"I fought all over the USA and Canada," Rawson comments. "I had 79 professional fights, and of the five I lost, I fought return matches with the fellas who beat me and Bob Montgomery, the eventual world champion, was the only one I couldn't beat."

He twice came within a match of fighting legendary world lightweight champion Henry Armstrong, and stills gets angry thinking about one of the two bouts he felt was stolen from him by the judges.

Although the referees gave him seven out of the 10 rounds in the fight with European champion Enrico Ventouri in 1938, the two judges decided differently and Rawson lost by a single point.

"It was the worst robbery you've ever seen," he states repeatedly.

Although he came just short of a chance to claim the world lightweight title, Rawson continued to fight distinguished boxers until he stopped three years later.

"I fought the Canadian champ Maxi Berger four times," he says. "I beat him twice in New York at the Garden and then went [to Canada] and beat him there twice."

After quitting in 1941 at the wish of his wife, Rawson still remained tied to the sport he had grown up loving. Despite owning a trucking company, he soon worked his way back into the sport as a coach and referee.

He actually coached Rocky Marciano as an amateur. Although many remember Marciano's 49-0 professional record with 43 knockouts, Rawson still goes back to one fight Rocky lost.