Sam McVey was a Hall of Fame heavyweight boxer who fought during the early 20th century. McVey ranked alongside Jack Johnson, Joe Jeanette, Sam Langford, and Harry Wills as the top black heavyweights of their generation. All of them, with the exception of Johnson, were denied at shot at the world heavyweight championship due to the color bar, which ironically was maintained by Johnson when he became the first black fighter to win the world heavyweight title. Despite being denied a title shot, McVea enjoyed a famed career that took him across the globe.
In 96 documented fights in at least 10 different countries, McVey only lost 16 bouts.[1] His greatest wins include two victories over both Sam Langford and Harry Wills, which won him the World Colored Heavyweight Championship on two separate occasions, respectively. In his later years he worked as a trainer and sparring partner for both black and white fighters training for important bouts.
