The Illinois ThunderBolt

BILLY PAPKE: Boxings Enfant Terrible. . . Without a doubt Billy Papke is one of the legends of the boxing ring. He was finally recognized for his talent in the ring and he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. Though there has never been a book published on Papke he has name recognition with boxing fans all over the world who still discuss on the internet details of his four classic fights with Stanley Ketchel which were regarded as the first great rivalry between fighters in the history of boxing. Papke's story is ripe with a blend of violence tragedy and mystery. For one hundred years the name of Billy Papke has been associated with treachery in the ring. Did Papke really deserve this reputation? The Billy Papke story is long overdue and the boxing public and public at large can now read about the true story and not just the myth of Billy Papke.