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"... His name is a magnet which packs arenas anywhere in the country where he happens to compete..."
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The following record is exactly
as it appeared in Nat Fleischer's The Ring Record Book for 1945.
However, as evidenced here and documented through family
records, you will see that there are several discrepancies.
 | The Ring lists only 52 professional fights, by all other
accounts Billy engaged in 65 pro bouts. |
| There are several fights missing from the 1940
record- all wins. Billy remained undefeated until his 2nd
fight with Harry Jeffra in 1941. Newspaper articles regarding these
missing fights
are included here. |
| The author has yet to date several fights "missing"
after 1940.. |
| The Ring Record Book shows Billy enlisted in the US Army in
November of 1942. While Billy did try to enlist, he was not
allowed to join the armed forces due to the lingering affects of his
childhood illnesses. In fact, at that time, a doctor did try
to stop him from fighting due to this heart condition. |
|
| While researching for this web site, the
author found one more point of interest. In the Ring Record Books,
Billy Speary is the only fighter - out of thousands - to have any
mention made of his amateur record. All other records are based
solely on professional fights. |
| |
Billy Speary
|
Born, May 4, 1918, Nanticoke, Pa.
Nationality, Welsh-American. Weight, 126. Height, 5 ft. 6
in.
|
Amateur Record: 198 fights. Won 183,
lost 15. Reversed every loss in a return bout.
Speary won 15 major amateur ring titles. |
| |
1938
|
| Won the National AAU Bantamweight
Championship. |
| |
1939
|
| Won the National AAU Bantamweight
Championship by defeating Leon Haire. |
| |
|
|
| Feb. 7 |
Charley
Hayes, Scranton |
KO 2 |
| Mar. 4 |
Paul
Jackson, Allentown |
W 6 |
| Mar. 5 |
Jimmy
Mingo, Scranton |
KO 1 |
| Mar. 11 |
Paul
Jackson, Scranton |
W 6 |
| Apr. 8 |
Paul
Jackson, Scranton |
W 6 |
| Apr. 19 |
Len
D'Andrea, Wilkes-Barre |
W 6 |
| May 3 |
Harvey
LaCalle, Tamaqua, Pa. |
KO 5 |
| May 7 |
Joey
Hoffman, Wilkes-Barre |
KO 2 |
| May 17 |
Johnny
Forte, Wilkes-Barre |
W 8 |
| June 17 |
Firpo
Lopez, Scranton |
W 8 |
| July 16 |
Eddie
O'Leary, Wilkes-Barre |
W 8 |
| July 29 |
Billy
Davis, Allentown |
W 8 |
| Aug. 20 |
Al Brown,
Wilkes-Barre |
W 8 |
| Sept. 9 |
Dom
Fiantini, Allentown |
W 8 |
| Sept. 10 |
Joe
Amico, Wilm., Del. |
W 6 |
| Oct. 1 |
Joey
Archibald, Wilkes-Barre |
W 10 |
| Nov. 19 |
Harry
Jeffra, Wilkes-Barre |
W 10 |
| Dec. 2 |
Jimmy
Gilligan, Scranton |
W 10 |
| Dec. 9 |
Aurel
Toma, Phila., Pa. |
KO 5 |
| |
| * There are
several fights missing from the 1940 record. All were wins. At the
end of 1940, Billy was undefeated. |
| |
|
|
| Jan. 6 |
Harry
Jeffra, Baltimore, Md. |
L 12 |
| Jan. 17 |
Mike
Raffa, Roch. N.Y. |
L 10 |
| Mar. 4 |
Mike
Raffa, Wilkes-Barre |
W 10 |
| Apr. 22 |
Paul Lee,
Wilkes-Barre |
KO 9 |
| May 15 |
Mike
Raffa, Wilkes-Barre |
L 12 |
| June 23 |
Johnny
Marcelline, Allentown |
W 10 |
| Aug. 28 |
Jose
Peralta, Wilkes-Barre |
L 10 |
| Sept. 25 |
Leon
Haire, Philadelphia |
L 10 |
| Oct. 20 |
Jimmy
Hatcher, Baltimore |
L 10 |
| Oct. 27 |
Spider
Armstrong, Phila. |
KO 6 |
| Nov. 10 |
Georgie
Pace, Toronto |
W 10 |
| Dec.
