Roy Harris (boxer)
| Roy Harris | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Roy Harris |
| Nickname(s) | Cut N' Shoot |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Reach | 73 in (185 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
June 29, 1933 Cut and Shoot, Texas |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 36 |
| Wins | 30 |
| Wins by KO | 9 |
| Losses | 5 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 1 |
Roy Harris (born 29 June 1933) is a retired American heavyweight boxer, whose nickname derived from his place of birth, Cut and Shoot, Texas. Roy is a co-trainer of undefeated title contender Alfonso López III.
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.
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.
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."
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