Former world welterweight boxing champion and St. Louis native Virgil Akins died on Saturday in St. Louis. He was 82. Akins became the first homegrown St. Louisan to win a professional world championship on June 6, 1958 when he stopped Victor Martinez in the fourth round to win the undisputed welterweight title.
Akins knocked Martinez down nine times during the four-round destruction, which took place at the Kiel Auditorium in front of a hometown crowd of 9,777. Akins had a long and lanky frame, but possessed great punching power in both hands as he displayed against Martinez, who was knocked down for the first time in his pro career of 65 fights by Akins.
Nicknamed “Honeybear” Akins began his pro career as a lightweight in 1948, but eventually moved up the welterweight after six years. On his way the championship, Akins defeated future world champions such as Joe Brown and Wallace “Bud” Smith.
He got his first welterweight title after 10 years when then-champion Carmen Basilio vacated the title to move up to the middleweight division. Akins made the most of it by knocking out
Martinez. Akins finished his professional career in 1962 with 59 victories and 34 knockouts.
In 2005, Akins was honored with a place on the St. Louis Gateway Classic Walk of Fame, which pays special tribute to African-American men and women from St. Louis who have made significant contributions on the local and national level.
Virgil Akins is survived by his three sisters, Muriel and Hilda Akins of St. Louis and Loretta Akins of New York, eight children and 17 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Charles Vincent Akins.
