Billy Edwards was a was a standout lightweight of the late 1860s and 1870s in England.

Professional career

Nicknamed "Make-Believe Billy", Edwards began boxing at the age of 14 and fought Sam Collyer

Sam Collyer

Sam Collyer was a lightweight bare-knuckle boxer. He was of Scottish-French descent, weighed between 115 and 125 pounds, and stood 5 feet 5 ½ inches.-Early life:...

 on August 24, 1868 for the American Lightweight

Lightweight

Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....

 Championship

Championship

Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...

. Edwards won the fight in the 34th-round to win the title.

Edwards fought Hall of Famer Charlie Mitchell in 1884, losing in the 3rd round.

Life After Boxing

Following the Mitchell bout, Edwards retired from the ring but remained in boxing by training John L. Sullivan

John L. Sullivan

John Lawrence Sullivan , also known as the Boston Strong Boy, was recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing from February 7, 1881 to 1892, and is generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring rules...

for several winning contests.

Edwards was a successful real estate investor after retiring.

External links

• IBHOF Bio http://www.ibhof.com/edwards.htm