Harry Wills | |
|---|---|
 Harry Wills in 1916 | |
| Born | Harry Wills May 15, 1889 |
| Died | December 21, 1958 (aged 69) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | The Black Panther |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Reach | 84 in (213 cm) |
| 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 (May 15, 1889 – December 21, 1958) was a 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 twenty years (1911–1932), and was ranked as the number one challenger for the throne, 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. [1]
His managers included Jim Buckley and Paddy Mullins.[2][3]
- ^ "BoxRec's Annual Ratings: Heavyweight Annuals". BoxRec. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ^ "George Wills". BoxRec. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ "Harry Wills". Cyber Boxing Zone. Retrieved 8 August 2016.