Millvale author's book dives into Pittsburgh's storied boxing history

Douglas Cavanaugh of Millvale has been a big boxing fan since he was a kid back in the 1970s. By the early 1990s, he was deep into the sport’s history and writing about its present, getting his first story published in 1993.

“I wrote about mob-controlled lightweight champion Ike Williams, who was a great friend of mine,” said Cavanaugh.

Cavanaugh’s new book, “Pittsburgh Boxing: A Collected History,” delves into Western Pennsylvania’s significant contribution to the sport. From Cavanaugh’s case for Harry “The Pittsburgh Windmill” Greb as the city’s greatest pugilist to anecdotes about the amateur boxing days of Steelers founder Art Rooney, the book is a treasure trove of local history.

Cavanaugh, 56, recently moved to Millvale and lives not far from Hickey Park, at one time a major boxing venue in the 1930s and ’40s. He spoke with TribLive about growing up loving the sport and working on his third book. This interview has been edited for length.

Q: How long have you been following boxing and what got you interested in writing this book?

A: I doing general research on the sport’s history I noticed that a disproportionate number of historical boxers I admired all happened to be from Pittsburgh — Harry Greb, Billy Conn, Charley Burley, Fritzie Zivic (and others). Consider also that in a five-year span from the late 1930s to early 1940s, Pittsburgh could claim five world champions. Keep in mind there were only eight weight divisions back then. These days there are 17 divisions with three to five “champions” per division. This is quite a noteworthy achievement. It made me wonder what was in the water over here.

So, I decided to read a book on Pittsburgh’s illustrious boxing history and heritage to get my answers. But when I went to buy one there was nothing! New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Cleveland, Baltimore, San Francisco, Los Angeles, it seemed like every major fight town had a book on its history except Pittsburgh, which was shocking considering how many champions and Hall of Famers came out of here.

Q: What was that process like?

A: I knew that I knew I had a lot of digging to do. This was before much of the newspaper archives we now have internet access to had been digitized. As such I needed to fly in from Los Angeles many times over the years to do microfilm research at the Carnegie Library. I would sit for hours and sift through the old issues of the Pittsburgh Press, Post, Courier, Gazette Times, Post-Gazette, Sun-Telegraph and others. It was exhausting but rewarding. Roy McHugh, who was the boxing beat writer for the Pittsburgh Press for decades, told me, “You’re uncovering a lost civilization,” which was all the encouragement and validation I needed. I admired him as a writer and a man, and miss him a lot.

Q: What is Pittsburgh’s primary contribution to the world of boxing?

A: I could give you a huge list of boxers. But in terms of a legacy, we can say that it was definitely way ahead of the curve in the arena of race relations in sports. The infamous “color line” was not allowed here. If you were a Pittsburgh boxer, you fought every worthy challenger regardless of race. As such, African American boxers flocked from all over the U.S. to fight in our clubs and arena, like the great Henry Armstrong, who made his pro debut here. They were given spots on cards and good money— “a fair shake” to quote the Hill District boxer Ossie “Bulldog” Harris.

Harry Greb, our great middleweight champion from Garfield, was given a hard time by some in the sport for giving a Black man, Tiger Flowers, a shot at the crown. But Greb fought everyone worthy, Black or white, and dismissed the naysayers, even though he was well past his prime and Flowers was in his, and a dangerous contender to boot. As a result, Tiger Flowers became the world’s first Black middleweight champion.

Q: Who, in your opinion, is Pittsburgh’s greatest boxer and why?

A: Harry Greb, “The Pittsburgh Windmill,” easily. We have no film, but one look at his record tells you all you need to know. In 1919 alone he had 45 fights against champions, top contenders, journeymen and future Hall of Famers – from middleweight to heavyweight – and won every single one of them. It is unthinkable by today’s standards. He was so good he was the top contender at middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight simultaneously. But for years he was ducked by the champs in those divisions. It got so bad that the New York boxing authorities finally had to step in and threaten Johnny Wilson to defend against Greb or be stripped of his title. He finally did and Harry won the middleweight championship of the world.

Q: What is something people should know about Pittsburgh’s boxing history, but most don’t?

A: There are so many things that it’s hard to choose one. Denzel Washington’s character in “Fences” was not based on a baseball player, but on Hill District boxer Charley Burley, who was neighbor and hero to playwright August Wilson. Even Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong steered clear of him.

And Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney was a top amateur boxer who could have had a great pro career had he decided to pursue it further. He chose his other sporting interests instead and, to be honest, Pittsburgh benefited greatly from his decision. But he later started the Rooney-McGinley Boxing Club, which was a powerhouse promotional firm that nurtured the talents of many future greats at Forbes Field.

“Pittsburgh Boxing: A Collected History” will be published through 21-66 Books. For more, see 21-66books.com.