Tammany Thugs Murder Bill the Butcher

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In July 1854, the World Bareknuckle Prizefighting Champion John Morrissey, who also severed as Tammany Hall enforcer, challenged William “Bill the Butcher” Poole to a no holds barred street fight.  The result was a terrible beating and several month recovery for John Morrissey.  Morrissey would have likely won a bareknuckle prizefight with Poole, a part-time prizefighter himself.  Morrissey made a

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Death of the Head Rat

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William T.”Willie” Egan took over “Egan’s Rats” on the death of his older brother Tom in 1919.  Thomas “Snake” Kinney and his childhood friend and brother-in-law Tom Egan formed St. Louis’ criminal organization in the late 1800s.  Both Kinney and Tom Egan were saloon keepers and Democratic politicians.  They employed “the Rats” for political slugging and other criminal activities. Thomas

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Thug Beats World Champ in Street Brawl

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On July 26, 1854, the bare knuckle champion John Morrissey met occasional bare knuckle fighter William Poole in a no rules street brawl.  What followed would be the worst five minutes of John Morrissey’s life. On October 23, 1853, the 22-year-old Morrissey beat Yankee Sullivan for the world bare knuckle championship in a disputed decision.  Sullivan actually knocked Morrissey out

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Professor Yamashita Comes to America in 1902

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Sam Hill, a Seattle businessman, brought Professor Yoshiaki Yamashita to the United States in 1902.  Professor Yamashita intended to help spread Dr. Jigoro Kano’s relatively new martial art of Judo.  Accompanying Professor Yamashita was his student Mitsuyo Maeda.  Maeda would go on to teach Carlos Gracie in Brazil.  The Gracies modified the techniques into the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Over

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William Muldoon, Physical Culture Legend

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I first read about William Muldoon in a biography of John L. Sullivan, the last bare knuckle heavyweight champion.  Sullivan ushered in gloved boxing by refusing to take part in any more bare knuckle bouts. The last major bare knuckle bout was fought by Sullivan against Jake Kilrain in 1889.  Odds were against Sullivan, a binge drinker indulging heavily between bouts.  He was

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