34 Facts About Billy Papke

Billy Papke was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1972.

Billy Papke was born on September 17,1886, in Spring Valley, Illinois.

Billy Papke began his boxing career in 1906, eventually winning 40 fights by decision and drawing six times.

Billy Papke worked as a miner during his years in Illinois and occasionally boxed with fellow miners.

On November 22,1907, Billy Papke defeated Bartley Connolly in a fourth round technical knockout.

On March 16,1908, Billy Papke defeated Hugo Kelly at the Hippodrome in Milwaukee in a ten round points decision that was billed as the world and American 158 pound middleweight championship, though it was not a universally sanctioned bout.

Billy Papke put Kelly on the mat in the first round with a blow to the jaw, but Kelly recovered quickly and fought well defensively.

Billy Papke's first meeting with Stanley Ketchel resulted in loss by 10-round points decision, on June 4,1908, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Billy Papke won the second fight with Ketchel in an upset at Jeffrie's Arena in Vernon, near Los Angeles, on September 7,1908, in a convincing twelve round technical knockout, and impressively took the world middleweight title from the reigning champion.

Ketchel was down three times in the first round, and Billy Papke seemed to have the upper hand throughout the fierce and furious bout.

Billy Papke dealt the final blows in the twelfth delivering a right swing followed by a powerful hook.

Billy Papke went down in the eleventh for a count of nine, and not long after arising was struck by a left to the chin that ended the bout.

Billy Papke lost the fourth and final meeting by unanimous decision before a large crowd in Colma, California, near San Francisco, on July 5,1909.

On October 8,1909, and March 19,1910, Billy Papke impressively defeated American welterweight contender Willie Lewis in Pittsburgh in a six round newspaper decision, and in France's Cirque de Paris in a third round knockout.

Billy Papke tried to have his agent arrange a match with Ketchel after the bout, but it was never to be.

On February 11,1911, Billy Papke lost to Cyclone Johnny Thompson in Sydney, Australia in a twenty round points decision, with Thompson subsequently claiming Billy Papke's world middleweight title.

Billy Papke was defending his World Middleweight title which he took at London's Palladium in a ninth round knockout from Jim Sullivan two months earlier on June 8,1911.

Burke battered Billy Papke, but used little science in his approach.

On February 22,1912, Billy Papke lost to American world middleweight contender Frank Mantell in Sacramento in a twenty round points decision.

Mantell's claim was weak as Billy Papke claimed he did not make weight for the match.

On June 29,1912, Billy Papke, defending his June, 1911 world middleweight title, defeated Marcel Moreau at France's Cirque de Paris in a sixteenth round technical knockout.

Billy Papke was down in the first, while Moreau was knocked down twice in the fifteenth by left and right hooks before failing to show for the final round.

Billy Papke lost to middle and welterweight contender Leo Houck in the third week of September 1912 at the Olympia Athletic Club in Philadelphia in a six round newspaper decision.

The first two rounds were slow, with Billy Papke staging a comeback in the third which was marred by his tossing Houck around in the clinches and refusing to break at the referee's request.

Billy Papke traveled to Paris where he beat future champion Georges Carpentier in an eighteenth round technical knockout on October 23,1912.

Billy Papke was beaten by an American, Pennsylvania middleweight Frank Klaus on March 5,1913, at France's Cirque de Paris.

The referee warned Billy Papke and called fouls and breaks repeatedly in the late rounds for wrestling, head-butting, and low blows.

Billy Papke continued fighting until 1919, losing a four rounder to the prolific boxer and contender Soldier Bartfield in San Francisco in April 1919.

On November 22,1932, Billy Papke came out of his 1919 boxing retirement to stage a three round exhibition with heavyweight "Fireman" Jim Flynn, the only boxer who ever knocked out Jack Dempsey.

Billy Papke had lost to Flynn earlier in a newspaper decision in March 1909 in Pasadena.

Billy Papke appeared in at least three boxing-themed movies; The Prince of Broadway which featured boxers Leach Cross, Frankie Genaro, and Ad Wolgast, Madison Square Garden, where he appeared as himself as did other boxers and sports writers, and The Prizefighter and the Lady, which starred heavyweight champion Max Baer.

Billy Papke died on November 27,1936, by suicide, after first killing his wife.

Billy Papke was disappointed about his wife's recent divorce and was hoping for a reconciliation.

Billy Papke left three sons with whom he lived, Robert, Clifford, and William A Papke Jr.