Born Hilton Edward Booker on November 5, 1917 in Alto, TX. Booker moved to San Jose, CA at 10 years old and won numerous local, state and national amateur titles there.
He turned pro in 1935 soon after relocating to San Francisco and remained there throughout his career. He would go on to meet the best at welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight and won both the California welterweight and middleweight championships. He met Archie Moore three times, drawing twice (1941, 1942) and became the first man to stop “The Mongoose” with an 8th round TKO in 1944. He also engaged in a trilogy with Holman Williams, going 1-1-1 against the Hall of Famer in 1939, 1943 and 1944 bouts. Booker also scored wins over standouts Lloyd Marshall (W 10) and Harry “Kid” Matthews (TKO 5) before being forced into retirement due to a detached retina in 1944. One of the most talented and popular fighters of his era, Booker was never stopped in his career despite the high caliber of opposition he met.
His pro record stands at 66-5-8 (32 KOs). Booker died in San Francisco on January 26, 1975 at age 57.
Born: Nov. 5, 1917
Died: Jan. 26, 1975
Bouts: 79
Won: 66
Lost: 5
Draw: 8
KOs: 32
Induction: 2017
Eddie Booker
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