Ashar Shahid The Ultimate Boxing History Fan Page. 28 mins · " Sam Mcvea was 37 years old in 1921 when he sadly died from Pneumonia. He had given every last ounce of his soul in his ring battles and he died penniless. I cried when I learned of his passing. I was told a reporter Henry Brown was visiting Sam just before he went into hospital. Sam wanted to show the reporter some keepsakes of his career. McVea: I couldn't find a thing worth giving you old man.. perhaps I lost them...the gloves I fought Jennette with in Paris. Sam started sweating profusely: " the gloves, the gloves, i can't find them." Sam died that night still searching for the gloves he so desperately wanted as a keepsake from our epic 49 round battle in Paris. Sam McVea The California rail splitter, the last words he spoke on this earth were about our 1909 finish fight. Most people think Boxers are illiterate and uneducated. Sam McVea was the perfect example of how untrue that was. Like Jack Johnson he was intelligent and was an accomplished piano player, a singer and loved Art and visiting Museums. McVea and Jack Johnson were close friends. Sam looked up to Jack. Jack heard of McVea's death and that he was to buried in a potter's field because there wasn't any money for a burial. He wired money to pay for Sam's service. Jack Johnson arrived in New York soon after to make sure the funeral expenses were paid." Joe Jennette
It is. Part and parcel of boxing history really tbh, fighters dying young or losing everything. For story's like that, no other sport can hold a candle to it.
According to his death certificate, Sam McVey also had some damage to his kidneys. I could not find McVey in the U.S. Census Records. Of course, a fire destroyed a large majority of the 1890 U.S. Census Records. He was overseas when the 1910 U.S. Census was enumerated. It appears that the census enumerators didn't find him during 1900 and 1920. It has been very difficult finding any information about Sam McVey and his family during the period before he arrived in Oxnard, California during 1901. But I found that he probably lived in Pomona, California from the late 1880s to the late 1890s. He also may have lived in San Bernardino, California for a time during the late 1890s. Sam's father, Andy or Andrew, worked with horses for much of his working life in addition to doing work as a laborer. He died while living in Bakersfield during 1929. His mother appears to have been Annie Riley before getting married. She and a baby child of hers died while the family was living in San Bernardino ca. 1899. Sam appears have had a sister, Katie, and at least two brothers, Namen (Lyman?) and Earl. I have found information about Katie, who married a black man named Alexander Hamilton, and Namen. I have read that Sam played the piano and sang very well. While in Australia, he went on a vaudeville-type tour as a singer. - Chuck Johnston
Early in his career he was said to have had some early fights in Australia which I've never found reports of. Would it be possible he was in Australia in 1900?
He seems to have been confused about this himself. He put McVey on his passport application but McVea on a postcard to his sister.
I've seen it said that he adopted the spelling McVea because he was so well liked in France,I've no idea if this is correct.
It is a great story about a truly great Boxer and apparently nice man. Too young to die after giving fans his best efforts.