Brewerytown: Neighborhood Boxer Inducted into Hall of Fame

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In a city with a history of great boxers, it’s easy to overlook one: Brewerytown’s Charlie “Choo Choo” Brown. On May 16, however, Brown was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame–an honor he feels is a bit overdue.

“I think I should have been in earlier,” says Brown. “It is what it is though. You take the bitter with the sweet.”

Brown is 52 years old now, and his pleasant demeanor and warm smile make him one of Brewerytown’s favorite residents. He walks with a cane, and his slow and deliberate speech pattern is the result of a fighter who spent more than a decade in the ring.
 
When the subject turns to boxing, however, Brown rises up from his chair with a gleam in his eye, throws his hands up–a peek-a-boo style is what he calls it–and unloads a barrage of punches as he demonstrates his fight technique for a few onlookers.
 
“Right jab,” Brown starts out, “left hook, straight right hand, wap! Watch em’ fall. I’ve done it,” he says with a smile.

Brown began to box at the age of 11. Even though his father was a fighter, it wasn’t his Dad who influenced him; in fact, Brown says his Dad didn’t want him to fight at all. “People use to pick on me because of my name,” said Brown. “But I showed them, I ain’t nothing to be played with.”

Brown, who had a 26-16-2-career record, cut his teeth at the historic 26th and Master Street gym, known as the Rec. He was the first from the gym to bring home a championship belt.The Rec has been home to notable fighters such as Tyrone Brunson (18-0), Malik Scott (30-0) and 1996 Olympic Gold Medal winner and World Boxing Association light middleweight champ David Reid (17-2).

Known for his devastating left hook, Brown battled his way through boxing’s lightweight division, and by 1984 he had earned a fight with Ruben Munoz (16-3) in Atlantic City. The winner would get a shot at the newly created International Boxing Federation title.
 
Working in Brown’s corner was Fred Jenkins, who is responsible for training most of the fighters at the Rec. According to Jenkins, Brown suffered some damaged ribs in a sparring session prior to the fight. He knew Brown’s best chance of winning was to knock Munoz out early. He did, in one minute and 36 seconds.

The win set Brown up for a chance to win the IBF title against Melvin Paul (17-2), a tough boxer from New Orleans. The title fight at the Sands Casino in Atlantic City went the full 15 rounds, with Brown winning a split decision. “I didn’t think it was that close,” he says.
 
Winning the title was a moment Brown will never forget. “I accomplished something that not too many fighters get a chance to do,” says Brown. “For that, I’m very thankful.”
 
The win was the watershed moment in Brown’s career. His first title defense came against the undefeated Harry Arroyo, who would go on to defeat Brown in 14 rounds to take the title. Brown’s career ended with a streak of 11 straight losses, marring an otherwise impressive resume. Brown eventually called it quits in 1993.

Brown’s personal life is almost as impressive as his professional one. Brown was the son of Lloyd “Hurricane” Brown, a promising fighter who would go on to win the Philadelphia’s famed Diamond Belt title in the 1940s. His uncle, Henry “Toothpick” Brown, also won the Diamond Belt. Brown got married and then separated, but he says he remains close to his ex-wife. He has 11 kids in all, several of whom live in Connecticut with her. “They’ll be down here to visit soon,” Brown says. “They got to college. They make me very proud.”
 
These days Brown’s routine consists of going to the Rec, talking to the young fighters and hanging out around MMPartners LLC, a development company located on West Girard Avenue in Brewerytown. Brown enjoys talking to the young boxers, offering input when he sees necessary. “You want them to listen to you,” says Brown. “You don’t want a smart mouth. You want someone like me to tell you how serious you have to take it if this is what you want to do.”
 
Brown has seen his Brewerytown neighborhood evolve through the years. “When I first came back in 1989, they had torn down a lot of the houses. There were empty lots all around,” he said. “Now new houses are going up, it’s close to Center City. It’s a good place to live.”

With his Hall of Fame induction, Brown reflects on his life and career.
 
“I made nice money,” he said, “never top dollar, but I did what I could. Everybody [in Brewerytown] knows me; it’s a good feeling. It’s good to say, people know that man did something with his life, he accounted for something. A lot of people don’t get a chance to reach their desires, for that, I’ve been fortunate.”

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