Billy Miske
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Billy Miske, alias ''The Saint Paul Thunderbolt'' (April 12, 1894 – January 1, 1924), was a professional boxer from
Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
,
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
. During his tenure as a pugilist he had multiple-bout series with a plethora of all-time greats including
Harry Greb Edward Henry Greb (June 6, 1894 – October 22, 1926) was an American professional boxer. Nicknamed "The Pittsburgh Windmill", he is widely regarded by many boxing historians as one of the best pound for pound boxers of all time. He was the Ame ...
,
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
,
Jack Dillon Ernest Cutler Price (February 2, 1891 – August 7, 1942) better known as Jack Dillon, was an American boxer who held the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. Dillon was often referred to as "Jack the Giant Killer" for his ability to han ...
,
Tommy Gibbons Thomas Joseph Gibbons (March 22, 1891 – November 19, 1960) was an American professional heavyweight boxer. Life and career He was born on March 22, 1891 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to Thomas John Gibbons and Mary ( Burke) Gibbons. He had a brot ...
, Bill Brennan and
Battling Levinsky Barney Lebrowitz (June 10, 1891 – February 12, 1949), better known as Battling Levinsky, was an American boxer who was the world light heavyweight champion from 1916 to 1920. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Levinsky as the #12 ranke ...
, among others. Despite a career shortened by illness and an early death, statistical website
BoxRec BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to holding updated records of professional and amateur boxers, both male and female. It also maintains a MediaWiki-based encyclopaedia of boxing. The objective of the site is to document every profes ...
still lists Miske as the No. 26 ranked heavyweight of all-time.All-Time Heavyweight Rankings
BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-11.


Professional boxing career

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 Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
. He began his career as a middleweight. During the course of 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 William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
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 Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...
, 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 Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied ...
). 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 Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
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 Ernest Cutler Price (February 2, 1891 – August 7, 1942) better known as Jack Dillon, was an American boxer who held the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. Dillon was often referred to as "Jack the Giant Killer" for his ability to han ...
,
Battling Levinsky Barney Lebrowitz (June 10, 1891 – February 12, 1949), better known as Battling Levinsky, was an American boxer who was the world light heavyweight champion from 1916 to 1920. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Levinsky as the #12 ranke ...
and
Georges Carpentier Georges Carpentier (; 12 January 1894 – 28 October 1975) was a French boxer, actor and World War I pilot. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908 to 1926. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man", he stood and h ...
. His three recorded losses are against Hall of Famers Jack Dempsey,
Kid Norfolk Kid Norfolk (born William Ward, 10 July 1893 – 15 April 1968) was an American professional boxer who fought as a Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight from 1910 through 1926, holding wins over many notable boxers of his day including Joe Jeanette, ...
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 A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving strikin ...
. On December 8, 2009, it was announced that Miske would be inducted into the
International Boxing Hall of Fame The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...
in 2010. On September 28, 2012 Miske was inducted into the
Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame The Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame is a commemorative organization with plans to create a museum. It celebrates the history of boxing in the state of Minnesota by honoring individuals whose achievements within the sport are noteworthy. History Tho ...
.


