BOXER
Jess Willard
1881 - 1968

Jess Willard
Jess Myron Willard (December 29, 1881 – December 15, 1968) was an American world heavyweight boxing champion billed as the Pottawatomie Giant. He won the world heavyweight title in 1915 by knocking out Jack Johnson. Willard was known for size rather than skill, and though he held the championship for more than four years, he rarely defended it. In 1919, when he was 37 years old, he lost the title in an extremely one-sided loss by declining to come out for the fourth round against Jack Dempsey, who became a more celebrated champion. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Jess Willard is the 106th most popular boxer (down from 73rd in 2019), the 7,259th most popular biography from United States (down from 5,827th in 2019) and the 41st most popular American Boxer.
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Among BOXERS
Among boxers, Jess Willard ranks 106 out of 496. Before him are Jerzy Kulej, Aureliano Bolognesi, Tyson Fury, Michael Spinks, Jean Despeaux, and Charles Mayer. After him are Sandro Lopopolo, Willy Kaiser, István Énekes, Santiago Lovell, Issake Dabore, and Vasyl Lomachenko.
Most Popular Boxers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJerzy Kulej
1940 - 2012
HPI: 56.52
Rank: 100
Aureliano Bolognesi
1930 - 2018
HPI: 56.35
Rank: 101
Tyson Fury
1988 - Present
HPI: 56.31
Rank: 102
Michael Spinks
1956 - Present
HPI: 56.31
Rank: 103
Jean Despeaux
1915 - 1989
HPI: 56.24
Rank: 104
Charles Mayer
1882 - 1972
HPI: 56.16
Rank: 105
Jess Willard
1881 - 1968
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 106
Sandro Lopopolo
1939 - 2014
HPI: 56.09
Rank: 107
Willy Kaiser
1912 - 1986
HPI: 56.02
Rank: 108
István Énekes
1911 - 1940
HPI: 56.01
Rank: 109
Santiago Lovell
1912 - 1966
HPI: 55.96
Rank: 110
Issake Dabore
1940 - 2021
HPI: 55.92
Rank: 111
Vasyl Lomachenko
1988 - Present
HPI: 55.83
Rank: 112
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1881, Jess Willard ranks 178. Before him are John Svanberg, Yngvar Bryn, Juan José de Amézaga, Clive Bell, Eleanor Farjeon, and Eugen Bolz. After him are Jim Bellamy, Smedley Butler, Abram Deborin, Eetje Sol, Henri Grégoire, and Mordecai Kaplan. Among people deceased in 1968, Jess Willard ranks 191. Before him are Luigi Cevenini, Martin Frič, René Navarre, Kay Francis, Antonio Pietrangeli, and Hugo Benioff. After him are Astrid Cleve, Dorothy Holman, Pietro Pastore, Marion Lorne, Willy Jäggi, and Branislav Sekulić.
Others Born in 1881
Go to all RankingsJohn Svanberg
ATHLETE
1881 - 1957
HPI: 56.48
Rank: 172
Yngvar Bryn
ATHLETE
1881 - 1947
HPI: 56.44
Rank: 173
Juan José de Amézaga
POLITICIAN
1881 - 1956
HPI: 56.40
Rank: 174
Clive Bell
PAINTER
1881 - 1964
HPI: 56.35
Rank: 175
Eleanor Farjeon
WRITER
1881 - 1965
HPI: 56.35
Rank: 176
Eugen Bolz
POLITICIAN
1881 - 1945
HPI: 56.22
Rank: 177
Jess Willard
BOXER
1881 - 1968
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 178
Jim Bellamy
SOCCER PLAYER
1881 - 1969
HPI: 56.08
Rank: 179
Smedley Butler
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1881 - 1940
HPI: 56.07
Rank: 180
Abram Deborin
PHILOSOPHER
1881 - 1963
HPI: 55.89
Rank: 181
Eetje Sol
SOCCER PLAYER
1881 - 1965
HPI: 55.86
Rank: 182
Henri Grégoire
HISTORIAN
1881 - 1964
HPI: 55.84
Rank: 183
Mordecai Kaplan
WRITER
1881 - 1983
