NEW YORK -- Former featherweight champion Sandy Saddler died Sept. 18 at a New York City nursing home. He was 75.

His son, Sandy Jr., said Saddler died in his sleep at Schervier Nursing Home, where he lived after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Saddler, elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, was one of the hardest punching small men in boxing history. He had a career record of 144-16-2 with 103 knockouts and held the featherweight title twice.

He had a memorable four-fight series with Willie Pep, knocking Pep out three times.

Saddler was still world featherweight champion when he retired in 1957 after sustaining a serious eye injury when a taxi in which he was riding was involved in an accident.

Born Joe Saddler of West Indian parents June 12, 1926, and raised in New York's Harlem, Saddler had about 50 amateur fights before turning pro in 1944. He was 75-6-2 when he finally got a featherweight title shot against Pep on Oct. 29, 1948. Pep's record was 135-1-1.

Saddler dominated the match in Madison Square Garden, cutting Pep in the first round, knocking him down twice in the third and knocking him out in the fourth. The rematch was held in the Garden Feb. 11, 1949, and Pep, on what he called his greatest night, regained the title on a 15-round decision.

On Dec. 6, 1949, Saddler won the vacant junior lightweight title on a 10-round decision over Orlando Zulueta at Cleveland and defended it twice before the 130-pound weight class was dropped in 1951. It was restored in 1959.

Saddler twice beat Pep in rough-and-tumble featherweight title fights in New York. He regained the title when Pep couldn't come out for the eighth round Sept. 8, 1950, and defended it, stopping Pep in the ninth round Sept. 26, 1951. The 1951 fight was so rough, both men were suspended briefly by the New York State Athletic Commission.

After 22 more bouts and two more title defenses, Saddler was in the accident and retired.

Saddler became a boxing trainer and worked with many pros, including heavyweight champion George Foreman in the 1970s.