Amateur Boxing Card To Help Fund Jersey Joe Statue Friday Night

The first event to help fund an eight-foot tall statue honoring South Jersey native and boxing legend Arnold "Jersey Joe Walcott" Cream will be held this week. The “Battle on the Battleship” will feature amateur boxing matches aboard the Battleship New Jersey on Friday night, Sept. 27, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Boxing superstars including Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion Michael Spinks, Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes, and Two-time World Heavyweight Champion Timmy Witherspoon, among others, will join guests to celebrate Jersey Joe and cheer on amateur boxers.

The event will also include food, memorabilia, entertainment, and more. General admission tickets are available to the public for $50, and VIP tickets which include additional benefits are available for $250.

Tickets can currently be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/battle-on-the-battleship-tickets-65849251885. All proceeds will be used to help the Camden County Historical Society repay $185,000 in funding previously approved by the Camden County Freeholder Board to help pay for the statue.

“The Board is proud to be a partner in this effort to honor Camden City native and legend, Jersey Joe Walcott,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. said. “Jersey Joe was a proud champion of Camden City and New Jersey as a whole at a time when both had few internationally known representatives. We are excited to invite the entire community to join us in the City at what is sure to be a one-of-a-kind event on the Battleship New Jersey.”

The statue will be placed in Wiggins Park along the Camden Waterfront. Joe Walcott won the heavyweight championship of the world from 1951-52. At the time, he was the oldest man to hold the title, at the age of 37. George Foreman broke that record when he won the title at the age of 45 in 1994. Walcott's career spanned 23 years, from 1930-53.

After retiring from boxing, Walcott went into acting. He played small parts in a few movies and television shows. After that, he turned to politics. He became the first African American elected Sheriff of Camden County, a post he held from 1971-74. From 1975 to 1984, he was the chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission.

Local sculptor Carl LeVotch will create the statue. His design includes an eight-foot bronze figure sculpture with two bronze high relief sculptures, and a bronze replica of The Champion's ring belt. These works of art will be affixed to a pedestal/base, and the entire monument will be placed permanently on the promenade at Wiggins Park. Work is expected to begin on the artwork by mid-to-late September, with a timeline for completion around fall 2021.

The Battleship New Jersey is located at 100 Clinton Street in Camden. For more information, visit https://www.camdencounty.com/jerseyjoe.