Harry Wills (May 15, 1889 – December 21, 1958) was an American heavyweight boxer who held the World Colored Heavyweight Championship three times. Many boxing historians consider Wills the most egregious victim of the "color line" drawn by white heavyweight champions. Wills fought for over 20 years (1911–1932), and was ranked as the number-one challenger for the world heavyweight championship, but was denied the opportunity to fight for the title. Of all the black contenders between the heavyweight championship reigns of Jack Johnson and Joe Louis, Wills came closest to securing a title shot. BoxRec ranks him among 10 best heavyweights in the world from 1913 to 1924, and as No.1 heavyweight from 1915 to 1917 and many regard him as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
His managers included Jim Buckley and Paddy Mullins.
Boxing career
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 a no decision. Wills faced future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey in 1926, and was being decisively beaten 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 reign as a serious title contender. 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's era were forced to repeatedly 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. The two losses were by knockout. He beat Langford three times for the colored heavyweight title, with Langford winning it back twice. (He was forced to vacate his third title when he fought Jack Sharkey in 1926 and lost the bout due to a disqualification.) Wills also defeated colored heavyweight champ Sam McVey three times and fought two no-decision bouts with Joe Jeanette.
In May 1922, the New York Daily News polled its readers, asking them to choose Dempsey's next title opponent. Over 45,000 readers responded, and Wills finished first with 12,177 votes. Dempsey initially said he was willing to fight Wills, but the bout was never scheduled.https://www.newspapers.com/image/410294899 New York Daily News, May 19, 1922
Aborted 1926 Dempsey–Wills heavyweight title match Midwestern boxing promoter Floyd Fitzsimmons rendered a check to Wills for his fee, but failed to produce even a downpayment for Dempsey's much larger fee for a bout between the two fighters, who had, in July 1925, signed an agreement for a 1926 title match, which never materialized as a result. Disagreement has existed among boxing historians as to whether Dempsey had avoided Wills—though Dempsey swore he was willing to fight him—as having said he would no longer fight Black boxers after winning the title. Wills twice attempted to sue Dempsey for breach of contract over the canceled bout, which had also been barred in New York State on orders from Governor Alfred E. Smith by Athletic Commissioner James Farley,Dawson, James P."Two Dempsey Bouts Signed By Rickard", The New York Times, July 17, 1925. Retrieved July 28, 2018.Weingarten, C. "The Myth of Dempsey-Wills", by Carl Weingarten, in The Bittersweet Science: Fifteen Writers in the Gym, in the Corner, and at Ringside, Carlo Rotella and Michael Ezra, Editors, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA, 2017, pages 182 – 186. Retrieved July 28, 2018. Barnett, R.E., et al Contracts: Cases and Doctrine, by Randy E. Barnett and Nathan B. Oman. Aspen Casebook Series, Wolters, Kluwer, New York, 2017, pages 88–89. Retrieved July 28, 2018. an early champion of African-American equal rights due to his public threats to resign from the Athletic Commission if Wills was not given the fight against the champion Dempsey, as Farley deemed Wills the number one contender. A deadly race riot in the wake of Jack Johnson vs. James J. Jeffries also created reluctance to promote the match.BOXREC "Harry Wills", BOXREC.com, Retrieved July 28, 2018. The stand taken by Commissioner Farley would help enable Farley to add the African American vote to the New Deal coalition as Franklin D. Roosevelt 's campaign manager and subsequently Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from the Republican Party, which had traditionally up until the 1930s controlled the African American voting block as the party of Lincoln.
Retirement
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.
Wills died at Jewish Memorial Hospital in New York City of complications from diabetes on December 21, 1958."Harry Wills Dies at 66", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, pg. 29, 22 December 1968
Legacy and honors In 2020 award-winning author Mark Allen Baker published the first comprehensive account of The World Colored Heavyweight Championship, 1876–1937, with McFarland & Company, a leading independent publisher of academic & nonfiction books. This history traces the advent and demise of the Championship, the stories of the talented professional athletes who won it, and the demarcation of the color line both in and out of the ring.
For decades the World Colored Heavyweight Championship was a useful tool to combat racial oppression.
Harry Wills was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.
Professional boxing record All information in this section is derived from BoxRec, unless otherwise stated.
