1920s Exhibits Harry Wills 🥊 Boxing Hall of Famer
This card is over 100 years-old showing Boxing Pioneer Harry Will hitting the heavy bag.
They just aren't making any nostalgic cards with photography like this nowadays.
In the 1910s–1920s, Harry Wills was widely considered as the most deserving challenger to heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey.
He was the No. 1 Heavyweight boxing contender for years (regardless of race), beat nearly every top Black heavyweight of his era, and defeated many white contenders as well—yet he was systematically denied a title fight.

1920s Exhibit Supply Company Boxing Card, Harry Wills vs Jack Dempsey.
The fight between Harry Wills and Jack Dempsey, often called "the fight that never was," remains one of boxing's most controversial missed bouts. Wills, a dominant Black heavyweight in the 1920s, was the top contender for Dempsey’s world title. Despite public pressure and signed agreements, the bout was repeatedly delayed and ultimately blocked—largely due to racial barriers and the influence of boxing promoters and state commissions unwilling to sanction a Black man challenging for the heavyweight crown. The failure to make the fight happen denied Wills a deserved shot at history and left a lasting stain on the era’s sporting legacy.

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