Joe Brown (May 18, 1926 – December 4, 1997) was an American professional boxer who won the world lightweight title in 1956, making 11 successful defenses against 10 contenders before losing his crown to Carlos Ortiz in 1962.

[1][2] Born into poverty in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, on May 18, 1926, Brown started work as a grocery assistant, moved into carpentry and then embarked on his professional boxing career at the age of seventeen.

The impetus for Brown's ultimate success seems to have been provided by a crushing defeat at the hands of the future National Boxing Association Welterweight Champion, Johnny Bratton, late in 1948, immediately followed by a short spell away from the ring.

In 1949, Brown actually went unbeaten and, over the next seven years, he steadily climbed the Lightweight rankings, defeating along the way such notable boxers as Virgil Akins, Isaac Logart and Teddy 'Redtop' Davis.

Brown earned his chance for the Lightweight Championship of the World by out-pointing the reigning champion, Wallace 'Bud' Smith in a non-title bout held in Houston, Texas, in May 1956.

[4] After demolishing Smith, Brown beat Orlando Zulueta, Joey Lopes, Ralph Dupas, Kenny Lane, Johnny Busso, Paolo Rosi, Cisco Andrade, Bert Somodio and Dave Charnley (twice).