The Fat Boy who beat Jack Dempsey twice – who was he?

How could a guy nicknamed Fat Boy defeat the immortal Jack Dempsey not once, but twice?

His manager, Moose Taussig, told the story of how his boxing career began. Taussig’s fighter needed an opponent. He spotted a skinny youngster selling sodas at the arena.

“Want to make a 20 gold piece?” the manager asked the boy.

Mere seconds later, he heard a thud.

“He dropped everything he had when he heard me say ‘$20 gold piece,’ replied Taussig.

Born Eugene Walcott, and weighing less than 100 pounds soaking wet, the 15-year-old lost the fight, but a career was born.

He changed his name to Willie Meehan, feeling the name had more pizazz than Eugene Walcott.

Meehan began his career in the flyweight division in 1909, a 5’9” inch string bean, winning several fights against marginal opposition.

The next year, Meehan, learning on the job, fought 20 times. Two years later, he was fighting in the lightweight division.

In 1913, he campaigned as a middleweight.

Meehan’s record stood at 38 wins, 9 losses, and 27 draws after he throttled Frank Mantell in Oakland.

Months later, Meehan joined the heavyweight division. The guy liked to eat.

Training was something he did occasionally.

He was portly but could fight. Many called him “Windmill Willie” and, after his weight gain, “Fat Boy.”

Fat Boy stuck.

His style was hyperactivity, befuddling movement, and overhand right hands from all angles. His speed confused many opponents, but not all.

Meehan faced future heavyweight contender Harry Wills at the Dreamland Rink in San Francisco. Meehan was confident he could get the better of the much taller Wills. After shaking hands, he reached up and rubbed the top of the big man’s head.

Why?

Because he thought it was funny.

Wills didn’t. His record stood at 17 wins and one loss. He floored Meehan in the opening round and marked him up, winning an easy four-round decision.

Meehan shook off the beatdown and won his next 14 fights in succession – all four-rounders in San Francisco.

Still, the only name on his resume was Wills.

In 1917, his opponent was a fighter from Salt Lake City, whom veteran heavyweight Fireman Jim Flynn knocked out in the opening round the previous month. The loss shocked everyone, none more than William Harrison Dempsey, known as Jack.

Dempsey needed a win, and Meehan was picked to fight him. Meehan knew of Dempsey’s power. The raw-boned kid (he was 21, Meehan 23) had knocked out 18 opponents in 25 wins. For once, Meehan trained hard, lost weight, and was primed.

Dempsey was shell-shocked.

According to reports from the time, Meehan won every round, using tricky movement and speed.

A rematch went down four months later. This time Dempsey avenged his defeat, pounding on an out-of-shape Meehan.

They mixed it up for the third time a month later in San Francisco. Dempsey strafed Meehan around the ring, almost knocking him out in the fourth round, but somehow, can you say hometown judging, the fight was called a draw.

In September 1917, they met again at the same venue in San Francisco. The fight was a boring affair. Meehan held and kept Dempsey off balance with his awkwardness. The result was another draw.

Meehan and Dempsey fought one more time – a year before the future Hall of Famer would annihilate Jess Willard to become the heavyweight champion of the world. In Philadelphia, Meehan had boxed Harry Greb and lost, but he had won a newspaper decision against former light heavyweight champion Jack Dillon.

Dempsey was a heavy favorite. He had knocked out 13 opponents in 18 successive victories and was ranked the leading contender for heavyweight honors. He came close to flattening Meehan in round two, but the now Navy man rallied to edge Dempsey and shock the boxing world.

Fat Boy Meehan had done it again. Six months later, Meehan outpointed another Hall of Famer. Sam Langford was 36 and way past it. Meehan won a decision.

Meehan lost again to Greb and Billy Miske. He was 26 and losing steam. 160 fights had taken a step.

He’d fight for seven more years, winning some but losing more. Meehan also worked as a referee when not boxing.

He retired in 1926.

Meehan worked in security in his native city and reportedly as an electrician in Hollywood. Death came in 1953 in San Francisco.

Jack Dempsey acknowledged Meehan as ‘a talented fighter.’

He was a natural performer.

Everyone who knew Willie liked him.