Old Harry Wills Reaches The End Of The Line

I've always said this.
That was the old school approach, and acknowledged right up until very recently. Why should a fighter care who he fights or go around choosing his opponents ? Or expected to have any involvement in that ?
Managers are taking 30% or 50% (in Kearns' case!) of the money, they line up the fights and negotiate the purse, they control the career of their fighter. Otherwise why are they taking a cut at all ? :huh
Fighters should just get in the ring and punch whoever is in front of them and get paid.
"Who are you fighting next ?"
"Ask my manager."

 

Dempsey was dropped thrice. Wills didn't lose a second of that fight.

 

Your first sentence is true.
Second sentence is gross exaggeration.

 

Not a gross exaggeration but an exaggeration none the less.

 

I have read reports claiming Wills won every round, though.


I came across this tidbit in the Journal of Sports History, vol 23, no 1, (Spring, 1996)--which is on-line.

"The major boxing news in Mexico in 1924 was Firpo's September 11 fight with Harry Wills. A few days before the fight El Universal published a long interview with Dempsey conducted by one of their correspondents in Los Angeles. Dempsey predicted that Firpo would knock-out 'El Negro' and that he would certainly fight the winner."

"he would certainly fight the winner."

Unless it was Wills, I guess.

 

The tradition going back to Sullivan was the CHALLENGER made the challenge to fight the champion via his manager. The champion never actively pursued the challenger. There was a wonderful article by Fitzsimmons I found years ago where Fitz clearly illustrated this tradition regarding his career. Dempsey actively pursuing a fight was Wills was unheard of and this cannot be emphasized enough. Today it's passed over as "so what"? But in that era it broke with all tradition going back many decades.

 

I'd agree with this. Regarding Wills, he's disappointing on flims.

Essentially he was born at a favorable time when the sun was setting on Langford, McVey, and Jeannette. 1914-1916 versions of Langford and Mcvey defeated Wills.

The color line was in play by Dempsey, and the black talent of the times aside from Godfrey wasn't great.

Wills clearly ducked Godfrey.

 

A lot of fighters would look disappointing if the only film we had of them was at age 35+. Imagine if the only film of Ali was against Shavers, Spinks, Holmes and Berbick and the only film of Tyson was Lewis, Etienne, Williams and McBride.

Sure Godfrey called Wills out. He called out Tunney too. But he was never really in a position to challenge Wills. He didn't turn pro until after Dempsey won the title, started out with an uninspiring 14-9-1 record, got a knocked out a few times, including twice against an ancient going blind Langford. His main claim to fame while Wills was active was being Dempsey's sparring partner.

 

Wills was 32 vs Fripo. I did not see as much skill or power as I thought I would

Godfrey called out Wills something like 5 times! Wills was fine fighting black heavies like Bill Tate ( Not very skilled ) or Jeff Clark ( Skilled but too small ) multiple times, but he wanted no part of a big man with skills and power in Godfrey.

He also declined a match with Tunney. If you ask me, Wills was a little risk adverse and it hurt his chances for a greater legacy.

 

"Wills was 32 vs Firpo"

As Wills birth year is generally given as 1889, he was in fact 35.

"he wanted no part of a big man with skills and power in Godfrey"

Your take, but he was also seeking to challenge Dempsey by beating white fighters.

Did Wills fight the men you named, or any other black fighters, after 1922?

 

Wills did sign a contract in 1924 with Rickard to fight anyone Tex chose with the winner to get Dempsey. Rickard chose Firpo.

And Weinert was not exactly chopped liver in 1925. He was rated #3 contender behind only Wills and Gibbons in the 1924 yearly rankings, and was coming off a victory over Firpo and two wins over Jack Sharkey.

Weinert would almost certainly have been ranked ahead of all the fighters you named (including Godfrey) other than perhaps Tunney and Gibbons going in the July, 1925 fight with Wills.

Also, in all fairness, I am not at all certain some of the named fighters would have actually signed to fight Wills if Harry had put his name on a blank contract.

I think a lot of the challenges to Wills were publicity gimmicks.

 

There was a thread on a filmed Wills fight prior to Firpo, and he did not look good there either.

By avoiding Godfrey, Wills never established himself as the top black fighter.

Beating Fred Fulton did not help Wills secure a fight with Dempsey. As Champion Dempsey could have fought Wills in multiple venues.

Wills fought a few black fighters in 1922 Tut Jackson, Kid Norfolk, and Jeff Clark, but after that, he went after the better white fighters in Firpo and Sharkey.

Sharkey pretty much ended Wills career.

I still say if Wills wanted greater fame or another shot at the title, he fights Godfrey and Tunney.