Curtis Cokes, who unified the world welterweight championship and put the city of Dallas on the boxing map, passed away from heart failure, according to the Dallas Morning News. Cokes, a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, was 82 years old. He came of age in a time and place when his black skin meant many doors were closed to him under Texas' Jim Crow laws. For example, during Cokes' time as an amatuer, blacks were not allowed to compete in the Dallas Golden Gloves. Cokes overcame these disdavatanges by developing an athletic, defensive style. Despite his defense-first mentality, Cokes possessed devastating power in his right hand. He turned pro in 1958. When Emile Griffith vacated the world welterweight title in 1966 in order to campaign at middleweight, Cokes was selected for a WBA tournament and defeated future hall of famer Luis Rodriguez and Manny Gonzalez to win the WBA title. In 1967, he unified the world championship by beating France's Jeran Josselin for the vacant WBC title (Josselin also claimed the South African version of the world championship). 

Cokes lost a non-title bout to one of the great unsung Philadelphia heroes, Gypsy Joe Harris, but held onto the world title until 1969, when he ran into the great Jose Napoles. Cokes lost a rematch to Napoles but fought on until 1972, retiring with a record of 62-14-4. Cokes became a successful trainer, working with middleweight title holder Quincy Taylor, and heavyweight contenders Ike Ibeabuchi and Curtis Cokes among others. Boxingtalk salutes the great Curtis Cokes and sends it condolences to his friends and family.