Holley Mims (February 10, 1929 – January 13, 1970) was a highly regarded

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

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during the 1950s and 1960s. His overall record 64-27-6 (13 KOs) meant that he spent much of his career ranked among the top ten boxers in the middleweight category. Among his notable fights was a loss to

Rubin Carter Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (May 6, 1937 – April 20, 2014) was an American-Canadian middleweight boxer, wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for murder, until released following a petition of habeas corpus after almost 20 years in prison. In ...

in 1962, a fight that he took on one day's notice, having flown into

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just prior the fight; Mims dropped Carter in round four. Because of the loss, Mims dropped out of '' The Ring''s list of the top-ten middleweights contenders. Holley fought Sugar Ray Robinson and lost. Some say Robinson only won by decision and that Mims was the real winner. Mims was known for fast hands and quick punches. They fought at what was Turner's Area on 14th and W sts NW DC. Mims fought with a team that met around age 16 or 17 at the YMCA 12st between S and T Sts NW. Their team, Mims, Garland Edwards (whom Mims fought twice and won, once by split decision), Rocky Farrell, Arthur Bethea, Sam Jefferson. and many other notable boxers and athletes (Walter 'Tommy' Thompson, weightlifter) over the years, trained at Finleys Gym owned by Jim Finley, well known and loved in DC. Mims died of a

kidney ailment Kidney disease, or renal disease, technically referred to as nephropathy, is damage to or disease of a kidney. Nephritis is an inflammatory kidney disease and has several types according to the location of the inflammation. Inflammation can ...

at the age of 42. He was survived by a wife and two children.Lindsey, Gary P., "Holly Mims eulogized as a champion without a crown," ''Washington Afro-American'', January 24, 1970, p. 1

References

1929 births 1970 deaths Place of birth missing American male boxers Middleweight boxers {{US-boxing-bio-stub