# Charles Hadley

Charles Hadley (September 30, 1846 – June 28, 1897), nicknamed "The Professor", was an African American boxer who was the third World Colored Heavyweight Champion, reigning from January 14, 1881, to February 23, 1883. The 5′9½″ boxer fought out of Bridgeport, Connecticut as a heavyweight.

## Fights with Morris Grant

Hadley won the colored heavyweight championship from Morris Grant, whom he fought twelve times between 1881 and 1883. Their first recorded match was January 14, 1881, when Hadley won points in a three-rounder and claimed the Grant's title.
Hadley fought Grant a 10 more times while he was the colored champ, beating him eight times. In their seventh fight, held on May 4, 1882, in New York City, their four-rounder was declared a no-contest. Their next fight, on June 20 of the same year, saw Morris finally beat the undefeated Hadley (whose "official" record was 12-0-2 at the time), besting the champ on points in a four rounder. Hadley apparently did not put his belt at stake for the fight, for he continued as champion until 1883, when he was finally bested by George "Old Chocolate" Godfrey.
Morris lost three more fights to Hadley during his championship reign and one after Hadley lost his title to Godfrey. The last time they battled while Hadley was the colored champ was on December 7, 1882, when they fought in New York City for the Police Gazette Medal Championship of America. Hadley KO-ed Morris in the third round. Their last fight was on December 8, 1883-12-08, exactly one year and one day after they had last met in the ring. Morris apparently was outpointed by the ex-champ and retired from pro boxing.

## Record

In a career that lasted from 1869 to 1891, Hadley racked up a record of 25 wins (14 by knock-out) against 13 losses (being KO-ed five times) with six draws.

## Legacy & Honors

In 2020 award-winning author Mark Allen Baker published the first comprehensive account of The World Colored Heavyweight Championship, 1876–1937, with McFarland & Company, a leading independent publisher of academic & nonfiction books. This history traces the advent and demise of the Championship, the stories of the talented professional athletes who won it, and the demarcation of the color line both in and out of the ring.
For decades the World Colored Heavyweight Championship was a useful tool to combat racial oppression-the existence of the title a leverage mechanism, or tool, used as a technique to counter a social element, “drawing the color line.”

