William "Willie" Joyce
BORN Chicago, Illinois (Fought out of Gary, Indiana)
HEIGHT 5-6
WEIGHT Lightweight; Welterweight
MANAGERS George Trafton, Izzy Kline
RECORD 71-21-10 (16 KO, 1 NC)

 

 

During the Golden Age of the Lightweight division during the mid-1940s, Willie Joyce was the 4th best lightweight, behind the great trifecta of Ike Williams, Beau Jack, and Bob Montgomery; Joyce, who possessed one of the best jabs in boxing, is best known for beating Ike Williams three times in seven months; He received two title shots, both against the bullish Tippy Larkin, but was unable to hold Larkin off and lost both decisions

Top fighters beaten by Joyce included Lew Jenkins (twice), Joey Peralta, Slugger White, Leo Rodak, Henry Armstrong (twice), Ray Lunny, Pete Lello, Chalky Wright, Bobby Ruffin, Joey Barnum and Jackie Wilson

Willie had a brother, Jimmy, a journeyman welterweight who had 80 fights during the mid-to-late 1940s

*** AMATEUR BOUTS ***

1937
          -Joyce won the Chicago (Il) 126 lbs Intercity Golden Gloves Championship

*** PROFESSIONAL BOUTS ***

1937
Nov 10 Battling Raymond           Gary, In                         W  4 
          -Some sources report "Chicago, Il"
Nov 22 Ray Harris                 Chicago, Il                      W  4 
Dec 13 Sammy Scully               Chicago, Il                      D  4 
Dec 20 Sammy Scully               Chicago, Il                      W  5 

1938
Jan  3 Gene Spencer               Chicago, Il                      W  4
          -Some sources report "W 5" on 1/05/38
Jan 31 Sam Scully                 Chicago, Il                      W  5
Feb 11 Gene Spencer               Chicago, Il                     TK  3
Mar 14 Billy Sparks               Chicago, Il                     TK  4
Apr  4 Frankie Agnes              Chicago, Il                      W  5
May  2 Frankie Agnes              Chicago, Il                      W  5
May 31 George Van Der Hayden      Chicago, Il                      W  5
Jun 20 George Van Der Hayden      Chicago, Il                      W  8
Jul 25 Billy Miller               Chicago, Il                     TK  5
Sep 23 Frankie "Kid" Covelli      Chicago, Il                      W 10
Oct 28 Frankie "Kid" Covelli      Chicago, Il                      L 10
Nov 24 Armando Sicilia            Chicago, Il                      W 10
Nov 28 Jimmy Scully               Gary, In                         W  8
Dec 21 Bobby McIntyre             Chicago, Il                      D 10

1939
Jan  6 Bobby McIntyre             Chicago, Il                      W 10
Jan 19 Lew Jenkins                Chicago, Il                      D 10
          -Some sources report 1/20/39
Feb 17 Lew Jenkins                Chicago, Il                      W  8
Feb 24 Lew Jenkins                Chicago, Il                      W  8
Jul 17 Earl Gibbs                 Chicago, Il                      W  8
Aug  2 Maxie Fisher               Chicago, Il                     KO  2
Sep 14 Joe De Jesus               Brooklyn, NY                     W  8
          -Some sources report "Joe Torres"
Sep 28 Frankie Terranova          Brooklyn, NY                     W  8
Nov 18 Herbie Gilmore             New York, NY                    KO  2
          -Some sources report 10/12/39
Dec  2 Willie Cheatum             New York, NY                     D  8
          -Some sources report 11/03/39
Dec 23 Felix Garcia               New York, NY                     W  8

1940
Jan 20 "Young" Kid McCoy          Chicago, Il                      D  8
          -Some sources report 1/22/40
Apr  5 Nick Castiglione           Chicago, Il                      W  8
May 17 Jorge Morelia              Chicago, Il                      L 10
Jun  5 Joey Silva                 Chicago, Il                     TK  8
          -Some sources report "W 10"
Jul 12 Jorge Morelia              Chicago, Il                     KO  1
Jul 19 Jorge Morelia              Chicago, Il                      D  8
Dec  9 Joe Ghnouly                Hammond, In                      L 10

1941
Jun 16 Nick Castiglione           Chicago, Il                      W  8
Jul 14 Harvey Dubs                Chicago, Il                      W 10
Sep 13 Leonard Bennett            Youngstown, Oh                   W 10
          -Some sources report 8/13/41 in "Chicago, Il"
Sep 24 Quentin "Baby" Breese      Chicago, Il                      W 10
Nov 10 Ted Christi                Chicago, Il                     KO  2
          -Some sources report 11/19/41
Nov 24 Aldo Spoldi                Chicago, Il                      D 10
Dec 15 Sammy Secreet              Chicago, Il                      L 10

