Harry Wills
Encyclopedia
Harry "The Black Panther" Wills (May 15, 1889 – December 21, 1958) was perhaps the most well known victim of the "color line" drawn by white heavyweight champions after the title reign of Jack Johnson
. Wills fought for over twenty years (1911–1932), was ranked as the number one challenger for the throne, but was never given the opportunity to fight for the title.
Wills fought many of the top heavyweights of his era. He defeated Willie Meehan, who had decisioned Jack Dempsey
, Gunboat Smith
and Charley Weinart. He also fought Luis Firpo
in a match that ended in No Decision. Wills faced future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey
in 1926, and was being clearly defeated when he was disqualified. The next year, Wills was knocked out by heavyweight contender Paolino Uzcudun in a bout that signalled the end of his career as a title threat. His final record was 75 wins (with 47 knockouts), 9 losses and 2 draws. In 2003, he was named to the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
The top black fighters of Wills' era were forced to continuously fight each other, as many white fighters also drew the "color line". As a result, Wills fought the redoubtable Sam Langford
22 times. His record against Langford was 6 wins, 2 losses and 14 No Decisions, although the two losses were by knockout. Wills also defeated Sam McVey
three times and fought two No Decision bouts with Joe Jeanette
.
Wills spent six years (1920–1926) trying to land a title fight with Jack Dempsey
. Dempsey was willing to fight Wills and contracts for the bout were signed by both fighters. The fight, however, never took place because Dempsey did not receive a $100,000 guarantee from the promoter, after Wills received a $50,000 check, from George Barton's "My Lifetime in Sports". Instead, Dempsey met Gene Tunney
, and was outpointed by the ex-marine. The Dempsey-Tunney match was held in Philadelphia, as the bout could not be held in New York
, due to litigation filed by Wills over Dempsey's breach of contract and the barring of the bout by then New York State Athletic Commissioner James Farley
, an early champion of African-American equal rights.
Wills retired from boxing in 1932, and ran a successful real estate business in Harlem
, New York
. He was known for his yearly fast, in which, once a year, he would subsist on water for a month. Wills admitted that his biggest regret in life was never getting the opportunity to fight Dempsey for the title. Wills was confident that he would have won such a match.
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
. Wills fought for over twenty years (1911–1932), was ranked as the number one challenger for the throne, but was never given the opportunity to fight for the title.
Wills fought many of the top heavyweights of his era. He defeated Willie Meehan, who had decisioned Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
, Gunboat Smith
Gunboat Smith
Edward "Gunboat" Smith was an Irish American boxer and later a boxing referee.- Boxing career :Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He spent much of his youth in orphanages, working on farms and on the railroads. He joined the U.S...
and Charley Weinart. He also fought Luis Firpo
Luis Firpo
Luis Ángel Firpo, , was an Argentine boxer. Born in Junín, Argentina, he was nicknamed "The Wild Bull of The Pampas."...
in a match that ended in No Decision. Wills faced future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey
Jack Sharkey
Jack Sharkey was an American heavyweight boxing champion. He was born Joseph Paul Zukauskas , the son of Lithuanian immigrants, in Binghamton, New York but moved to Boston, Massachusetts as a young man...
in 1926, and was being clearly defeated when he was disqualified. The next year, Wills was knocked out by heavyweight contender Paolino Uzcudun in a bout that signalled the end of his career as a title threat. His final record was 75 wins (with 47 knockouts), 9 losses and 2 draws. In 2003, he was named to the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
The top black fighters of Wills' era were forced to continuously fight each other, as many white fighters also drew the "color line". As a result, Wills fought the redoubtable Sam Langford
Sam Langford
Sam Langford was a Black Canadian boxing standout of the early part of the 20th century. Called the "Greatest Fighter Nobody Knows," by ESPN. He was rated #2 by The Ring on their list of "100 greatest punchers of all time". Langford was originally from Weymouth Falls, a small community in Nova...
22 times. His record against Langford was 6 wins, 2 losses and 14 No Decisions, although the two losses were by knockout. Wills also defeated Sam McVey
Sam McVey
Sam McVey or Sam McVea was a Hall of Fame heavyweight boxer during the early 20th century. He fought out of Oxnard, California. McVey ranked alongside Sam Langford and Joe Jeanette as one of the top black fighters during a famed career that took him across the globe...
three times and fought two No Decision bouts with Joe Jeanette
Joe Jeanette
Jeremiah "Joe" Jeannette is considered one of the best African-American heavyweight boxers of the early 20th century.-Early life and career:...
.
Wills spent six years (1920–1926) trying to land a title fight with Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
. Dempsey was willing to fight Wills and contracts for the bout were signed by both fighters. The fight, however, never took place because Dempsey did not receive a $100,000 guarantee from the promoter, after Wills received a $50,000 check, from George Barton's "My Lifetime in Sports". Instead, Dempsey met Gene Tunney
Gene Tunney
James Joseph "Gene" Tunney was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight...
, and was outpointed by the ex-marine. The Dempsey-Tunney match was held in Philadelphia, as the bout could not be held in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, due to litigation filed by Wills over Dempsey's breach of contract and the barring of the bout by then New York State Athletic Commissioner James Farley
James Farley
James Aloysius Farley was the first Irish Catholic politician in American history to achieve success on a national level, serving as Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and as Postmaster General simultaneously under the first two...
, an early champion of African-American equal rights.
Wills retired from boxing in 1932, and ran a successful real estate business in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was known for his yearly fast, in which, once a year, he would subsist on water for a month. Wills admitted that his biggest regret in life was never getting the opportunity to fight Dempsey for the title. Wills was confident that he would have won such a match.