To those who knew him personally, however, Pete is remembered for quite different reasons, having little to do with his achievements as a boxer. He could have been one of the many hard-working and dedicated janitors of the world for all they cared, and indeed he had once done such work. Rather, he is remembered simply because he was a sweet, gentle, loving and giving man.

His wife Bessie always loved to tell the story of when she met Pete in 1956. He was the desk clerk/janitor at the Penbrook Hotel in Seattle, Washington, where she was staying for a while. He offered to watch her grandson while she and her daughter went out somewhere. He then offered to cook her a meal in his hotel room. (He had developed a crush on her.) They soon fell in love and married. Only later did she learn this man was someone special to others, too -- like when his friends from throughout the world would write, call, or drop by to visit as they passed through town. And she discovered that he had been a very successful and popular boxer. He told her of his early life in his famously unaffected manner. She learned of his travels and many achievements. But he never bragged.

Although once famous, he never complained that his fame had waned. Although once proclaimed the Bantamweight World Champion, a title shrouded in controversy, he never lamented that he had failed to be crowned the undisputed champion of the world. Rather, during his later years, he preferred to occupy his time with more important and immediate concerns: morning calisthenics to "The Jack LaLane Show," kissing Bessie and thanking her for another wonderful meal, washing the dishes for her, sending a message to a dear family member or a good friend, going with Bessie for a long walk together, spending a quiet evening watching television, and so on. He was the patriarch of a large, loving family. His priority was his family, especially his grandchildren. He showed them how to live by his own example. No lectures. No spanking. He was, simply, a "giving" man.

For example, while boxing professionally, Pete was always honored to contribute to some charitable event. He was always there, particularly when it came to sponsoring sporting activities for young people. He co-founded the Nashville Amateur Boxing Association in 1945. He became the director of the Ketchikan Civic Center in the early 1950s.

Pete "gave" to his friends. Friends were always very dear to him. During his later years, Pete could usually be found every Sunday afternoon at his battered old typewriter, writing a thoughtful message to some old dear friend, making typographical mistakes and handwriting corrections. That letter might include: "Bessie is in the kitchen singing to the radio and our son Clarence is out playing with his friends. They are happy and I am happy, enjoying life and its memories - 'Life's Handshake with the Heart.' Same price!" Then he'd often quip, "I'm still recuperating!"

Pete also gave to his fans. His fans always had been Pete's utmost concern, besides winning, during his boxing days. During one of his last fights he suffered the most punishing and grueling defeat of his career. His face was beaten to a bloody pulp. Both eyes swelled shut. But he never gave up and fought his heart out to the bitter end, causing the crowd to go wild. After the fight a physician spent about an hour tending to Pete's wounds. Finally the reporters were allowed into his dressing room. Did they find him unhappy that he had failed to win? Was he blaming anyone other than himself for his defeat? Nope. They found Pete lying prone on a table, covered with blankets and towels, bloodied lips "puffed to balloon-tire proportions," cubes of ice being passed on his swollen, flattened face. "Do you think the crowd liked the fight?" Pete asked. "I hope so." Summing up his career years later, Pete said, "I didn't do anything but fight the best I knew, and give the people the best show I could every time I went in the ring."

And Pete gave to his country. When his adopted home of the United States asked for help during World War II, Pete answered immediately. He joined the Army within months of the Pearl Harbor Attack. He wanted to be sent to Norway to fight the Nazis. However, because of various physical ailments, he did not see combat. But he did whatever he could, whatever was asked by his country. He served with distinction and was honorably discharged after years of war-time service.

In fact, Pete kept on giving until the last day of his life. As his final act of giving, he donated his body to the UCLA Medical Center for research.

Pete Sanstol was, above all, a gentleman, and a gentle man. He made no excuses and he held no grudges. Throughout his life he never spoke one ill word about any of his boxing opponents. Instead, he had respect, praise and admiration for them all. As a result a bitter foe would become his friend and an ally.

It is for those endearing qualities that his family and friends and admirers still remember Pete Sanstol to this day. Pete who?

Pete Who? is right! Go to your local book store and library, conduct an Internet search, ask your friends who are knowledgeable boxing fans, and what will you get when you inquire about Pete Sanstol? "Pete who?" Well, let's see.

During his day Pete Who? met and became friendly with many of the best boxers of his generation. Today we recognize their names but not his. He sparred, trained and became chums with Max Schmeling and Fidel LaBarba, for example. He shared an orange with then fought Sixto Escobar. He had dinner with and fought "Panama" Al Brown. And then there's Midget Wolgast, Young Perez, Eugene Huat, Spider Pladner, Georgie Hansford, Young Tommy, Bobby Leitham, Art Giroux, Leo Kid Roy, Rene DeVos, Georges Carpentier, Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis. Why? Because Pete Sanstol himself was one of the more famous, talented, successful and respected boxers of his era. What did he do to earn these other boxers' respect, as well as the admiration of the sports press and fans of his day? Well, a couple of things:

NEVER DOWN FOR A COUNT IN OVER 100 PROFESSIONAL RING BATTLES!
     (For those who do not know the rules of boxing, this means that -- although Pete was knocked to the canvas a few times during his career -- he got right back up onto his feet before the referee even had a chance to count to "One.")

