 (4) | Jul 10, 1930 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 42 | Loss | 25–10–7 | Frisco Lenda | PTS | 4 | Jul 5, 1930 | El Centro, California | |
| 41 | Win | 25–9–7 | Ramon Navarro | TKO | 5 (6) | Jun 26, 1930 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 40 | Win | 24–9–7 | Frisco Lenda | PTS | 6 | Jun 17, 1930 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 39 | Win | 23–9–7 | Jimmy Mack | PTS | 6 | Jun 12, 1930 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 38 | Win | 22–9–7 | Clayton Gouyd | PTS | 8 | May 8, 1930 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 37 | Loss | 21–9–7 | Canto Robledo | PTS | 8 | Apr 24, 1930 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 36 | Win | 21–8–7 | Danny Arnuf | TKO | 1 (4) | Jan 30, 1930 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 35 | Loss | 20–8–7 | Luis Echeveste | PTS | 4 | Dec 3, 1929 | Orange County A.C., Santa Ana, California | |
| 34 | Win | 20–7–7 | Jess Vasquez | PTS | 6 | Nov 27, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 33 | Win | 19–7–7 | Harry Barrere | PTS | 6 | Oct 24, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 32 | Win | 18–7–7 | Harry Purdue | PTS | 4 | Oct 10, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 31 | Draw | 17–7–7 | Tony Moreno | PTS | 4 | Oct 2, 1929 | Ontario A.C., Ontario, California | |
| 30 | Win | 17–7–6 | Pal Shoaf | PTS | 4 | Sep 12, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 29 | Loss | 16–7–6 | Louie Medina | PTS | 4 | Sep 10, 1929 | Orange County A.C., Santa Ana, California | |
| 28 | Win | 16–6–6 | Pastor Calope | PTS | 4 | Sep 4, 1929 | Ontario A.C., Ontario, California | |
| 27 | Win | 15–6–6 | Ray Vilalobos | KO | 5 (6) | Aug 29, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 26 | Loss | 14–6–6 | Clem Avila | PTS | 4 | Aug 21, 1929 | Ontario A.C., Ontario, California | |
| 25 | Loss | 14–5–6 | Frisco Lenda | PTS | 4 | Jul 5, 1929 | El Centro, California | |
| 24 | Draw | 14–4–6 | Ray Vilalobos | PTS | 6 | May 2, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 23 | Win | 14–4–5 | Johnny Mason | PTS | 6 | Apr 18, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 22 | Draw | 13–4–5 | Henry Wallender | PTS | 4 | Apr 9, 1929 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| 21 | Win | 13–4–4 | Johnny Gabucco | PTS | 4 | Apr 2, 1929 | Orange County A.C., Santa Ana, California | |
| 20 | Win | 12–4–4 | Paul Hardy | KO | 3 (4) | Mar 28, 1929 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 19 | Win | 11–4–4 | Tony Apodaca | PTS | 4 | Mar 14, 1929 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 18 | Loss | 10–4–4 | Joe Velardi | PTS | 6 | Feb 7, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 17 | Draw | 10–3–4 | Frisco Lenda | PTS | 6 | Jan 24, 1929 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 16 | Win | 10–3–3 | Pastor Calope | TKO | 2 (6) | Jan 17, 1929 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 15 | Win | 9–3–3 | Ray Davis | PTS | 6 | Dec 20, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 14 | Draw | 8–3–3 | Louie Contreras | PTS | 6 | Dec 13, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 13 | Win | 8–3–2 | Ray Davis | PTS | 4 | Nov 22, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 12 | Win | 7–3–2 | Jimmy Martinez | TKO | 1 (4) | Oct 3, 1928 | Ocean Park Arena, Santa Monica, California | |
| 11 | Draw | 6–3–2 | Joe Hernandez | PTS | 4 | Sep 13, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 10 | Loss | 6–3–1 | Joe Hernandez | PTS | 4 | Aug 23, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 9 | Loss | 6–2–1 | Ray Davis | PTS | 4 | Jul 26, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 8 | Draw | 6–1–1 | Valentino Castellanos | PTS | 4 | Jul 12, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 7 | Win | 6–1 | June Lagera | PTS | 4 | Jun 20, 1928 | Wilmington Bowl, Wilmington, California | |
| 6 | Win | 5–1 | Victor Acosta | KO | 2 (4) | May 31, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 5 | Win | 4–1 | Tommy Sanchez | PTS | 4 | May 24, 1928 | Pasadena Arena, Pasadena, California | |
| 4 | Win | 3–1 | Valemo Martin | PTS | 4 | May 3, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 3 | Win | 2–1 | Nilo Balles | KO | 3 (4) | Apr 12, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 2 | Loss | 1–1 | Jodie Greyson | PTS | 4 | Mar 1, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Nilo Balles | PTS | 4 | Feb 23, 1928 | Orange Belt A.C., San Bernardino, California | |