Harry Wills facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harry Wills |
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Harry Wills in 1916
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Harry Wills |
| Nickname(s) | The Black Panther |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | May 15, 1889 New Orleans |
| Died | December 21, 1958 (aged 69) New York, New York |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 111; with the inclusion of newspaper decisions |
| Wins | 89 |
| Wins by KO | 56 |
| Losses | 10 |
| Draws | 7 |
Harry Wills (born May 15, 1889 – died December 21, 1958) was a very strong heavyweight boxer. He won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship three times. Many boxing experts believe Wills was unfairly treated because of the "color line." This was a rule that stopped white and black boxers from fighting each other for the main championship title.
Wills boxed for more than twenty years, from 1911 to 1932. He was considered the best challenger for the world title, but he never got the chance to fight for it. Out of all the black boxers between the reigns of champions Jack Johnson and Joe Louis, Harry Wills came closest to getting a title shot. BoxRec, a website that tracks boxing records, ranked him as one of the top 10 heavyweights in the world from 1913 to 1924. He was even ranked as the number one heavyweight from 1915 to 1917.
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Harry Wills' Amazing Boxing Career
Harry Wills fought many of the best heavyweights of his time. He beat famous boxers like Willie Meehan, who had previously defeated Jack Dempsey. He also won against Gunboat Smith and Charley Weinart. Wills also had a fight with Luis Firpo that ended in a "no decision," meaning no winner was declared.
In 1926, Wills fought future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey. Wills was losing badly when he was disqualified from the fight. The next year, he was knocked out by Paolino Uzcudun. This fight showed that Wills was no longer a top contender for the title. His final official record was 75 wins (with 47 knockouts), 9 losses, and 2 draws. In 2003, Ring Magazine listed him as one of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.
Because of the "color line," black boxers like Wills often had to fight each other repeatedly. For example, Wills fought the tough boxer Sam Langford 22 times! Wills won 6 of those fights, lost 2 (both by knockout), and 14 were "no decisions." He won the colored heavyweight title from Langford three times.
Why Harry Wills Never Fought for the World Title
In May 1922, the New York Daily News asked its readers who they wanted to see fight champion Jack Dempsey next. More than 45,000 people voted, and Harry Wills received the most votes, with 12,177. Dempsey first said he would fight Wills, but the match never happened.
The Canceled Dempsey-Wills Fight of 1926
There was a plan for Dempsey and Wills to fight for the heavyweight title in 1926. A boxing promoter named Floyd Fitzsimmons even gave Wills a check for his part of the money. However, Fitzsimmons failed to pay Dempsey his much larger fee, so the fight never took place.
Many boxing historians have debated whether Dempsey avoided fighting Wills. Dempsey himself said he was willing to fight. However, after he became champion, Dempsey had said he would no longer fight black boxers. Wills tried to sue Dempsey twice because the fight was canceled.
The fight was also stopped in New York State by Governor Alfred E. Smith. The Athletic Commissioner, James Farley, was an early supporter of equal rights for African Americans. He even threatened to quit if Wills wasn't allowed to fight Dempsey, because he believed Wills was the best challenger. There was also a concern about public safety. A serious riot had happened after a previous fight involving a black champion, Jack Johnson, which made officials worried about promoting another such match.
Harry Wills' Life After Boxing
Harry Wills stopped boxing in 1932. After his boxing career, he became a successful businessman. He ran a real estate business in Harlem, New York.
Wills was known for a special tradition: once a year, he would drink only water for a whole month. He often said that his biggest regret was never getting the chance to fight Jack Dempsey for the world title. Wills was sure he would have won that fight.
Harry Wills passed away on December 21, 1958, at Jewish Memorial Hospital in New York City. He died from problems related to diabetes.
Harry Wills' Lasting Impact and Honors
In 2020, an author named Mark Allen Baker wrote a book about the history of The World Colored Heavyweight Championship. This book explains how the championship started and ended. It also tells the stories of the talented boxers who won it. The book also talks about the "color line" in boxing and how it affected fighters.
For many years, the World Colored Heavyweight Championship was a way to fight against unfair racial treatment. Having this title helped black boxers push back against the "color line" that divided boxing.
Harry Wills was honored for his amazing career when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.
Professional Boxing Record Overview
All the information in this section comes from BoxRec, a trusted source for boxing records.
Official Boxing Record
| 111 fights | 70 wins | 9 losses |
| By knockout | 56 | 5 |
| By decision | 14 | 1 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 3 |
| Draws | 3 | |
| No contests | 5 | |
| Newspaper decisions/draws | 24 | |
Please note: All newspaper decisions are officially considered "no decision" fights and are not counted in the official win/loss/draw record.
Unofficial Boxing Record (Including Newspaper Decisions)
| 111 fights | 89 wins | 10 losses |
| By knockout | 56 | 6 |
| By decision | 33 | 1 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 3 |
| Draws | 7 | |
| No contests | 5 | |
This record includes the results from newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw count.
Images for kids
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Harry Wills in 1916
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Wills in France in 1920
See also
In Spanish: Harry Wills para niños