## Professional boxing record

| 45 fights | 20 wins | 16 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 5 |
| By decision | 9 | 10 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 1 |
| Draws | 6 | 6 |
| No contests | 3 | 3 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Age | Location | Notes |
| 45 | ND | 20–16–6 (3) | Tommy Cleary | ND | ? | Aug 1, 1891 | N/A | Amsterdam, New York, US | Police intervened; Date uncertain |
| 44 | Draw | 20–16–6 (2) | Tommy Cleary | PTS | ? | Apr 1, 1891 | N/A | Albany, New York, US | Date uncertain |
| 43 | Loss | 20–16–5 (2) | Jack Senrab | PTS | 4 | Jan 4, 1891 | 44 years, 96 days | Barnes Road House, Spokane, Washington, US | |
| 42 | Loss | 20–15–5 (2) | Dave Campbell | PTS | 4 | May 29, 1890 | 43 years, 241 days | American Resort, Spokane Falls, Washington, US | |
| 41 | Loss | 20–14–5 (2) | Harris Martin | KO | 1 (6) | Aug 31, 1888 | 41 years, 336 days | Theatre Comique, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 40 | Draw | 20–13–5 (2) | Harris Martin | PTS | 8 | Aug 10, 1888 | 41 years, 315 days | Theatre Comique, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 39 | Win | 20–13–4 (2) | Strong Boy | KO | 3 (?) | Feb 1, 1888 | N/A | Donaldson, Louisiana, US | Date uncertain |
| 38 | Loss | 19–13–4 (2) | Harris Martin | PTS | 10 | Apr 15, 1887 | 40 years, 197 days | Olympic Theater, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 37 | Loss | 19–12–4 (2) | Harry Woodson | PTS | 10 | Apr 11, 1887 | 40 years, 193 days | Olympic Theater, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 36 | Loss | 19–11–4 (2) | Harris Martin | PTS | 8 | Mar 25, 1887 | 40 years, 176 days | Comique Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 35 | Win | 19–10–4 (2) | Frank Taylor | PTS | 11 | Feb 25, 1887 | 40 years, 148 days | Theatre Comique, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 34 | Loss | 18–10–4 (2) | Frank Taylor | KO | 10 (10) | Jan 14, 1887 | 40 years, 106 days | Olympic Theater, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 33 | Draw | 18–9–4 (2) | Frank Taylor | PTS | 15 | Dec 31, 1886 | 40 years, 92 days | Theatre Comique, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US | |
| 32 | Loss | 18–9–3 (2) | Frank Taylor | PTS | 5 | Dec 2, 1886 | 40 years, 63 days | Exposition Rink, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 31 | Win | 18–8–3 (2) | Ed Moehler | KO | 5 (8) | Jun 6, 1886 | 39 years, 249 days | Silver Lake, Minnesota, US | |
| 30 | Loss | 17–8–3 (2) | Patsy Mellen | PTS | 5 | May 16, 1886 | 39 years, 228 days | Market Hall, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 29 | Win | 17–7–3 (2) | Peter Follett | TKO | 3 (?) | Mar 6, 1886 | 39 years, 157 days | Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 28 | Win | 16–7–3 (2) | Billy Wilson | DQ | 6 (?) | Jul 19, 1885 | 38 years, 292 days | Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 27 | Loss | 15–7–3 (2) | Billy Wilson | PTS | 4 | May 30, 1885 | 38 years, 242 days | White Bear Lake, Minnesota, US | |
| 26 | Loss | 15–6–3 (2) | Billy Wilson | KO | 3 (?) | Mar 21, 1885 | 38 years, 172 days | Market Hall, Saint Paul, Minnesota, US | |
| 25 | Loss | 15–5–3 (2) | Harry Woodson | KO | 4 (?) | Dec 23, 1884 | 38 years, 84 days | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | |
| 24 | Win | 15–4–3 (2) | Jack Keefe | PTS | 5 | Mar 14, 1884 | 37 years, 166 days | Cleveland, Ohio, US | |
| 23 | Loss | 14–4–3 (2) | Charles C. Smith | DQ | 2 (?) | Feb 2, 1884 | 37 years, 125 days | East Saginaw, Michigan, US | |
| 22 | ND | 14–3–3 (2) | Charles C. Smith | ND | 4 | Dec 15, 1883 | N/A | East Saginaw, Michigan, US | Date uncertain |
| 21 | Win | 14–3–3 (1) | Harry Woodson | PTS | ? | Dec 8, 1883 | 37 years, 69 days | New York City, New York, US | |
| 20 | Win | 13–3–3 (1) | Harry Woodson | PTS | ? | Jul 1, 1883 | N/A | New York City, New York, US | Won vacant black heavyweight title; Date uncertain |
| 19 | Loss | 12–3–3 (1) | George Godfrey | KO | 6 (6) | Feb 23, 1883 | 36 years, 146 days | Cribb Club, Boston, Massachusetts, US | Lost world colored heavyweight title |
| 18 | Loss | 12–2–3 (1) | Harry Woodson | PTS | 3 | Feb 7, 1883 | 36 years, 130 days | New York, New York City, New York, US | |
| 17 | Draw | 12–1–3 (1) | George Godfrey | PTS | 6 | Jan 18, 1883 | 36 years, 110 days | New York, New York City, New York, US | |
| 16 | Win | 12–1–2 (1) | Harry Woodson | KO | 2 (?) | Jan 10, 1883 | 36 years, 102 days | New York, New York City, New York, US | |
| 15 | Win | 11–1–2 (1) | Morris Grant | KO | 3 (4) | Dec 7, 1882 | 36 years, 68 days | Harry Hill's, New York, New York City, New York, US | Retained Police Gazette Medal Championship of America |
| 14 | Win | 10–1–2 (1) | Morris Grant | KO | 1 (?) | Dec 1, 1882 | N/A | New York City, New York, US | Date uncertain |
| 13 | Win | 9–1–2 (1) | Morris Grant | PTS | ? | Nov 7, 1882 | 36 years, 38 days | New York City, New York, US | Won inaugural Police Gazette Medal Championship of America |
| 12 | Win | 8–1–2 (1) | Frank Johnson | PTS | 4 | Jul 26, 1882 | 35 years, 299 days | New York City, New York, US | |
| 11 | Loss | 7–1–2 (1) | Morris Grant | PTS | 4 | Jun 20, 1882 | 35 years, 263 days | New York City, New York, US | |
| 10 | ND | 7–0–2 (1) | Morris Grant | ND | 4 | May 4, 1882 | 35 years, 216 days | New York City, New York, US | |
| 9 | Win | 7–0–2 | Morris Grant | KO | 2 (?) | Apr 26, 1882 | 35 years, 208 days | New York City, New York, US | |
| 8 | Win | 6–0–2 | Morris Grant | KO | 2 (?) | Apr 6, 1882 | 35 years, 188 days | New York City, New York, US | |
| 7 | Draw | 5–0–2 | George Godfrey | PTS | 4 | Jan 26, 1882 | 35 years, 118 days | Harry Hill's, New York City, New York, US | |
| 6 | Draw | 5–0–1 | Morris Grant | PTS | 3 | Jan 12, 1882 | 35 years, 104 days | Harry Hill's, New York City, New York, US | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Morris Grant | PTS | 1 | Jan 1, 1882 | N/A | New York City, New York, US | Date uncertain |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Morris Grant | PTS | 3 | Dec 1, 1881 | N/A | New York City, New York, US | Date uncertain |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | J.H. Brown | KO | 3 (?) | Jun 3, 1881 | 34 years, 246 days | Bridgeport, Connecticut, US | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Professor Anderson | KO | 18 (?) | May 17, 1881 | 34 years, 229 days | Bridgeport, Connecticut, US | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Morris Grant | PTS | 3 | Jan 14, 1881 | 34 years, 106 days | New York City, New York, US | Won vacant world colored heavyweight title |