Official record
All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column. ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes111Win Big John GloverKO1 (10), Oct 19, 1932110Win69–9–3 Vinko JakasaKO1 (10), Aug 4, 1932109Win68–9–3 Jack RoseKO6 (10)Feb 11, 1931108Win67–9–3 Andres CastanoKO3 (10), Dec 11, 1929107Loss66–9–3 Andres CastanoDQ1 (12)Sep 14, 1929106Loss66–8–3 Paulino UzcudunKO4 (15), Jul 13, 1927105Loss66–7–3 Jack SharkeyDQ13 (15), Oct 12, 1926104Win66–6–3 Floyd JohnsonTKO1 (12), Oct 26, 1925103Win65–6–3 Charley WeinertKO2 (10)Jul 2, 1925102Win64–6–3 Luis Ángel FirpoNWS12Sep 11, 1924101Win64–6–3 Bartley MaddenPTS15Jun 9, 1924100Win63–6–3 Jack ThompsonTKO4 (12), Nov 5, 192399Win62–6–3 Homer SmithKO2 (10), Oct 11, 192398Win61–6–3 Clem JohnsonTKO12 (?), Sep 29, 192297Win60–6–3 Tut JacksonKO3 (15), Aug 29, 192296Win59–6–3 Buddy JacksonKO2 (12), Aug 21, 192295Win58–6–3 Jeff ClarkKO3 (10)Jul 17, 192294Win57–6–3 Jeff ClarkTKO2 (12)Jun 30, 192293Win56–6–3 Kid NorfolkKO2 (15)Mar 2, 192292Win55–6–3 Sam LangfordPTS10Jan 17, 192291Draw54–6–3 Bill TatePTS10Jan 6, 192290Loss54–6–2 Bill TateDQ1 (10), Jan 2, 192289Win54–5–2 Bill TatePTS12Dec 8, 192188NC53–5–2 Jack ThompsonNC5 (12)Nov 30, 192187Win53–5–2 Denver Ed MartinKO1 (10), Nov 18, 192186Win52–5–2 Clem JohnsonTKO6 (12)Nov 10, 192185Win51–5–2 Edward "Gunboat" SmithKO1 (20), Oct 10, 192184Win50–5–2 Bill TateTKO6 (15)Jul 2, 192183Win49–5–2 Ray BennettKO1 (15), Jun 4, 192182Win48–5–2 Battling Jim McCrearyKO7 (10)Jun 3, 192181Win47–5–2 Andy JohnsonKO1 (?)May 27, 192180Win46–5–2 Jack ThompsonNWS8Apr 8, 192179Win46–5–2 Jeff ClarkTKO2 (12)Feb 11, 192178Win45–5–2 Bill TateKO2 (15), Jan 17, 192177Win44–5–2 Jeff ClarkTKO4 (10)Sep 15, 192076NC43–5–2 Sam McVeaNC6 (8)Sep 8, 192075Win43–5–2 Fred FultonKO3 (12), Jul 26, 192074Win42–5–2 Ray BennettTKO1 (4)Jun 1, 192073Win41–5–2 Sam LangfordPTS15Apr 23, 192072Win40–5–2 Andy JohnsonKO1 (10)Mar 17, 192071Win39–5–2 Jack ThompsonPTS15Jan 12, 19207038–5–2 Jack ThompsonNC3 (4)Jan 1, 192069Win38–5–2 Ole AndersonTKO3 (4)Dec 4, 191968Win37–5–2 Edward K.O. KruvoskyTKO1 (4)Nov 20, 191967Win36–5–2 Sam LangfordPTS15Nov 5, 191966Win35–5–2 Joe JennetteNWS8Oct 20, 191965Win35–5–2 Sam LangfordNWS10Sep 30, 191964Win35–5–2 Jeff ClarkTKO4 (10)Aug 18, 191963Win34–5–2 Sam LangfordNWS8Jul 4, 191962Win34–5–2 John Lester JohnsonNWS8Jun 10, 191961Draw34–5–2 Jack ThompsonNWS8Nov 15, 191860Win34–5–2 Jack ThompsonNWS6Sep 14, 191859Win34–5–2 Jeff ClarkTKO5 (8)Aug 19, 191858Win33–5–2 Sam