Harris Martin facts for kids

Harris Martin (born April 2, 1865, in Washington, D.C. – died April 26, 1903, in Saint Paul, Minnesota) was an amazing African American boxer. People knew him as "The Black Pearl." He made history by becoming the very first colored middleweight champion of the world.

Becoming a Champion

Harris Martin became a champion after a big fight in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On May 2, 1887, he faced a boxer named "Black Frank" Taylor. Martin won this important match by a knockout (meaning his opponent couldn't continue) in either the 38th or 40th round!

Before this championship fight, "The Black Pearl" and "Black Frank" Taylor had fought six times. Their first fight was on December 22, 1886. Martin lost that one, but he won the next. Then, they had four fights that ended in a draw (meaning no one won). After their championship match, they even had one more fight that was also a draw.

Defending and Losing the Title

After his big win against Taylor, Harris Martin proudly called himself the World Colored Middleweight Champion. He held onto this title for a few years.

However, on November 30, 1891, he lost his championship to Ed Binney in San Francisco, California. A few months later, on February 29, 1892, Martin was defeated by another boxer named Charley Turner, who was known as "The Stockton Cyclone." Turner claimed the title after beating Martin, but he never actually defended it in another fight. Many people still thought Ed Binney was the true champion after that.

Harris Martin's Boxing Record

Harris Martin had a long and exciting career in boxing. He won a lot of his fights! In total, he had 53 wins, with 39 of those being by knockout. He lost 11 fights, and was knocked out himself in 7 of them. He also had 15 fights that ended in a draw.

Sometimes, in those days, fights didn't have an official winner. Instead, newspapers would decide who they thought won. Martin had one fight like this where the newspaper said he lost.

Summary of Fights

Here's a quick look at Harris Martin's boxing record:

It's important to know that fights where newspapers decided the winner are usually not counted in official boxing records.

Championship Legacy

Harris Martin was a pioneering boxer. He was the first to hold the World Colored Middleweight Championship. This was a very important title for African American boxers during his time.