Billy Warren

Name: Cyclone Billy Warren
Birth Name: Joseph Warren
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Died: 1951-03-16 (Age:75)
Height: 185cm
Pro Boxer: Record

Billy Warren's life is shadowed in mystery. Born Joseph Warren, his nationality is as questionable as is the date of his birth (around 1877). He was often billed as the "colored heavyweight champion of Australia," although it is more likely that Warren was born in America. Some sources report Boston, Massachusetts, others Pennsylvania, as Warren's place of birth.

Standing 6'1" and weighing around 210, he was athletically built, according to Nat Fleischer in his "Black Dynamite" series.

Claims he made after his career of fighting both Jack Johnson and Peter Jackson have not been proven, and may just be exaggerations by the "Cyclone." But Warren did square off with Sam McVey, a great Black fighter of the era, losing by a second round knockout.

Warren did become the Irish heavyweight champion, beating former world title challenger Jem Roche by knockout with a viscous blow that left Roche unconscious for fifteen minutes.

A familiar face to the people of Dublin, Warren passed away at the age of 74 at St. Kevin's Hospital in Dublin. He was buried at the Mount Jerome Cemetery. The Irish Independent noted Warren's death was "deeply regretted--he fought the good fight."

Victories for Billy Warren that are either unconfirmed or exact dates are known:

• KO 17 Jack Mace in Melbourne, Australia
• vs. George Barton
• vs. Sam McCarthy
• vs. Dick Hendry
• vs. Tom Baker
• vs. Jack Hart
• vs. Dan Kelly

Much informational help courtesy of "Untwisting the Cyclone: Solving the Mystery of Old-Time Heavyweight Billy Warren" by Patrick Myler, featured in The Ring magazine, August 2003 issue: [1]