Always gave the fans a show each and every time in the ring.

Suffered only six defeats in his entire professional career (all by decision, none by knockout).
Bantamweight and Flyweight Champion of Norway

Bantamweight and Flyweight Champion of Scandinavia

Described as being as popular as Norwegian ice-skater Sonja Henie on the cover of the July 1931 issue of Sports Manden (a Norwegian sports magazine of the time).

Featured on the cover of the August 1931 The Ring magazine and in its accompanying article.

Described by that The Ring issue as having all the color of Jack Dempsey, the aggression of Terry McGovern, the might of John L. Sullivan, the dynamics of Stanley Ketchel, the bounce of Jack Sharkey, and the brilliance of James J. Corbett.

Defeated Arthur Giroux in 1931 and Bobby Leitham in 1933: Canadian Bantamweight Champions at the time of those bouts.

Knocked out Germany's Bantamweight Champion Werner Riethdorf in 1935.

Defeated German Champion Hans Schiller in 1935.

Hailed in 1935 by the Berlin sports press as the greatest fighter they had ever seen, including Max Schmeling.

Generally regarded as one of the best bantamweight boxers in the entire world for most of his career.

Fought five courageous title bouts for the Bantamweight Championship of the World.

Proclaimed the World's Bantamweight Champion in 1931 by the Montreal Athletic Commission after the then generally-recognized bantam champ, Al Brown, refused to fight him.

Participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games as an interpreter.

Remembered in an article entitled "The Golden Bantams" (The Ring, December 1953 issue, page 13) as "one of the hottest local favorites the big town [New York] ever had. Pete, flashy, colorful and capable fought in the Ridgewood Grove Club in the Queens section of New York no less than 26 times in one year, packing the place every time."

Proclaimed by legendary Madison Square Garden matchmaker Tom McArdle as belonging in the Pantheon of Bantams with Terry McGovern, Kid Williams, and Pete Herman -- all of whom, except Pete Sanstol, are today enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. (Source: The 1931 Everlast Boxing Record.)

In the January 1959 issue of The Ring magazine, in an article entitled "Norway's Golden Bantam," Ted Carroll wrote, "[H]e was an immediate 'smash hit.' His huge mop of yellow hair, beaming smile, flashy aggressive style, and pleasing personality, packed the Grove, the old Broadway Prospect Hall, and other local clubs of the area after the fans first look at him." In this same article, veteran Jimmy Bronson is quoted as follows, "He was a little gentleman, a warm and friendly little fellow, who everyone liked a great deal."

Was always ready, willing and available to fight any boxer of his weight at any time and at any place -- but always in a gentleman's manner, of course.
 
 

That's "Pete Who?" But you won't find his achievements chronicled in today's boxing history accounts. Not yet, anyway. Today Pete Who? is but a footnote. He's that "loser" to World Champion Al Brown, although during his last two contests for the World Title his opponents did everything in their power to prevent Pete from winning their crowns. They used every weapon at their disposal and tried every trick in the book to prevent Pete from defeating them. Was such conduct questionable? Well, history may tell.

But Pete never said so. Throughout his life he never muttered a word to disparage his opponents' victories over him or their status as world champions. Although he protested at the time to the governing boxing authorities before each of these last two title bouts, once he lost both the argument and the fight itself, he quickly accepted defeat and moved on. After all, his primary motivation -- besides winning the world crown -- was to give the crowd a show, and >he wasn't going to be the guy to let them down. Yet, despite all this, the man has become known today merely as "Pete Who?" Today we know the names of the champions. They are emblazoned in the annals of boxing lore. They are the heroes, not Pete. Where does he figure in boxing history? Relegated to a footnote at best: a loser to Brown and Escobar. How is the story of Pete Sanstol told? It's not. Not until now.

Therefore, the purpose of this web site: to present Peter Olai Sanstol's story, dispel some myths, and provide a missing and long-forgotten chapter of boxing history. In this site Pete's Story will be told mainly by the actual eyewitnesses to his life; many directly from the eyes and typewriters of the sports reporters who covered and witnessed first-hand Pete's "magic" -- which they in turn shared with the public. This site is based primarily on a compilation of newspaper and magazine articles about Pete. These articles come from the two surviving "scrapbooks" of such clippings Pete pasted together over the many years of his career and which he later gave to this web site's creator. These last two remaining volumes cover his professional boxing career from about the years 1931-1935 only. It is believed that a crucial third volume covering the beginning of his career lies out there somewhere.

Pete could not fully tell his life story while alive, because only upon his death would the "Pete Who?" story be complete.

Oct. 28, 1998