Billy Miske

Billy Miske
Born	William Arthur Miske (1894-04-12)April 12, 1894 St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	January 1, 1924(1924-01-01) (aged 29)
Nationality	American
Other names	The St. Paul Thunderbolt
Statistics
Weight(s)	Light Heavyweight Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m)
Reach	76 in (193 cm)
Boxing record
Total fights	105
Wins	74
Wins by KO	34
Losses	13
Draws	16

Billy Miske, alias The Saint Paul Thunderbolt (April 12, 1894 – January 1, 1924), was a professional boxer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. During his tenure as a pugilist he had multiple-bout series with a plethora of all-time greats including Harry Greb, Jack Dempsey, Fred Fulton, Jack Dillon, Tommy Gibbons, Bill Brennan and Battling Levinsky, among others. Despite a career shortened by illness and an early death, statistical website BoxRec still lists Miske as the No. 26 ranked heavyweight of all time.

Professional boxing career

Miske falling to the mat during his 1920 bout with Jack Dempsey

An American of German descent, Miske stood at 6'0" and over the course of his career weighed between 158 and 190 lbs. He was managed by John Pearl "J.P" Smith (1913–18) and Jack Reddy (1918–23).

Miske was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He began his career as a middleweight. During his career, he competed successfully as a light-heavyweight and heavyweight, defeating many well-known fighters. On September 6, 1920, Miske lost to Jack Dempsey in the third round of a fight to decide the World Heavyweight Boxing title. It was the first heavyweight title match to be broadcast on radio, and it was the only time Billy Miske was ever knocked out.

Illness and death

Miske fought his last bout against Bill Brennan, whom he met on November 7, 1923. At this point in his life, Miske knew he did not have much time left before his kidneys gave out (doctors had told him he had only months to live because of his Bright's Disease). Due to his family's economic situation, however, Miske decided he had to step into the ring one more time. His health prevented him from training for the fight. Amazingly, though, Miske knocked Brennan out in the fourth round. Miske died in St. Paul, Minnesota of kidney failure less than 2 months later on January 1, 1924.

Legacy

Miske's enduring legacy is that of an underappreciated fighter. It is argued that Miske deserved, but never received, title matches against Jack Dillon, Battling Levinsky and Georges Carpentier. His three recorded losses are against Hall of Famers Jack Dempsey, Kid Norfolk and Tommy Gibbons, while his list of defeated opponents boasts some of the most storied names in boxing history. Miske's final professional record was 72-15-14 with 33 wins by knockout. On December 8, 2009, it was announced that Miske would be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010. On September 28, 2012 Miske was inducted into the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame.

External links

• Rick Reilly Sports Illustrated Article
• International Boxing Hall of Fame's article about Billy Miske
• 1955 Newspaper Article
• His Daughters page
• Article at CyberBoxingZone Journal
• Boxing record for Billy Miske from BoxRec (registration required)
• 1924 Newspaper Article
• 1952 Newspaper Article
• Amazing Sports Stories - "Billy Miske: Dead Man Fighting"
• Biography: 'Billy Miske: The St. Paul Thunderbolt' by Clay Moyle
• Novel: 'The Final Round' by Gary W. Allison