2 |
Jimmy
Hatcher, Wilkes-Barre |
D 10 |
| |
|
|
| Jan. 12 |
Lulu
Constantino, N.Y.C. |
L 8 |
| Feb. 2 |
Harry
Jeffra, Toronto |
L 10 |
| Mar. 20 |
Jimmy
Hatcher, N.Y.C. |
L 8 |
| Apr. 13 |
Jackie
Callura, New Orleans |
L 10 |
| June 22 |
Cleo
Shans, Wilkes-Barre |
L 10 |
| July 13 |
Johnny
Cockfield, Allentown |
W 10 |
| July 20 |
Bobby
Ruffin, N.Y.C. |
L 10 |
| Aug. 3 |
Billy
Davis, Allentown |
W 10 |
| Aug. 31 |
George
Harper, Allentown |
W 10 |
| Oct. 6 |
Carmine
Fatta, Phila. |
KO 3 |
| Nov. 13 |
Pedro
Hernandez, Providence |
W 10 |
| In U. S. Army |
| |
|
|
| Jan. 8 |
Johnny
Greco, N.Y.C. |
KO 1 |
| Jan. 19 |
Willie
Pep, Hartford |
L 10 |
| Feb. 15 |
Willie
Pep, Baltimore |
L 10 |
| Mar. 8 |
Ike
Williams, Phila. |
KO 2 |
| Apr. 2 |
Sammy
Fuller, Boston |
KO 1 |
| Dec. 13 |
Billy
Banks, Washington |
L 10 |
| |
|
|
| Jan. 31 |
Julie
Kogan, New Haven |
L 10 |
| Mar. 2 |
Julie
Kogan, New Haven |
D 10 |
| Mar. 27 |
Julie
Kogan, New Haven |
KO 5 |
| May 29 |
Archie
Wilmer, Allentown |
L 10 |
|
(Announced his retirement) |
| |
|
According to Billy's widow, Dorothy Speary, there were
several factors behind his decision to retire.
First & foremost is the fact that after 9 years of
boxing - 365 bouts and the daily training that preparing for those fights
required - he was quite simply tired. Boxing was & continues to
be the most physically demanding sport anyone could choose to participate
in. 9 years is a very long
time to spend getting punched at on a daily basis.
In those days, the boys who would become professional
fighters usually did so within a year or so of entering the ring and then
retired within a couple more. For Billy, turning pro earlier may
have been much easier on him. As a pro he would have fought once or
twice per month. As an amateur, Billy had matches scheduled 3
and 4 days per week. During all those tournaments and competitions
he won, he fought several times PER DAY.
For more than 3 years, Billy declined
many lucrative offers to fight professionally due to his dream of
representing the USA in the 1940 Olympics (canceled due to WW II). His true aspirations were to become an
Olympic boxer - not a
professional boxer.
Also, as you will find by reading the many articles
here, he had no real "taste" for the professional fight game or
the New York "stables". He chose instead to loyally remain
with the trainer & manager who had piloted his career from day one - Art
Thomas. There are those who, to this day, believe that was not a
good choice. However, I feel confident in saying that - for a person of
Billy's character- decisions weighed with loyalty, respect & gratitude
would have been his only
choice. Fans & experts never doubted - then or now - that had Billy
entered the pro ring earlier, his professional record would have mirrored
that of his amateur career. Organized
by year, these links lead to articles covering individual fights. [ 1940 ] [ 1941 ] [ 1942 ] [ 1943 ] [ 1944 ] |
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