Willie Hoppe

Name: Willie Hoppe
Birth Name: William August Hoppe
Hometown: San Francisco, California, USA
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA
Died: 1958-08-07 (Age:67)
Pro Boxer: Record

Division: Featherweight
Photo 2, Photo 3

Willie Hoppe was a brother of fellow boxer Freddie Hoppe.

On July 2, 1913, at San Francisco, while a young 15-year-old friend hammered explosives into a makeshift metal cannon Willie Hoppe was holding (thus apparently creating a spark), the cannon exploded. That explosion was heard for blocks surrounding. Hoppe's friend, Champion Ad Wolgast, happened to be driving nearby, and rushed Hoppe to the hospital. (Hoppe had been Wolgast's sparring partner. [1]) Hoppe lost four fingers and both thumbs, leaving only two fingers on each hand. Most boxing pundits thought that his boxing career was over, but it wasn't, as can be learned from Hoppe's linked career record.

June 3, 1916 Seattle Star: [2]