Elmo Henderson
Encyclopedia
Elmo Henderson was an African-American boxer from Texas
. Despite his 1972 win against Muhammad Ali
in an exhibition match in San Antonio, Texas
, he did not become particularly well known in the boxing community; John Spong of the Texas Monthly
said that the match was the "shot not heard round the world". After the match, Henderson became a part of George Foreman
's Rumble in the Jungle event in Zaire
and won a libel suit against Norman Mailer
and Playboy. As of 2003 Henderson was a homeless man in Austin, Texas
.
in 1961 after stealing a television from a truck. In 1964, Henderson won the Texas state boxing title by defeating Benny Bowser, a boxer from Austin, Texas
, in the second round of the competition. In the following year, Henderson again faced Bowser and lost the title to him after the judges made a split decision to grant the title to Bowser. In 1967 Henderson had a series of fights; in August of that year the California Athletic Commission asked Henderson to take an examination of his brain so doctors could determine if he had received brain damage. Henderson did not take the examination and instead went to New Zealand
to match against Bobby Dunlop; he defeated Dunlop in the New Zealand match, and then Dunlop defeated Henderson in a rematch in Sydney
, Australia
three months later. The California Athletic Commission suspended Henderson's state boxing license after it learned of the matches in Oceania. In 1968, police from Fort Worth found marijuana in Henderson's possession, and he briefly returned to prison. In 1972 Nevada suspended Henderson's boxing license because, unless the boxer gets an exception, the state did not allow people of 36 years of age or older to be boxers. Despite the suspensions in California and Nevada, Henderson continued boxing in other states. Five states, including Texas, granted Henderson boxing licenses after California suspended its license of Henderson.
Henderson defeated Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match during the "Muhammad Ali Boxing Show" in San Antonio, Texas
on October 24, 1972, but he never achieved widespread fame in the boxing world. He also served as a cheerleader in George Foreman
's entourage in the Rumble in the Jungle event in Zaire
. Norman Mailer
wrote a Playboy
article about Henderson in the May 1975 issue. The article included a false statement that said that Henderson had been released from the Nevada State Hospital, a mental hospital
. Henderson filed a $1 million lawsuit against Mailer and Playboy. The magazine and Mailer lost the lawsuit. In 1977, the jury, located in Corpus Christi, Texas
, awarded Henderson $105,000. Spong said that the lawsuit made Henderson, "[...]at least in his telling of the story, the first black man ever to win a libel suit against a white man." The federal court ordered the defendants to make the payment on November 16, 1977. Owen Cox, the judge, said that the amount was too high, and ordered that the plaintiff would either accept $25,000 or that the case goes to trial again. The defendants decided to pay a sum between the jury judgment and Cox's judgment to Henderson. Bill Nutto, Henderson's lawyer, does not state how many dollars the defendants paid to Henderson and Nutto. Henderson said that he received $40,000.
As of 2003 Henderson was a homeless man in Austin, Texas
.
As of August, 2011 Mr Henderson is housed and well in Vallejo, CA.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Despite his 1972 win against Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
in an exhibition match in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, he did not become particularly well known in the boxing community; John Spong of the Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...
said that the match was the "shot not heard round the world". After the match, Henderson became a part of George Foreman
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
's Rumble in the Jungle event in Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
and won a libel suit against Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer
Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Hunter S...
and Playboy. As of 2003 Henderson was a homeless man in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
History
Henderson, a high school dropout from Stop Six, Fort Worth, first began boxing in 1954 and frequented events in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He went to prison in Huntsville, TexasHuntsville, Texas
Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,508 at the 2010 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area....
in 1961 after stealing a television from a truck. In 1964, Henderson won the Texas state boxing title by defeating Benny Bowser, a boxer from Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, in the second round of the competition. In the following year, Henderson again faced Bowser and lost the title to him after the judges made a split decision to grant the title to Bowser. In 1967 Henderson had a series of fights; in August of that year the California Athletic Commission asked Henderson to take an examination of his brain so doctors could determine if he had received brain damage. Henderson did not take the examination and instead went to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to match against Bobby Dunlop; he defeated Dunlop in the New Zealand match, and then Dunlop defeated Henderson in a rematch in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
three months later. The California Athletic Commission suspended Henderson's state boxing license after it learned of the matches in Oceania. In 1968, police from Fort Worth found marijuana in Henderson's possession, and he briefly returned to prison. In 1972 Nevada suspended Henderson's boxing license because, unless the boxer gets an exception, the state did not allow people of 36 years of age or older to be boxers. Despite the suspensions in California and Nevada, Henderson continued boxing in other states. Five states, including Texas, granted Henderson boxing licenses after California suspended its license of Henderson.
Henderson defeated Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match during the "Muhammad Ali Boxing Show" in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
on October 24, 1972, but he never achieved widespread fame in the boxing world. He also served as a cheerleader in George Foreman
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
's entourage in the Rumble in the Jungle event in Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
. Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer
Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Hunter S...
wrote a Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
article about Henderson in the May 1975 issue. The article included a false statement that said that Henderson had been released from the Nevada State Hospital, a mental hospital
Mental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
. Henderson filed a $1 million lawsuit against Mailer and Playboy. The magazine and Mailer lost the lawsuit. In 1977, the jury, located in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, awarded Henderson $105,000. Spong said that the lawsuit made Henderson, "[...]at least in his telling of the story, the first black man ever to win a libel suit against a white man." The federal court ordered the defendants to make the payment on November 16, 1977. Owen Cox, the judge, said that the amount was too high, and ordered that the plaintiff would either accept $25,000 or that the case goes to trial again. The defendants decided to pay a sum between the jury judgment and Cox's judgment to Henderson. Bill Nutto, Henderson's lawyer, does not state how many dollars the defendants paid to Henderson and Nutto. Henderson said that he received $40,000.
As of 2003 Henderson was a homeless man in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
As of August, 2011 Mr Henderson is housed and well in Vallejo, CA.