March 13, 1873 Joe Walcott (also known as Barbados Joe Walcott), hall of fame boxer, was born in Demerara, British Guyana. As a youngster, Walcott got a job as a cabin boy on a ship sailing to Boston, Massachusetts. After settling in Boston, he got a job at a gym and began boxing. Walcott made […]
Tag Archives | Boxing Hall of Fame
December 12th in African American History – Henry Jackson, Jr. (Henry Armstrong)
December 12, 1912 Henry Jackson, Jr. (Henry Armstrong), the first boxer to hold world titles in three separate weight classes at the same time, was born in Columbus, Mississippi. Jackson assumed the surname of his mentor and trainer, Harry Armstrong, in 1931. Because the fight purses were small, Armstrong usually fought 12 times a year. On […]
October 10th in African American History – Eddie Futch
October 10, 2001 Eddie Futch, hall of fame boxing trainer, died. Futch was born August 9, 1911 in Hillsboro, Mississippi, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. In 1932, he won the Detroit Athletic Association Lightweight Championship and in 1933 he won the Detroit Golden Gloves Championship. A heart murmur prevented him from turning professional, therefore he […]
September 5th in African American History – Isiah “Ike” Williams
September 5, 1994 Isiah “Ike” Williams, hall of fame boxer, died. Williams was born August 2, 1923 in Brunswick, Georgia. He began boxing professionally in 1940 and won the World Lightweight Boxing Championship in 1945. He successfully defended the title five times before losing it in 1951.
June 10th in African American History – John Arthur “Jack” Johnson
June 10, 1946 John Arthur “Jack” Johnson, the first black World Heavyweight Champion, died in a car crash. Johnson was born March 31, 1878 in Galveston, Texas. By 1902, he had won at least 50 fights against white and black opponents and in 1903 he won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship. Johnson finally won the […]
April 18th in African American History – John Henry Lewis
April 18, 1974 John Henry Lewis, hall of fame boxer, died. Lewis was born May 1, 1914 in California but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona where his father owned a boxing gym. Lewis began his professional boxing career in 1928 at the age of 14.