Johnny Bratton, also known as Honey Boy Bratton, (September 9, 1927 – August 15, 1993) was an American professional boxer and briefly reigned as the NBA welterweight champion in 1951. He fought many of the best fighters of his era in the division, earning nearly $400,000 in 83 fights, but ended up penniless and mentally impaired.
Amateur career Bratton started boxing at age 14 and competed in several Golden Gloves events before turning pro.
Professional career Bratton was a strong character, contemporaneously described as "flashy" or "egotistical", with his "brilliantined hair and a fondness for purple shirts".Miles Davis Was a Boxing Fan, Boxing Insider He was "instinctively disliked by others" and fans were said to hope he would "get a beating".
He turned pro in 1944 and captured the vacant National Boxing Association World welterweight title in 1951 with a majority decision win over Charley Fusari , fight in which Fusari was down for a four-count in the 4th round and a nine-count in the 10th. He lost the belt two months later to Kid Gavilán (often written "Kid Gavilan" at the time) by decision after Bratton's jaw was broken within the first five rounds. In 1953 Bratton rematched Gavilan for the World Welterweight Title and lost a lopsided decision with scores 85-65, 83-67, 82-68 all for Gavilan. After the loss to Gavilan, Bratton's career spiraled downward with losses to Johnny Saxton and Chico Varona. He retired in 1955 after a brutal loss to Del Flanagan, a fight stopped by the ring doctor because Bratton was cut over both eyes and appeared "dazed and didn't know where he was."
His career record was 60 wins (including 34 knockouts), 24 losses (three knockouts) and three draws.Johnny Bratton career record, boxrec.comCyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia
At his peak, Bratton was earning tens of thousands of dollars per fight, and he spent lavishly, on clothes, cars and gambling. His manager, Howard Frazier, was found to be embezzling his income and had his license revoked for it in 1949. Bratton attracted plenty of other people eager to relieve this Arkansas country boy of his new-found wealth, which - combined with poor financial management, by his father and others - meant that he ended up losing it all.
Personal life, Joanne and after boxing Bratton was born in Little Rock, Arkansas where his father was a preacher. He had older brothers named Jerry and Lawyer Jr. During the Great Depression, the family moved north to Chicago, where his father got a job as a taxi driver,Nowhere to Run, by John Schulian which meant he was often away from home, and young Bratton grew up without strong family support, as his mother left him to his own devices. He attended DuSable High School, but dropped out, spending his time on the street, an existence that led him to the fight clubs that would be his path to success.
He married young - a local girl called Cleadora McLinn with whom he had a son, Dana, in 1944, but the marriage didn't last a year. Then, aged 18, Bratton met Joanne Jackson, aged only 15, a neighbour of his uncle. They went on to marry and had a son, Derek, known as Ricky, born in 1950.Who Got Johnny Bratton's Money, Chicago Tribune, by Roi Ottley, 25 Nov 1956
The rigors of the boxing ring had taken a heavy toll, and in 1955, a few months after his final fight, Bratton was admitted to Manteno State Mental Hospital, where he would stay for eight years.The Bratton Stories Detroit Free Press, May 16, 1965, Page 154 On release, he lived quietly with his mother. He would spend time living in his car, then was homeless, and had ongoing mental problems and related hospital admissions. At times he worked as a farm-hand.www.braggingrightscorner.com [failed link] When his son Ricky died of an infection aged 11, in Detroit, Bratton was too sick to be aware of it.Child of Tragedy, Black World/Negro Digest, by George Puscas, Apr 1962
Bratton’s wife, now JoAnne Bratton-Jackson, went on to be a force in the music business, specifically soul music. With business partner and later husband Ed Wingate – already successful owner of The 20 Grand club and other businesses, she co-founded Detroit record labels that ran neck and neck with Motown. After Golden World Records, of which she was president, came Ric-Tic Records - named for her and Bratton’s son, Derek Bratton, and Wingate Records. She co-wrote a number of soul records, including "That's What He Told Me" and the flip side "Holding Hands," (co-written with Bob Hamilton, and released on Ric-Tic in 1965, sung by Rose Battiste). Motown owner Berry Gordy sought a partnership with the couple early on, but Jackson counselled Wingate against, and the result was a string of hits and an eventual buy-out by Gordy for around a million dollars, in 1966.Panache Report: Archive #5Motown Encyclopedia: Golden World Records, by Graham Betts, lovinthesoul
In the 1980s, Bratton was sleeping in the lobby of Chicago's (formerly magnificent but now seedy) Del Prado Hotel, earning his place by running errands and being personable, but not quite living in the present, always a sidestep away from his old memories. By 1991, he was in a nursing home on Chicago's South Side, in touch with his family and "doing all right", in his own words.These Days, Even Impostors Can Be Successful, LA Times, by Earl Gustkey, 30 March 1991Ex-Champ Johnny Bratton Not Angered Over Homeless Imposter in N.Y. Hospital, JET magazine, p52, April 1, 1991. ISSN 0021-5996
Bratton died in 1993, aged 65.