HPI: 55.70
Rank: 184
Others Deceased in 1968
Go to all RankingsLuigi Cevenini
SOCCER PLAYER
1895 - 1968
HPI: 56.42
Rank: 185
Martin Frič
FILM DIRECTOR
1902 - 1968
HPI: 56.41
Rank: 186
René Navarre
ACTOR
1877 - 1968
HPI: 56.35
Rank: 187
Kay Francis
ACTOR
1905 - 1968
HPI: 56.26
Rank: 188
Antonio Pietrangeli
FILM DIRECTOR
1919 - 1968
HPI: 56.26
Rank: 189
Hugo Benioff
GEOLOGIST
1899 - 1968
HPI: 56.26
Rank: 190
Jess Willard
BOXER
1881 - 1968
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 191
Astrid Cleve
BIOLOGIST
1875 - 1968
HPI: 56.03
Rank: 192
Dorothy Holman
TENNIS PLAYER
1883 - 1968
HPI: 56.03
Rank: 193
Pietro Pastore
SOCCER PLAYER
1908 - 1968
HPI: 56.02
Rank: 194
Marion Lorne
ACTOR
1883 - 1968
HPI: 56.01
Rank: 195
Willy Jäggi
SOCCER PLAYER
1906 - 1968
HPI: 55.94
Rank: 196
Branislav Sekulić
SOCCER PLAYER
1906 - 1968
HPI: 55.94
Rank: 197
In United States
Among people born in United States, Jess Willard ranks 7,261 out of 20,380. Before him are Nancy Olson (1928), Roy Eldridge (1911), Frank James (1843), J. E. Freeman (1946), Hannibal Goodwin (1822), and Madalyn Murray O'Hair (1919). After him are Gary Lockwood (1937), Michael Bowen (1957), Charles Fleischer (1950), Paula Fox (1923), Frank Thomas (1912), and C. L. Moore (1911).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsNancy Olson
ACTOR
1928 - Present
HPI: 56.11
Rank: 7,255
Roy Eldridge
SINGER
1911 - 1989
HPI: 56.11
Rank: 7,256
Frank James
EXTREMIST
1843 - 1915
HPI: 56.11
Rank: 7,257
J. E. Freeman
ACTOR
1946 - 2014
HPI: 56.11
Rank: 7,258
Hannibal Goodwin
INVENTOR
1822 - 1900
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 7,259
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1919 - 1995
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 7,260
Jess Willard
BOXER
1881 - 1968
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 7,261
Gary Lockwood
ACTOR
1937 - Present
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 7,262
Michael Bowen
ACTOR
1957 - Present
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 7,263
Charles Fleischer
ACTOR
1950 - Present
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 7,264
Paula Fox
WRITER
1923 - 2017
HPI: 56.09
Rank: 7,265
Frank Thomas
MUSICIAN
1912 - 2004
HPI: 56.09
Rank: 7,266
C. L. Moore
WRITER
1911 - 1987
HPI: 56.09
Rank: 7,267
Among BOXERS In United States
Among boxers born in United States, Jess Willard ranks 41. Before him are James J. Corbett (1866), Buster Douglas (1960), Carmen Barth (1912), Gene Tunney (1897), Oscar De La Hoya (1973), and Michael Spinks (1956). After him are Thomas Hearns (1958), Bert Schneider (1897), Howard Davis Jr. (1956), Ernie Terrell (1939), Carmen Basilio (1927), and Tony Zale (1913).
James J. Corbett
1866 - 1933
HPI: 58.30
Rank: 35
Buster Douglas
1960 - Present
HPI: 58.15
Rank: 36
Carmen Barth
1912 - 1985
HPI: 57.33
Rank: 37
Gene Tunney
1897 - 1978
HPI: 56.81
Rank: 38
Oscar De La Hoya
1973 - Present
HPI: 56.54
Rank: 39
Michael Spinks
1956 - Present
HPI: 56.31
Rank: 40
Jess Willard
1881 - 1968
HPI: 56.10
Rank: 41
Thomas Hearns
1958 - Present
HPI: 55.53
Rank: 42
Bert Schneider
1897 - 1986
HPI: 55.45
Rank: 43
Howard Davis Jr.
1956 - 2015
HPI: 55.41
Rank: 44
Ernie Terrell
1939 - 2014
HPI: 55.32
Rank: 45
Carmen Basilio
1927 - 2012
HPI: 55.28
Rank: 46
Tony Zale
1913 - 1997
HPI: 55.09
Rank: 47