One of many extra intriguing and, sadly, forgotten boxing rivalries is the traditional six bout sequence between Pittsburgh’s personal William P. Davies, aka “Wee Willie,” and Cuba’s Eladio Valdes, aka “Black Invoice.” Evidently, there have been an ideal many premium fights and rivalries throughout their period, the 1920’s, a golden decade for boxing, and that is the one clarification attainable for the report omitting their sextet when the best rivalries are discussed. Being battlers within the sport’s tiniest division didn’t assist both. Besides, that is one feud that deserves to be examined extra carefully and appreciated for the superb sequence it was.
Like his extra well-known cousin, featherweight champion Kid Chocolate, Invoice got here from Havana, Cuba and like Davies, he was a perennial flyweight contender in that notoriously robust decade. He was a swarming, all-action fighter who battled in a way paying homage to Johnny Dundee and Harry Greb, usually bouncing off the ropes or leaping into the air to land his awkward blows. Davies, who was initially from Wales however made his residence within the Pittsburgh space, had a special type. He was a fast, darting boxer-puncher, identified for his marvelous ability and tight protection.
As per the unstated rule in Pittsburgh boxing, Davies drew no “shade line” and a worthy challenger was a worthy challenger. To maintain your standing in “The Smoke Metropolis,” you ducked nobody, not even such a formidable scrapper as this Cuban menace. Each Davies and Valdes had been identified for being “pace retailers” they usually had been proper in the midst of the highest ten listing of flyweight contenders once they had their first bout in September of 1925. The competition befell in Philadelphia, the place the keyed-up combat crowd had their first have a look at each males. Davies was acknowledged because the Pennsylvania State Flyweight Champion, whereas Invoice was heralded because the Cuban Flyweight Champion, so expectations had been excessive. They didn’t disappoint, giving the group countless thrills in an in depth contest, received unanimously by Wee Willie in ten rounds.
They met twice the next yr, this time in Invoice’s native Havana, Cuba. The primary bout was scored a 12-round draw that the Related Press known as a theft, stating that Davies clearly received and that even the Cubans had been outraged on the hometown verdict. A month later their third battle was additionally scored a draw after twelve rounds, however it apparently was carefully contested, very similar to their Philly conflict, and this author has didn’t find any report of protest or grievance.
Their fourth conflict befell three years later, in November of 1929, fittingly at Madison Sq. Backyard. Your complete card that night time was a spectacular one, that includes a few of the best flyweights on the planet, together with world champions Midget Wolgast, Johnny McCoy and Corporal Izzy Schwartz (aka “The Ghetto Midget”), in an elimination event which was to result in the eventual crowning of a brand new undisputed champion. This is able to be certainly one of Black Invoice’s most interesting profession performances, definitely his finest exhibiting in opposition to Davies, as he rushed and romped his technique to a formidable ten spherical victory in the primary occasion that night time.
The ultimate two bouts to shut the sequence befell the next summer season in 1930. In earlier years Midget Wolgast had confirmed to be the higher flyweight of the three, he having crushed each Davies and Invoice conclusively, besides, each males’s reputations, particularly when dealing with one another, remained rock stable they usually may draw massive numbers in any combat city. Since that they had already locked up twice on impartial floor, and twice in Black Invoice’s residence metropolis, it made sense to carry the ultimate two matches in Pittsburgh, the place Davies was an enormous favourite with the group.
The Cuban began combat quantity 5 along with his ordinary livid stampede and almost swept the Welshman off his ft, profitable the primary three rounds handily. One in all his wild swings nailed referee Al Grayber as he was breaking a clinch, splitting the previous middleweight contender’s lip bloody. However Davies, at all times resourceful, had deliberate on a extra disciplined efficiency than of their earlier battles and he stored his cool. His technique this time concerned extra out-boxing, much less slugging and infighting. He stored a gentle stream of jabs popping into Invoice’s face, adopted by the occasional proper hand counter-wallop, which took a lot of the steam out of his foe after the third stanza.
On the finish of ten rounds Davies was awarded the bulk determination and deservedly so. However some scribes reported that Black Invoice had appeared “off” to them, and there was the notion he remained the general superior fighter and would have received if he’d been “on.” Such sentiments set the stage for his or her remaining assembly, which befell the next month on the identical venue, Meyers Bowl in North Braddock. This bout was to be essentially the most dominant efficiency of the sequence for Wee Willie, who as soon as once more used his tireless little piston jab to maintain Invoice off stability and unable to launch an efficient assault. The press awarded Davies seven of the ten rounds, which gave him three wins in opposition to one loss and two attracts (arguably 4-1-1 given the consensus on the bogus draw of their second bout) to take the sequence from his sport Cuban nemesis.
Uncrowned flyweight champion “Wee” Willie Davies is certainly one of boxing’s rare happy post-career success stories. After racking up 167 whole fights in 9 years he retired and enrolled on the College of Pittsburgh in 1935, ultimately incomes his Grasp’s Diploma in science. He went on to pursue the scholar’s life and have become a well-liked and much-admired college trainer.
Sadly, Black Invoice’s course ran in the wrong way in each conceivable manner. He fought solely seven extra instances earlier than being compelled to retire in 1931 because of deteriorating eyesight. Invoice claimed the issue was the results of an opponent rubbing resin in his eyes in a clinch, however different sources reported that the Havana social gathering boy’s failing imaginative and prescient was a symptom of untreated venereal illness. Regardless of the motive, his was a surprisingly swift fall as inside simply two years he was residing alone in a Harlem condominium, destitute and utterly blind.
Black Invoice by no means suffered a single knockout loss in his total 166 bout profession. The one fighter who ever stopped him was himself, with a bullet to the stomach at age 27 on April 9, 1933. A deep melancholy had gotten the higher of him and he misplaced the desire to stay, however his still-rugged physique had not. It fought the consequences of the bullet for 5 agonizing days within the native hospital earlier than he lastly died on April 14.
Wee Willie and Black Invoice, two tiny gladiators who got here collectively– one from the coal mines of Wales, the opposite from the cane fields of Cuba– and gave their all to present boxing some traditional battles. William Davies and Eladio Valdes. One successful story, the opposite a tragedy. Could boxing always remember them. — Douglas Cavanaugh
