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
