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Biography · Sports

Harris Martin

1865–1903

United States

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Biography

Harris Martin (April 2, 1865 – April 26, 1903) was an American boxer known as "The Black Pearl". He declared himself the first colored middleweight champion of the world after a fight with "Black Frank" Taylor in Minneapolis in 1887. Harris' legacy is that of being one of the first African-American boxing celebrities in the United States, with public acclaim during his time extending throughout the Midwest region.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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