Bill Tate
Name: Bill Tate
Alias: Big
Birth Name: William George Tate
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Died: 1953-08-10 (Age:59)
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 199cm
Reach: 206cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Big Bill Tate was the primary sparring partner of Jack Dempsey. Tate boxed Dempsey in a number of exhibitions in Toledo, Ohio, leading up to Dempsey's fight against World Heavyweight Champion Jess Willard on July 4, 1919. (Film of the two boxing.)
According to Tate's 1916 passport, he was born November 5, 1893. Tate traveled to Panama in 1916 and had five fights between March and June. He won the first four, then lost a twenty-round decision to Kid Norfolk for the vacant Panamanian heavyweight title.
Tate defeated Sam Langford on January 25, 1917 by a twelve-round decision to win the World Colored Heavyweight Championship. On May 1, 1917, Langford knocked Tate out in five rounds to regain the title.
On January 2, 1922, Tate defeated World Colored Heavyweight Champion Harry Wills by a first-round disqualification after Wills hit Tate on the break. Four days later, the two fought to a ten-round draw. Both men claimed to be the champion.
Tate was managed by Howard Carr, then by George Moore while in the Pacific Northwest of the United States in 1925.
External Links:
Cyber Boxing Zone page
Bill Tate 1916 passport photo