By Tom Donelson
 
Last year, I wrote a piece about the great Middleweight champion Billy Soose.  Soose is one of the most interesting fighters in boxing history.  As an amateur and collegiate fighter, Soose forte was power. As a college fighter, he was so good that NCAA outlawed golden glove champions from competing and this legislature was directed at Soose.  Soose knocked out every collegiate fighter he competed against and many college teams refuse to compete against him.

Soose continued his winning way in the amateur and when he turned pro, Soose’s right hand would be his ticket to fame.  Early in his career, Soose fought Al Quail and in the process of beating Quail, he split the tendon on his middle knuckle. From this point, Soose lost the power to punish his opponent and switched from slugger to boxer. For me, what makes Soose a great fighter is his ability to adopt. Once he lost his right hand, he became a boxer. Rarely has a boxer made as dramatic switch in style as Soose did.
 
As I wrote last year, “ Rarely can a fighter change style in the midst of a career but the greatness of Soose showed adoptability rare in boxer. Could you imagine George Foreman having to turn himself into a boxer? Or Joe Frazier? You understand the magnitude of what Soose accomplished.”
 
For this alone, Soose is deserving recognition as a great fighter as well as membership in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.  Soose’s left hand became his weapon and the right hand was thrown more for show.  Soose essentially became a one-hand fighter but what a one handed fighter. Never had one boxer done so much with one hand.  In 1940, Soose defeated the two recognized middleweight champions in non-title in a period of one month.  Ken Overlin and Tony Zale fell victim to the left jabbing Soose. A year later, Soose would defeat Overlin for the Middleweight champion and become the accepted king of the 160 pounds division.
 
After winning his Middleweight title, he vacated the title to campaign as a light heavyweight.  He would win his first two bouts before losing a decision to the great Jimmy Bevins in his last fight.  World War II would cut his career short and with real estate holdings enhancing his portfolio, Soose did not come back to the ring after the War.
 
He was offered $100,000 to fight again but he turned it down for he promised his wife to retire and he had his own businesses to run. War ended and so did Soose’s boxing career.  There was nothing left to prove and at the age of 30, he had a life ahead of him.
 
So why is Soose not in the International Boxing Hall of Fame? World War II cut his career short and he never fought after the age of 26. He did not have the longevity of career that many boxing writers view necessary. Another reason is that he did not knock people out but beat them with his guile and lateral movement. Without a devastating right hand to bail him out, Soose depended upon his jabs. 
 
After Soose lost a close decision to the great Charles Burley, he was distraught.  His trainer, the great Ray Arcel, reminded his charge that he lost to a great fighter fighting with just one hand.
 
Soose abilities have been lost in the history. He has long since been overshadowed by other middleweights of his period and, Soose appeared lost in the pages of history.  It is time to rediscover one of boxing’s great gems and recognized this fighter for the great fighter he was.  His record is certainly worthy of more recognition.