Old Champ Dies Penniless

On November 30, 1910, reports came from England that former World Heavyweight Prizefighting Champion Jem Mace had died at 79 years of age.  Mace was world champion from 1860 to 1862 and again from 1866 to 1876.  After reportedly earning a million dollars in a career that spanned 1857 to 1909, Jem Mace died penniless.  He was laid to rest in an unmarked grave.  How did this happen?

Like many combat sports athletes before and since, Jem Mace had poor impulse control and poor money management skills.  Mace’s taste for the “sporting life” of wine, women and song would cost him dearly.

The first factor in Mace’s loss of finances was his love of women.  Mace reportedly had 14 children with 5 women.  Mace married three times but didn’t bother getting divorces making him a bigamist.  As champion, Mace also carried on a number of affairs with high profile women.

While formalize child support was not developed to the level it is today, Mace would be forced to make some provisions for these women and children to keep him out of jail and the newspapers.  Mace’s inability to manage his personal life would take a big chuck of his fortune.

Mace also spent much of his time in his later career working in circus exhibitions.  Mace would partially own an English circus for a time.  Mace also took part in professional wrestling exhibitions in addition to boxing exhibitions.

Mace’s continued involvement in the circus and professional wrestling attest to his need for money.  Experts considered Mace one of the most scientific boxers of all time who taught many young boxers.  If Mace managed his money well, he could have retired and moved into professional training.  However, he had to stay on the road giving exhibitions to earn enough money to keep going.

After Mace could no longer give boxing exhibitions (which he gave until he was 78!), Mace applied for an English pension in 1910.  The December 10, 1910 edition of the Honolulu Evening Bulletin stated that Mace tired of the pension board’s questions and withdrew his application.  Mace died a few months later.

Mace’s story is the rule in combat sports, while William Muldoon’s story was the exception.  Too many combat sports athletes die penniless than retain or build their fortunes.

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