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes87Loss Del FlanaganTKO9 (10)Mar 17, 1955 86Loss60–23–3 Chico VaronaUD10Oct 25, 1954 85Loss60–22–3 Johnny SaxtonUD10Feb 24, 1954 84Loss60–21–3 Kid GavilánUD15Nov 13, 1953 83Win60–20–3 Al WilsonSD10Oct 7, 1953 82Win59–20–3 Danny WomberUD10Jun 9, 1953 81Win58–20–3 Livio MinelliUD10May 7, 1953 80Win57–20–3 Al WilsonUD10Apr 14, 1953 79Win56–20–3 Bobby JonesKO5 (10)Mar 20, 1953 78Win55–20–3 Jesús PortuguézKO5 (10)Feb 23, 1953 77Loss54–20–3 Ralph JonesUD10Dec 5, 1952 76Win54–19–3 Joe MiceliTKO8 (10)Oct 31, 1952 75Win53–19–3 Ralph ZannelliUD10Sep 10, 1952 74Win52–19–3 Irvin SteenTKO3 (10)Aug 25, 1952 73Win51–19–3 Laurent DauthuilleTKO3 (10)Jul 28, 1952 72Loss50–19–3 Rocky CastellaniSD10Jun 18, 1952 71Win50–18–3 Del FlanaganSD10May 23, 1952 70Win49–18–3 Pierre LangloisTKO4 (10)May 1, 1952 69Loss48–18–3 Rocky CastellaniUD10Mar 28, 1952 68Win48–17–3 Vic CardellSD10Feb 20, 1952 67Win47–17–3 Bobby RosadoKO8 (10)Jan 28, 1952 66Win46–17–3 Livio MinelliSD10Dec 27, 1951 65Draw45–17–3 Kid GavilánPTS10Nov 28, 1951 64Win45–17–2 Wilbur WilsonKO8 (10)Oct 15, 1951 63Loss44–17–2 Kid GavilánUD15May 18, 1951 62Win44–16–2 Don WilliamsTKO4 (10)Apr 18, 1951 61Win43–16–2 Charley FusariSD15Mar 14, 1951 60Win42–16–2 Bobby DykesTKO1 (10)Jan 24, 1951 59Win41–16–2 Sammy MastreanKO3 (10)Jan 9, 1951 58Win40–16–2 Lester FeltonTKO3 (10)Dec 13, 1950 57Loss39–16–2 Holley MimsUD10Nov 27, 1950 56Win39–15–2 Johnny CesarioTKO3 (10)Nov 22, 1950 55Loss38–15–2 Holley MimsUD10Nov 6, 1950 54Loss38–14–2 Ike WilliamsTKO8 (10)Jan 20, 1950 53Win38–13–2 Gene HairstonTKO2 (10)Jan 4, 1950 52Win37–13–2 Gaby FerlandTKO2 (10)Nov 18, 1949 51Win36–13–2 Chuck TaylorTKO2 (10)Sep 15, 1949 50Win35–13–2 Ramón ÁlvarezTKO5 (10)Apr 8, 1949 49Win34–13–2 Frankie VigeantTKO4 (10)Mar 29, 1949 48Win33–13–2 Chester RicoTKO6 (10)Feb 25, 1949 47Loss32–13–2 Ike WilliamsUD10Jan 17, 1949 46Win32–12–2 Melvin BartholomewPTS10Jan 7, 1949 45Win31–12–2 Joe BrownKO4 (10)Dec 