Roy Harris (boxer)

Roy Harris (born 29 June 1933) is a retired American heavyweight boxer, whose nickname derived from his town of his birth Cut and Shoot, Texas.^[1] Harris is a co-trainer of undefeated title contender Alfonso López III.^[2]

Amateur career

Roy and his brother Toab took up the boxing together, they got their first set of gloves in a trade for wild ducks. Harris was a four-time Texas Golden Gloves champ and won his state Olympic Trials in 1952. Roy was also the winner of the Joe Louis Sportsmanship Award at the 1954 National Golden Gloves.^[3]

Professional career

Harris 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, Harris was on the cover of Sports Illustrated.^[4] In August 1958, Harris 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 Patterson and his manager, Cus D'Amato, refused to cooperate with.

The promotion was colorful, due to the backstory of Harris' 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 Harris 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, portrays Harris barechested and barefoot, standing upon a cabin porch with 19th Century rifle at rest beside him; he further sports a canine companion. "Roy Harris The Heavyweight Challenger From Cut And Shoot". Sports Illustrated. August 18, 1958. . The fight took place at Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, CA. Harris knocked down the champion in the second round, but was himself knocked down four times; Harris' corner stopped the fight before the 13th round. Mushy Callahan, was the referee.^[5] 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, a colorful one of guitar playing and dancing, of course ended sadly, but most did not give up hope until near the end.^[6] It has been conjectured, that Harris' 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. Harris trained for the Patterson fight in the mountains, hundreds of feet higher in altitude than the city of Los Angeles...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."^[7]

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 actually in his house and he has been married 47 years and has six children.

Professional boxing record

30 Wins (9 knockouts, 20 decisions, 1 DQ), 5 Losses (4 knockouts, 1 decision), 1 No Contest [8]
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	25-2-1	Bob Cleroux	TKO	4	23/05/1961	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas	Referee stopped the bout at 3:00 of the fourth round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	13-5	Dave Rent	DQ	5	28/02/1961	Houston, Texas	Rent disqualified at 2:03 of the fifth round for headbutting.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	20-7-1	Henry Cooper	PTS	10	13/09/1960	Empire Pool, Wembley, London
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	20-1-1	Bob Cleroux	KO	5	27/07/1960	Delorimier Stadium, Montreal, Quebec	Harris knocked out at 1:12 of the fifth round.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	28-1	Sonny Liston	TKO	1	25/04/1960	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas	Referee stopped the bout at 2:35 of the first round.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	58-25-7	Henry Hall	UD	7	21/03/1960	Dallas Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	4-0	Alejandro Lavorante	UD	10	24/11/1959	San Antonio Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas	99-95, 100-92, 99-90.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	38-14-1	Joe Bygraves	UD	10	25/08/1959	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	20-3-2	Chuck Powell	UD	10	09/06/1959	Houston, Texas	100-90, 100-90, 100-87.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	26-3	Donnie Fleeman	UD	12	01/04/1959	Dallas Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas	Texas Heavyweight Title. 120-108, 120-105, 119-109.
No Contest	12-5-1	John Hunt	NC	5	03/02/1959	El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	25-2	Donnie Fleeman	UD	12	01/12/1958	Dallas Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas	Texas Heavyweight Title. 119-109, 120-107, 120-107.
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	33-1	Floyd Patterson	RTD	12	18/08/1958	Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California	World Heavyweight Title. 97-117, 102-116, 98-117.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	37-9-7	Willi Besmanoff	UD	10	29/10/1957	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas	97-91, 100-91, 100-91.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	40-4-5	Willie Pastrano	UD	10	11/06/1957	Houston, Texas	97-96, 98-95, 98-95.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	47-9-1	Bob "The Grinder" Baker	MD	10	30/04/1957	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas	96-93, 97-92, 96-96.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	28-12-1	Joey Rowan	PTS	10	26/02/1957	Houston City Auditorium, Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	25-4	Claude Chapman	TKO	8	29/01/1957	Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	5-1	JD Marshall	TKO	2	19/11/1956	Tyler, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	26-13	Charley Norkus	UD	10	02/10/1956	Houston City Auditorium, Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	27-4	Oscar Pharo	PTS	10	27/08/1956	Tyler, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	7-4	Calvin Butler	PTS	10	30/05/1956	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	49-13-6	"Chief" Alvin Williams	UD	10	21/05/1956	Tyler, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	1-5-1	Johnny Bullard	KO	4	16/04/1956	Tyler, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	9-3	Don Howard Tucker	KO	3	20/02/1956	Tyler, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	12-24-4	Ponce DeLeon Taylor	PTS	10	13/12/1955	Houston City Auditorium, Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	11-1	Buddy Turman	SD	12	28/11/1955	Tyler, Texas	Texas Heavyweight Title.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	2-7-2	Fred Taylor	PTS	10	01/11/1955	Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	2-5	Duke Smith	KO	3	01/10/1955	Tyler, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	0-2	LeJune Burks	KO	6	30/09/1955	Conroe, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	1-5	Dick Brown	TKO	3	30/08/1955	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	--	Chuck Connor	KO	2	28/06/1955	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	--	Bobby Watson	PTS	6	14/06/1955	LaGrave Field, Fort Worth, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	4-1	Ted Donald	PTS	8	03/06/1955	Conroe, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	9-16	JD Harvey	PTS	6	03/05/1955	Galveston City Auditorium, Galveston, Texas
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win	--	Tommie Smith	TKO	3	26/04/1955	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas

Bibliography

• Harris, Roy; Montgomery, Robin Navarro (2012). Roy Harris of Cut and Shoot: Texas Backwoods Battler. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 9781475960679. OCLC 819070994.  |accessdate= requires |url= (help)

References

External links

• Professional boxing record for Roy Harris from BoxRec