Elmo Henderson facts for kids

Elmo Henderson (born April 8, 1935) is an American former boxer from Texas. He is known for claiming he won an exhibition boxing match against the famous boxer Muhammad Ali in 1972. However, many people who were there say this did not happen. Newspaper reports from that time also do not mention Ali losing. Henderson was also involved with George Foreman's team for the "Rumble in the Jungle" event. He later won a lawsuit against a writer and a magazine.

Elmo Henderson's Boxing Journey

Elmo Henderson started boxing in 1954. He often fought in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area. In 1964, he won the Texas state boxing title. He beat Benny Bowser, another boxer from Austin, Texas, in the second round. The next year, he fought Bowser again and lost his title. The judges made a close decision to give the title back to Bowser.

In 1967, Henderson had several fights. The California Athletic Commission, which oversees boxing, asked him to get a brain examination. They wanted to check if he had any brain damage. Henderson did not take the test. Instead, he traveled to New Zealand to fight Bobby Dunlop. Henderson won that match. Three months later, Dunlop beat Henderson in a rematch in Sydney, Australia. Because Henderson fought without their permission, the California Athletic Commission stopped his boxing license in California. Even with this, Henderson continued to box in other states, including Texas.

Elmo Henderson used to train at Archie Moore's gym in Vallejo, California. Archie Moore was a Light Heavyweight champion. Henderson also fought Ernie Shavers in 1971. Shavers was known as a very powerful puncher.

The Muhammad Ali Exhibition

Elmo Henderson claimed he defeated Muhammad Ali in a special exhibition match. This match happened in San Antonio, Texas, on October 24, 1972. An exhibition match is usually for show and does not count on a boxer's official record. However, people who were at the event said that Henderson did not win against Ali. He never became widely famous in the boxing world for this claim.

Beyond the Ring

Henderson was part of George Foreman's team for the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" event. This big boxing match took place in Zaire.

A writer named Norman Mailer wrote an article about Henderson in a magazine in May 1975. The article included a statement that was not true about Henderson. Henderson then filed a lawsuit for $1 million against Mailer and the magazine. Henderson won the lawsuit. In 1977, a jury in Corpus Christi, Texas, awarded Henderson $105,000. The judge later said the amount was too high. He ordered Henderson to either accept $25,000 or have the case go to trial again. In the end, the writer and magazine paid Henderson an amount between what the jury decided and what the judge suggested. Henderson said he received $40,000.