Roy Harris : 'Ten Count' Record 2-2 vs Ranked Top Ten Opponents -(Ring Magazine)....................Harris Ranked 06/11/57..........Willie Pastrano .....# 3.........WUD 10............Unranked 08/18/58..........Floyd Patterson ...HWC........TKO by 12.........#5 (World Heavyweight Title) 06/09/59.........Charlie Powell .....# 8...........WUD 10.............Unranked 04/25/60.........Sonny Liston .......# 2...........KO by 1.............# 6
Roy Harris was from Cut N Shoot, Texas, he was a school teacher, and was heavy handed in the ring. He put Floyd Patterson on the deck during their Aug 18 1958 title bout, before being stopped by Patterson, by TKO 12. He was destroyed by Sonny Liston, on April 25 1960, by KO 1. Had a promising career, but was thrown into the fire prematurely.
Actually, he was anything but heavy handed. Going into the Patterson fight, he had a reputation for speed rather than punching power. He was mostly an unknown quantity, having fought every one of his fights in or near Houston (he never fought outside Texas) and never having even fought on television. His only big win was by close decision over Willie Pastrano in Harris' hometown. D'Amato jumped on him as an opponent because Harris was an wasn't an IBC fighter (so D'Amato said) and, more to the point, because he was easy pickins for Floyd. Both Machen and Folley were viewed as better fighters than Harris, but they had just fought a boring draw so nobody was excited about a fight between either of them and Patterson. In other words, Harris had very weak credentials. Everybody except Brian London and Hurricane Jackson put Patterson on the deck after he became champion -- Rademacher, Harris, Johansson, McNeeley, and Liston. Nine knockouts against nonentities in 35 professional fights is hardly an endorsement for Harris' punching power. As far as being thrown into the fire prematurely, the timing was right for him to get a title shot. If he had waited, he most likely would have been beaten by any number of other fighters, never received his big chance, and never heard from again. The fact that Harris was rated at all is testimony as to how weak the heavyweight division was at the time. Remember, this was just before Liston had everybody shaking in their boots. I'm not sure of ronnyrains' reason for this thread? Why?
I've done 'Ten Counts' as I call them on a number of fighter's John H. Stracey was very happy when I did his. Ten Counts are the fighter's record against the top ten, and not past present and future as ring does on the web, its the top ten they fought when they climbed thru the ropes, It was Mr. Roy Harris turn, and he was a lot better fighter that you portrayed him, with a great jab , most world ranked fighter's are!
As far as him being regulated to the Houston Area, he was a school teacher, who probably did not get the time off to fight in Madison Square Garden, (He's not Sally Ride!) He would have had a problem making A Pastrano rematch in New Orleans!
Glad he's alive and well, I believe he became a very wealthy man in retirement. His ranking at the time of his title challenge was ; The Ring - 5 N.B.A - 3 Boxing Illustrated - 1 Not a bad legacy for a time when there was One World champion, unlike our current pick 'n mix alphabelt, diluted "world!"
WOW -Boxing Illustrated # 1 --(Ring had it about right at # 5) 1973 Boxing Illustrated Had George Chuvalo at # 3 (He had not beat a contender since 1969)
