Ed Binney facts for kids

Ed Binney (born April 19, 1864 – death date unknown) was an African American boxer. He was the world champion for middleweight boxers of color during the 1890s. Born Edward Phinney in Washington, D.C., he was about 5-foot-9-inch (175 cm) tall. He fought out of Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ed Binney was known as a smart fighter with powerful punches.

He once fought Johnny Banks, who was also known as "The Darkey Wizard." Johnny Banks was a former world middleweight champion for boxers of color. Ed Binney defeated him in Boston after a 16-round fight. The match was first planned for 13 rounds. It was a tie after those 13 rounds. So, they added three more rounds, and Binney won the fight.

Becoming a Champion

Harris Martin, known as "The Black Pearl," became a world champion for middleweight boxers of color on May 2, 1887. He won his title in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ed Binney took the championship title from "The Black Pearl" on November 30, 1891. This big fight happened in San Francisco, California.

After Binney won the title, "The Black Pearl" fought Charley Turner, called "The Stockton Cyclone," on February 29, 1892. Turner won that fight and claimed the title. However, Charley Turner never defended his claim to the championship. Because of this, Ed Binney was still seen as the true champion. He had also beaten the previous middleweight title holder for boxers of color.

Ed Binney lost his championship title on November 13, 1892. He was defeated by Joe Butler in Philadelphia.

Ed Binney's Boxing Record

During his boxing career, Ed Binney had a good record. He won 17 fights. In 15 of those wins, he knocked out his opponent. He lost only three fights, and he was knocked out twice. He also had six fights that ended in a draw, meaning neither boxer won.