Joe Butler (18 May 1866 - 1 January 1941) was an African American boxer who was the colored middleweight champion of the world in the Gay Nineties.
Known as "The King of the Middleweights", Butler had quick hands and fast footwork and was known as canny fighter who could box or slug it out with an opponent.
[1] Butler fought colored middleweight champ Ed Binney on November 13, 1892 in Philadelphia and prevailed.
Binney had won the title from Harris Martin, "The Black Pearl", the self-declared world colored middleweight champion.
Binney had also defeated the former "Negro Middleweight" title holder Johnny Banks, "The Darkey Wizard", in a non-title fight in 1888.