Roy Harris (boxer)

Amateur career

Roy and his brother Tobe took up the boxing together after receiving their first set of gloves in a trade for wild ducks. Roy was a four-time Texas Golden Gloves champ, won his state Olympic Trials in 1952, and was the winner of the Joe Louis Sportsmanship Award at the 1954 National Golden Gloves.

Professional career

Roy was a heavyweight contender during the 1950s. He won his first 23 fights, including consecutive wins against Willi Besmanoff, Bob Baker and Willie Pastrano, and was named Ring Magazine's progress of the year for 1957.

World Heavyweight Championship

Before the bout, Roy was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In August 1958, he was given a title shot by world champion Floyd Patterson. Patterson had trouble obtaining title defenses, as boxing at the time was controlled by an organization that Patterson and his manager, Cus D'Amato, refused to cooperate with.

The promotion was colorful, due to the backstory of Roy's kinsmen, one of the celebrated East Texas clans still existing as their forebears had for generations. Much was made of the "backwoods" quality of Roy's life, and every venue was utilized in using this as ballyhoo; this extended as far as having Roy record a 45 RPM record for airplay only (DECCA Records, No. 9-30717). Roy was predictably photographed in cowboy hat and boots, and in one wire photo, he holds a revolver at the ready (AP Wirephoto rw41500sh). The aforementioned Sports Illustrated cover portrayed him barechested and barefoot, standing upon a cabin porch with 19th Century rifle at rest beside him; he further sports a canine companion. The fight took place at Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, CA. Roy knocked down the champion in the second round, but was himself knocked down four times; his corner stopped the fight before the 13th round. Mushy Callahan was the referee. Back in Texas, Roy's extended family had gathered at the drive-in theater in nearby Conroe, which had been equipped for the occasion with its own closed circuit movie hook-up. The evening was a colorful one of guitar playing and dancing, but of course ended sadly, although most did not give up hope until near the end. It has been conjectured that Roy's heroic stand—versus a champion acknowledged later by Muhammad Ali as "the most skilled as a boxer" whom Ali had faced—is all the more miraculous, due to the location of his training facilities. Roy trained for the Patterson fight in the mountains, hundreds of feet higher in altitude than the city of Los Angeles, and yet, he completed 12 full rounds and scored a (debated) knockdown. Roy offered no excuses, however; a former winner of the Joe Louis award for sportsmanship, he replied when questioned, "I did my best."

Harris then won six consecutive fights, before losing to a (28-1) Sonny Liston. He then dropped a decision to Henry Cooper and was stopped twice by Bob Cleroux.

Retirement

He retired with a final record of 30 wins and five losses. He is believed to be the only boxer to become a lawyer after fighting for the world heavyweight title. Roy Harris was a county clerk in Montgomery County for 28 years. He began practicing law in 1972 and drew up the papers for Cut And Shoot to become incorporated. Roy's office is based in his home and he has been married 47 years and has six children.