McVeaPTS20Jun 16, 191857Win32–5–2 Sam LangfordTKO8 (20)May 19, 191856Win31–5–2 Sam LangfordKO6 (20)Apr 14, 191855Win30–5–2 Sam McVeaKO5 (20)Feb 17, 191854Win29–5–2 Jeff ClarkTKO5 (15)Dec 16, 191753Draw28–5–2 Sam LangfordNWS12Nov 12, 191752Win28–5–2 Sam LangfordNWS10Sep 20, 191751Win28–5–2 Battling Jim JohnsonNWS10Jun 1, 191750Win28–5–2 Sam LangfordNWS6May 11, 191749Win28–5–2 Jack ThompsonNWS10Apr 30, 191748Loss28–5–2 Battling Jim JohnsonTKO2 (12)Feb 7, 191747Win28–4–2 Jack ThompsonNWS10Nov 28, 191646Win28–4–2 Jack ThompsonKO8 (10)Nov 18, 191645Win27–4–2 Bill TateNWS10Nov 11, 191644Win27–4–2 George Kid CottonTKO4 (10)Oct 13, 191643Win26–4–2 George Kid CottonTKO4 (10)Jun 3, 191642Win25–4–2 Jeff ClarkPTS20May 19, 191641Win24–4–2 Sam LangfordNWS8Apr 25, 191640Win24–4–2 John Lester JohnsonNWS10Apr 7, 191639Win24–4–2 Sam LangfordNWS10Mar 7, 191638Loss24–4–2 Sam LangfordKO19 (20)Feb 11, 191637Win24–3–2 Sam LangfordPTS20Jan 3, 191636Win23–3–2 Sam LangfordNWS10Dec 3, 191535Win23–3–2 Sam McVeaPTS12Sep 7, 191534Win22–3–2 Battling Jim JohnsonNWS10Jul 5, 191533Loss22–3–2 Sam McVeaNWS10May 19, 191532Win22–3–2 John Lester JohnsonPTS20Mar 12, 191531Loss21–3–2 Sam McVeaPTS20Dec 20, 191430Loss21–2–2 Sam LangfordKO14 (20)Nov 26, 191429Win21–1–2 Jim CameronPTS4Oct 30, 191428Win20–1–2 Charles HornKO1 (4)Oct 16, 191427Win19–1–2 Charles "Sailor" GrandePTS4Oct 9, 191426Win18–1–2 Charlie MillerKO1 (4)Sep 18, 191425Win17–1–2 Willie MeehanPTS4Sep 4, 191424Win16–1–2 Battling BrandtTKO4 (4)Aug 21, 191423Win15–1–2 Mexican Pete EverettKO2 (?)Aug 2, 191422Win14–1–2 Soldier ElderKO1 (?)Jul 4, 191421Draw13–1–2 Joe JennetteNWS10Jun 9, 191420Draw13–1–2 Sam LangfordNWS10May 1, 191419Win13–1–2 Rough House WareKO10 (20)Feb 7, 191418Win12–1–2 George Kid CottonKO4 (10)Jan 8, 191417Win11–1–2 Jimmy SullivanKO1 (10)Dec 9, 191316Win10–1–2 George Kid CottonKO3 (10)Oct 3, 191315Draw9–1–2 Joe JennettePTS10Jul 1, 191314Draw9–1–1 Jeff ClarkPTS10Jun 18, 191313Win9–1 Kid BrownKO2 (?)Feb 2, 191312ND8–1 Jack GravesND10Jan 1, 191311Win8–1 Jack TholmerKO5 (10)Nov 20, 1912107–1 Dave MillsND10Aug 13, 19129Win7–1 Kid BrownKO6 (?)May 5, 19128Win6–1 Ben PedenKO3 (?)Apr 4, 19127Loss5–1 George Kid CottonKO2 (10)Feb 14, 19126Win5–0 Sam CollierKO7 (?)Feb 2, 19125Win4–0 Harry BrownKO2 (?)Jan 1, 19124Win3–0 Nat DeweyNWS10Oct 25, 19113Win3–0 Kid NavarroKO1 (?)Mar 1, 19112Win2–0 Battling TaylorKO4 (?)Feb 2, 19111Win1–0 Casey WhiteKO4 (?)Jan 2, 1911
Unofficial record
Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.