1942
Jan 19 Billy Davis                Chicago, Il                      W 10
Feb  9 Tony Motisi                Chicago, Il                      L 10
Mar 23 Jimmy Maddox               Chicago, Il                     TK  1
Apr 13 Sammy Secreet              Chicago, Il                      W 10
Apr 27 Tony Ferrara               Chicago, Il                      W 10
May 13 Mike Evans                 Chicago, Il                      W 10
Jun  8 Matt Dougherty             Chicago, Il                      W  8
Jun 12 Carmelo Fenoy              Chicago, Il                      W 10
Jul  6 Harvey Dubs                Chicago, Il                      W 10
Jul 27 Harvey Dubs                Chicago, Il                      W 12
Aug 27 Joey Peralta               Chicago, Il                      W 10
Sep 25 Luther "Slugger" White     New Orleans, La                  W 12
Oct 26 Carmen Notch               Detroit, Mi                      W 10
Dec 14 Leo Rodak                  Detroit, Mi                     TK  4

1943
Jan  4 Luther "Slugger" White     Baltimore, Md                    L 15
          -Lightweight Championship of the World
           (as recognized by Maryland state)
Feb  9 John Thomas                Los Angeles, Ca                  W 12
Mar  2 Henry Armstrong            Los Angeles, Ca                  W 10
Jul 24 Henry Armstrong            Los Angeles, Ca                  L 10
          -Some sources report "Hollywood, Ca"

1944
Jan 17 Victor Grupico             San Francisco, Ca               TK  5
Feb 11 Jerry Moore                San Francisco, Ca                W 10
Mar  3 Leo Rodak                  Hollywood, Ca                    L 10
Mar 21 Johnny Thomas              Los Angeles, Ca                  L 10
May  2 Ray Lunny                  Los Angeles, Ca                 KO  8
          -Lightweight Championship of California
May 22 Pete Lello                 San Francisco, Ca               TK  7
Jun  2 Henry Armstrong            Chicago, Il                      W 10
Jul  7 Willie Pep                 Chicago, Il                      L 10
Aug 21 Henry Armstrong            San Francisco, Ca                L 10
Sep  6 Chester Slider             Oakland, Ca                      W 10
Sep 27 Chester Slider             Oakland, Ca                      W 10
Nov 13 Ike Williams               Philadelphia, Pa                 W 10

1945
Jan  8 Ike Williams               Philadelphia, Pa                 L 12
Feb  5 Albert "Chalky" Wright     Philadelphia, Pa                 W 10
Mar  2 Ike Williams               New York, NY                     W 12
Apr 17 Albert "Chalky" Wright     Los Angeles, Ca                  L 10
May  1 Genaro Rojo                Los Angeles, Ca                  W 10
Jun  8 Ike Williams               New York, NY                     W 10
Jun 19 Dan Freeman                Philadelphia, Pa                 W 10
          -Some sources report 6/29/45
Jul 13 Bobby Ruffin               New York, NY                     W 12
Aug  3 Tippy Larkin               New York, NY                     L 10
Aug 20 Morris Reif                Washington, DC                   W 10
          -Some sources report 8/29/45
Sep 14 Danny Bartfield            New York, NY                    TK  6
Oct 19 Joey Barnum                Chicago, Il                      D 10
Nov 12 Allie Stolz                New York, NY                     L 10
Nov 23 Joey Barnum                Chicago, Il                      W 10
Dec 14 Beau Jack                  New York, NY                     L 10

1946
Feb 15 Allie Stolz                New York, NY                     W 10
          -Some sources report 2/16/46
Mar 11 Jackie Wilson              Washington, DC                  TK  5
Mar 15 Dannny Kapilow             New York, NY                     D 10
Mar 25 Bobby Zollo                Boston, Ma                       W 10
          -Some sources report 3/29/46
Apr  9 Ruby Garcia                Kansas City, Mo                 KO  2
Apr 16 Jimmy Hatcher              Toronto, Ont, Can               NC  6
Apr 29 Tippy Larkin               Boston, Ma                       L 12
          -Junior Welterweight Championship of the World
Jul 24 Maxie Starr                Providence, RI                   W 10
Aug  2 Danny Kapilow              New York, NY                     W 10
Sep 13 Tippy Larkin               New York, NY                     L 12
          -Junior Welterweight Championship of the World
Oct 31 Johnny Bratton             Chicago, Il                      L 10
Nov 15 Nick Castiglione           Chicago, Il                      W 10
Dec 20 Johnny Bratton             Chicago, Il                      L 10
          -Some sources report 12/29/46

1947
Jan 13 Ernie Petrone              New Haven, Ct                    D 10
Mar 24 Johnny Cesario             Boston, Ma                       L 10
 

Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization
 
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