Remembering Bearcat Wright, Who Beat Sam Langford and Jack Johnson
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Historically speaking, Ed ‘Bearcat’ Wright (1997-1975) will probably be remembered only rarely if at all. The Omaha, Nebraska heavyweight fought professionally in the pioneer era between 1919 and 1936. His career ended shortly before the start of World War II. His Son, Ed ‘Bobo’ Wright Jr. (1932-1982) would go on to defeat Killer Kowalski in 1961 become the Big Time World Heavyweight Professional Wrestling champion and also won the WWA Championship from Freddie Blassie in 1968, and Bearcat’s son also had a pro boxing record of 8-0 from 1951-1952.
Bearcat Wright’s career record was 58 wins, 17 losses, and 19 draws, with an additional record of 12 wins and six losses in newspaper decisions back in the day. While not illustrious, one has to take a careful look at Bearcat Wright’s record, which contains some very good heavyweight names of who’s who from start to finish over the 17 year span of his professional career.
Wright was bone hard with massive arms and shoulders. On defense, Wright wrapped his arms around his body in a crab shell Archie Moore style long before Moore’s time, using his arms and shoulders to ward off punches. He scored with looping lefts and rights to the body. Once he got inside, Bearcat used accurately placed uppercuts to the head and body to crack his opponent’s defenses and eventually break them down.
Wright turned pro on December 22, 1919, with a ten round draw over Whirlwind Langford at Elysian Grove Pavillion, in Tucson, Arizona. Reportedly, Wright had a record of at least three pro bouts before this bout which is indicated under the first recorded bout indicated on BoxRec, and had scored knockouts over Bob McCanane, Bishop Braggs and a third fighter named Weatherstein.
In his first year of boxing, Bearcat has already lost to Sam Langford twice, by ten round decision and ninth round knockout in 1920. In 1922, Bearcat draw over 12 rounds with Sam Langford, then got stopped after the fifth round of their fourth match with a broken hand. In 1922, Bearcat knocked out Sam Langfordin the ninth round of their fifth and final confrontation.
While there are many wins and many names on Bearcat Wright’s record, his 1928 fifth round knockout over an aging and washed up Jack Johnson is his claim to fame. After boxing evenly with Johnson for four rounds, Bearcat landed a solar plexus punch to the gut which knocked out the legendary Johnson for the ten count.
Future world heavyweight champion Primo Carnera of Italy traveled to Omaha where he knocked out Bearcat in the fourth round in 1930. In 1931, Bearcat knocked down Mickey Walker, The Toy Bulldog, for a three count in round one, then Walker knocked down Bearcat in the second round. Despite being outweighed by 42 pounds, Walker outpointed Bearcat over ten rounds in 1931.
In 1935, after knocking out Eddie Simms and winning a six round newspaper decision over Tuffy Dial, Bearcat Wright’s career ended when former world heavyweight champion Max Baer, The Clown Prince, won a six round newspaper decision over Bearcat in Des Moines, Iowa, on September 14, 1936. From that point on, Bearcat Wright faded into obscurity, until this reporter brought his memory back to life. As one sports figure so aptly put, they don’t make ‘em like they used to be.
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