3, 1948 44Draw30–12–2 Bobby LeePTS10Nov 29, 1948 43Loss30–12–1 Bernard DocusenUD10Oct 29, 1948 42Win30–11–1 Luigi ValentiniTKO7 (10)Sep 15, 1948 41Win29–11–1 Frankie AbramsUD8Jul 19, 1948 40Win28–11–1 Jackie SolomonKO1 (10)Jul 6, 1948 39Loss27–11–1 Beau JackTKO8 (10)Jan 23, 1948 38Loss27–10–1 Livio MinelliSD10Jan 5, 1948 37Win27–9–1 Phil PalmerTKO7 (10)Nov 12, 1947 36Loss26–9–1 Gene BurtonUD10Oct 6, 1947 35Win26–8–1 Herbie JonesKO8 (10)Aug 4, 1947 34Loss25–8–1 Gene BurtonUD10Jun 6, 1947 33Loss25–7–1 Sammy AngottUD10May 16, 1947 32Win25–6–1 Danny KapilowSD10Feb 18, 1947 31Win24–6–1 Morris ReifUD10Jan 24, 1947 30Win23–6–1 Willie JoyceUD10Dec 20, 1946 29Win22–6–1 Willie JoyceSD10Oct 31, 1946 28Win21–6–1 Richard PoliteTKO3 (10)Oct 18, 1946 27Win20–6–1 Eddie LanderUD10Sep 23, 1946 26Win19–6–1 Roy CadleTKO5 (12)Aug 14, 1946 25Win18–6–1 Bill EddyMD10Aug 1, 1946 24Win17–6–1 Pedro FirpoKO1 (10)May 3, 1946 23Win16–6–1 Freddie DawsonUD10Apr 12, 1946 22Loss15–6–1 Ike WilliamsPTS10Jan 20, 1946 21Loss15–5–1 Chalky WrightUD10Dec 14, 1945 20Win15–4–1 Cleo ShansPTS10Nov 11, 1945 19Draw14–4–1 Cleo ShansPTS10Nov 2, 1945 18Win14–4 Candy McDanielsTKO6 (10)Oct 26, 1945 17Loss13–4 Dave CastillouxPTS10Aug 10, 1945 16Loss13–3 Joey BarnumUD8Jul 30, 1945 15Win13–2 Melvin JohnsonPTS8Jul 20, 1945 14Win12–2 Melvin BartholomewKO4 (10)May 14, 1945 13Win11–2 Patsy SpataroPTS8Mar 26, 1945 12Win10–2 Jimmy AnestPTS6Feb 14, 1945 11Win9–2 Robert EarlTKO3 (8)Jan 19, 1945 10Win8–2 Ted ChristieTKO2 (8)Dec 18, 1944 9Loss7–2 Ace MillerPTS8Dec 4, 1944 8Win7–1 Gene SpencerPTS8Nov 24, 1944 7Win6–1 Gene SpencerSD8Oct 9, 1944 6Loss5–1 Gene SpencerUD8Sep 25, 1944 5Win5–0 Ted ChristiePTS8Aug 7, 1944 4Win4–0 Walter HolbaTKO2 (5)Jul 24, 1944 3Win3–0 Alvin JordanKO4 (4)Jul 7, 1944 2Win2–0 Larry WrightTKO3 (4)Jun 26, 1944 1Win1–0 Doyle HirtPTS4Jun 12, 1944
References
External links
Nowhere to Run (A True Story of Johnny Bratton) by John Schulian. In 'At the Fights: American Writers on Boxing'