Notable bouts

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BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2014-05-18.
, - align=center , Loss , align=left,
Tommy Gibbons Thomas Joseph Gibbons (March 22, 1891 – November 19, 1960) was an American professional heavyweight boxer. Life and career He was born on March 22, 1891 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to Thomas John Gibbons and Mary ( Burke) Gibbons. He had a brot ...
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Tommy Gibbons Thomas Joseph Gibbons (March 22, 1891 – November 19, 1960) was an American professional heavyweight boxer. Life and career He was born on March 22, 1891 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to Thomas John Gibbons and Mary ( Burke) Gibbons. He had a brot ...
, , , , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , Loss , align=left,
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
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Battling Levinsky Barney Lebrowitz (June 10, 1891 – February 12, 1949), better known as Battling Levinsky, was an American boxer who was the world light heavyweight champion from 1916 to 1920. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Levinsky as the #12 ranke ...
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Tommy Gibbons Thomas Joseph Gibbons (March 22, 1891 – November 19, 1960) was an American professional heavyweight boxer. Life and career He was born on March 22, 1891 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to Thomas John Gibbons and Mary ( Burke) Gibbons. He had a brot ...
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Kid Norfolk Kid Norfolk (born William Ward, 10 July 1893 – 15 April 1968) was an American professional boxer who fought as a Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight from 1910 through 1926, holding wins over many notable boxers of his day including Joe Jeanette, ...
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Harry Greb Edward Henry Greb (June 6, 1894 – October 22, 1926) was an American professional boxer. Nicknamed "The Pittsburgh Windmill", he is widely regarded by many boxing historians as one of the best pound for pound boxers of all time. He was the Ame ...
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Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
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Harry Greb Edward Henry Greb (June 6, 1894 – October 22, 1926) was an American professional boxer. Nicknamed "The Pittsburgh Windmill", he is widely regarded by many boxing historians as one of the best pound for pound boxers of all time. He was the Ame ...
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Gunboat Smith Edward "Gunboat" Smith (February 17, 1887 – August 6, 1974) was an Irish American boxer, film actor and later a boxing referee. During his career, Smith faced twelve different Boxing Hall of Famers a combined total of 23 times. Among the all-ti ...
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Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
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Gunboat Smith Edward "Gunboat" Smith (February 17, 1887 – August 6, 1974) was an Irish American boxer, film actor and later a boxing referee. During his career, Smith faced twelve different Boxing Hall of Famers a combined total of 23 times. Among the all-ti ...
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Jack Dillon Ernest Cutler Price (February 2, 1891 – August 7, 1942) better known as Jack Dillon, was an American boxer who held the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. Dillon was often referred to as "Jack the Giant Killer" for his ability to han ...
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Kid Norfolk Kid Norfolk (born William Ward, 10 July 1893 – 15 April 1968) was an American professional boxer who fought as a Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight from 1910 through 1926, holding wins over many notable boxers of his day including Joe Jeanette, ...
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Battling Levinsky Barney Lebrowitz (June 10, 1891 – February 12, 1949), better known as Battling Levinsky, was an American boxer who was the world light heavyweight champion from 1916 to 1920. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Levinsky as the #12 ranke ...
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Jack Dillon Ernest Cutler Price (February 2, 1891 – August 7, 1942) better known as Jack Dillon, was an American boxer who held the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. Dillon was often referred to as "Jack the Giant Killer" for his ability to han ...
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Jack Dillon Ernest Cutler Price (February 2, 1891 – August 7, 1942) better known as Jack Dillon, was an American boxer who held the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. Dillon was often referred to as "Jack the Giant Killer" for his ability to han ...
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Battling Levinsky Barney Lebrowitz (June 10, 1891 – February 12, 1949), better known as Battling Levinsky, was an American boxer who was the world light heavyweight champion from 1916 to 1920. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Levinsky as the #12 ranke ...
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Battling Levinsky Barney Lebrowitz (June 10, 1891 – February 12, 1949), better known as Battling Levinsky, was an American boxer who was the world light heavyweight champion from 1916 to 1920. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Levinsky as the #12 ranke ...
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Jack Dillon Ernest Cutler Price (February 2, 1891 – August 7, 1942) better known as Jack Dillon, was an American boxer who held the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. Dillon was often referred to as "Jack the Giant Killer" for his ability to han ...
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Jack Dillon Ernest Cutler Price (February 2, 1891 – August 7, 1942) better known as Jack Dillon, was an American boxer who held the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. Dillon was often referred to as "Jack the Giant Killer" for his ability to han ...
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Tommy Gibbons Thomas Joseph Gibbons (March 22, 1891 – November 19, 1960) was an American professional heavyweight boxer. Life and career He was born on March 22, 1891 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to Thomas John Gibbons and Mary ( Burke) Gibbons. He had a brot ...
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Mike O'Dowd Michael Joseph O'Dowd (April 5, 1895 in St. Paul, Minnesota – July 28, 1957) was an American boxer who held the World Middleweight Championship from 1917 to 1920. Biography O'Dowd won the title on November 14, 1917 by knocking out Al McCoy ...
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Harry Greb Edward Henry Greb (June 6, 1894 – October 22, 1926) was an American professional boxer. Nicknamed "The Pittsburgh Windmill", he is widely regarded by many boxing historians as one of the best pound for pound boxers of all time. He was the Ame ...
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Tommy Gibbons Thomas Joseph Gibbons (March 22, 1891 – November 19, 1960) was an American professional heavyweight boxer. Life and career He was born on March 22, 1891 in Saint Paul, Minnesota to Thomas John Gibbons and Mary ( Burke) Gibbons. He had a brot ...
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Mike O'Dowd Michael Joseph O'Dowd (April 5, 1895 in St. Paul, Minnesota – July 28, 1957) was an American boxer who held the World Middleweight Championship from 1917 to 1920. Biography O'Dowd won the title on November 14, 1917 by knocking out Al McCoy ...
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References


External links


Rick Reilly Sports Illustrated Article
* ttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19551225&id=CKYVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kA8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5384,2624110 1955 Newspaper Articlebr>His Daughters page
*
1924 Newspaper Article1952 Newspaper Article

Biography: 'Billy Miske: The St. Paul Thunderbolt' by Clay Moyle

Novel: 'The Final Round' by Gary W. Allison
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miske, Billy 1894 births 1924 deaths Heavyweight boxers Boxers from Saint Paul, Minnesota Deaths from kidney failure American male boxers