Athlete
Arnold Raymond Cream was born to Barbadian immigrant parents, in Pennsauken Twp., Camden County, New Jersey on January 31, 1914.
Young Arnold left high school at 14 to work, helping his parents care for his 11 siblings. His father passed a year later. At 16, he began his profes-sional boxing career, taking the name of his boxing idol, Joe Walcott, a welterweight from Barbados and added “Jersey” to distinguish himself and his birthplace.
Walcott, the consumate example of athletic perseverance, fought to a career record of 51-18-2 (32 KO’s) from 1930 to 1953, winning the World Heavyweight Championship in 1951 — in his 5th attempt ! Walcott fought multiple bouts with 7 different boxers, including Joe Lewis and Rocky Marciano, each twice. Walcott knocked Lewis to the mat three times over two bouts and Marciano to the mat in the 1st bout. All three boxers are considered the best boxers for the era’s 3 decades.
An excellent boxer and a slick defensive fighter, Jersey Joe is arguably the most determined boxer in professional boxing history. Walcott, at the age of 37, held the record as the oldest boxer to win the Heavyweight World Champ-ionship until George Forman, at his age 45, broke the record in 1994 .
After retiring in 1953, Walcott continued his celebrity, appearing in Hollywood films, “The Harder They Fall” starring Humphrey Bogart and Max Baer and “The Super Fight”. Walcott also appeared in the TV series “Cains Hundred” starring Robert Culp.
Walcott was a Licensed Boxing Referee and refereed the controversial rematch bout between Muhammed Ali and Sonny Liston.
Jersey Joe was a dedicated Camden County community youth advocate and the County’s 1st African American Sheriff. He also served as Chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission from 1975 – 1984.
The father of six children, Mr Cream passed away on February 25, 1994. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 and The New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2013.
The All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey proudly inducts Arnold “Jersey Joe Walcott ” Cream into its Hall of Fame on this date, May 25, 2024.
Vincent Cream, grandson of boxing’s World Heavyweight Champion Jersey Joe Walcott, details his grandfather’s life and career and proudly accepts the Induction plaque on behalf of his family from the Museum’s Co-Chairperson, Joe DeLuca, (L) and Chairperson, Dom Valella (R).