Though Wright died before he could testify, West testified a writer for Confidential had approached Wright falsely claiming he wanted information on West for a biographical film. West noted that Wright was paid $200 for the information, but insisted "...he didn't say any of the things they claim he did." Early death from drowning By 1957, Wright was in ill health, and had been hospitalized in July for a heart condition. On August 12, 1957, Wright's mother found his body in the bathtub in her Los Angeles apartment. His head was submerged underwater and the tap was running. Rumors of foul play and suicide immediately began to surface as Wright was scheduled to testify in the high-profile libel suit against Confidential magazine. These rumors were furthered when Wright's first wife Gert Arnold, who was expected to testify, claimed she received an anonymous phone call from a "gruff voiced man" who told her "...if you know what's good for you, you'll clam up about this whole thing." It was later determined that Wright, who had been hospitalized for a heart condition six weeks before his death, suffered a heart attack while in the bathtub causing him to slip and fall. He then struck his head on the tap, which rendered him unconscious, and he drowned. Investigators noted that Wright had attempted to stop himself from falling by grabbing a towel rack which was found pulled from the wall. His death was ruled accidental. Wright's funeral was held on August 26. Baptist minister Henry Armstrong, a former sparring partner, and opponent, delivered the eulogy. He was buried in Lincoln Memorial Park in Carson, California. Honors Wright was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1976 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2003, The Ring ranked Wright #95 on their 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time list. In 2012, Wright was inducted into the Colton, California Sports Hall of Fame. Professional boxing record See also Lineal championship References |- External links 1912 births 1957 deaths Accidental deaths in California African-American boxers Boxers from Arizona Boxers from California Burials in California Deaths by drowning in California Featherweight boxers World featherweight boxing champions International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees People from Willcox, Arizona Sportspeople from Los Angeles County, California American male boxers 20th-century African-American sportspeople