One of boxing’s most intriguing and sadly forgotten rivalries is the classic six-bout series between Pittsburgh’s own William P. Davies, aka “Wee Willie,” and Cuba’s Eladio Valdes, aka “Black Bill.” Needless to say, there were many major fights and rivalries during his era, the 1920s, a golden decade for boxing, and this is the only possible explanation for the record’s omission of his sextet when discussing major rivalries. Being wrestlers in the sport’s smallest division didn’t help either. But still, this is a feud that deserves to be examined more closely and appreciated for the incredible series that it was.
Like his more famous cousin, featherweight champion Kid Chocolate, Bill came from Havana, Cuba and, like Davies, was a perennial flyweight contender in that notoriously difficult decade. He was an action-packed wrestler who fought in a manner reminiscent of Johnny Dundee and Harry Greb, often bouncing off the ropes or jumping into the air to land awkward blows on him. Davies, who was originally from Wales but made his home in the Pittsburgh area, had a different style. He was a fast and speedy boxer-puncher, known for his wonderful skill and firm defense of him.
According to the unspoken rule of Pittsburgh boxing, Davies drew no “color line” and a worthy challenger was a worthy challenger. To maintain his position in “The City of Smoke,” he evaded no one, not even a fighter as formidable as this Cuban threat. Both Davies and Valdes were known for being “speed merchants” and were right in the middle of the list of top ten flyweight contenders when they had their first fight in September 1925. The fight took place in Philadelphia, where the excited The fight audience saw both men for the first time. Davies was recognized as the Pennsylvania State Flyweight Champion, while Bill was announced as the Cuban Flyweight Champion, so expectations were high. They did not disappoint, giving the crowd endless thrills in a close contest, won unanimously by Wee Willie in ten rounds.
They met twice the following year, this time in Havana, Cuba, Bill’s hometown. The first fight was scored in a 12-round draw that the Associated Press called a robbery, stating that Davies won clearly and that even the Cubans were outraged by the local verdict. A month later, his third battle also ended in a draw after twelve rounds, but it was apparently very close, much like his Philadelphia war, and this writer has been unable to locate any record of protest or complaint.
Their fourth confrontation took place three years later, in November 1929, at Madison Square Garden. The entire card that night was spectacular, featuring some of the best flyweights on the planet, including world champions Midget Wolgast, Johnny McCoy and Corporal Izzy Schwartz (aka “The Ghetto Midget”), in an elimination tournament that would lead to the eventual coronation of a new undisputed champion. This would be one of the best performances of Black Bill’s career, certainly his best performance against Davies, as he hustled and fought his way to an impressive ten-round victory in that night’s main event.
The final two bouts to close the series took place the following summer, in 1930. In previous years, Midget Wolgast had proven himself to be the best flyweight of the three, having beaten both Davies and Bill conclusively, but still, Both men’s reputations, especially when facing each other, remained rock solid and could draw large numbers in any fighting city. Since they had already locked in twice on neutral ground and twice in Black Bill’s hometown, it made sense to hold the last two games in Pittsburgh, where Davies was a big favorite with the crowd.
The Cuban began fight number five with his usual furious stampede and nearly floored the Welshman, winning the first three rounds comfortably. One of his wild punches landed on referee Al Grayber as he was breaking up a clinch, splitting the former middleweight contender’s lip. But Davies, ever resourceful, had planned a more disciplined performance than in his previous battles and remained calm. His strategy this time involved more boxing, less slugging and infighting. He kept a steady stream of punches appearing on Bill’s face, followed by the occasional counterpunch with a right hand, which took much of the steam out of his foe after the third stanza.
At the end of ten rounds, Davies earned the majority decision and rightly so. But some scribes reported that Black Bill had seemed “out of character” to them, and there was a perception that he was still the superior fighter overall and would have won if he had been “on.” Such sentiments set the stage for their final meeting, which took place the following month at the same venue, Meyers Bowl in North Braddock. This fight was to be the most dominant performance of the series for Wee Willie, who once again used his tireless little piston punch to keep Bill off balance and unable to launch an effective attack. The press awarded Davies seven of the ten rounds, giving him three wins against one loss and two draws (possibly 4-1-1 given the consensus on the false draw in their second fight) to take the series from his enemy Cuban.
Uncrowned flyweight champion “Wee” Willie Davies is one of boxing’s rare happy post-career success stories. After accumulating 167 total fights in nine years, he retired and enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in 1935, where he eventually earned his master’s degree in science. He continued his life as a scholar and became a popular and much admired schoolteacher.
Unfortunately, Black Bill’s course went in the opposite direction in every way imaginable. He fought only seven more times before being forced to retire in 1931 due to deteriorating eyesight. Bill claimed the problem was the result of an opponent rubbing resin in his eyes during a clinch, but other sources reported that the Havana party animal’s poor vision was a symptom of an untreated venereal disease. Whatever the reason, his was a surprisingly rapid fall, as within just two years he was living alone in a Harlem apartment, destitute and completely blind.
Black Bill never suffered a single knockout loss in his entire 166-fight career. The only fighter who stopped him was himself, with a gunshot wound to the abdomen at the age of 27, on April 9, 1933. A deep depression had taken hold of him and he lost the will to live, but his still robust body had not I have. . He battled the effects of the bullet for five agonizing days in the local hospital before he finally died on April 14.
Wee Willie and Black Bill, two tiny gladiators who got together – one from the coal mines of Wales, the other from the sugarcane fields of Cuba – and gave their all to give boxing some classic battles. William Davies and Eladio Valdés. One is a success story, the other a tragedy. May boxing never forget them. —Douglas Cavanaugh
