Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Posts about bare knuckle prizefighting and professional gloved contests from the 1850s to 1930s.
On Tuesday, November 18, 1884, World Heavyweight Bare-Knuckle Prizefighting Champion John L. Sullivan fought Al Greenfield at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Sullivan needed to overcome more than just his opponent in this bout. The men originally agreed to fight on Monday, November 17, 1884, but New York City authorities threatened the men with arrest. The wrangling with
On Friday, March 13, 1891, Jake Kilrain fought George Godfrey at the California Athletic Club in San Francisco, California. The men fought for a trophy and $5,000. The men entered the ring at 9:52 p.m. William Muldoon, former World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, seconded Kilrain, who Muldoon trained for this fight. Muldoon trained Kilrain’s opponent, John L. Sullivan, for their 1889
Charles Henry “Jack” Blackburn achieved his greatest fame as the trainer of World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Joe Louis from 1934 to 1942. Louis is widely considered to be one of the top three to five heavyweights in professional boxing history and some consider him the best heavyweight fighter. “Jack” Blackburn developed the talents of the young champion and helped him
On Tuesday, December 12, 1916, Sam Langford defended the “Colored World Heavyweight Boxing Championship”, which he won from Sam McVea in February 1916. Between 1904 and 1919, the best African-American boxers, or black Canadians like Langford, were stuck fighting each other for “Colored” Championship. If a white fighter did fight them, it was only to develop their own reputation to
James J. Jeffries dominated American heavyweight boxing from 1899 to 1904. After winning the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship from Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899, Jeffries made 9 successful title defenses during the next five years. He retired undefeated in 1905 before be lured back for an ill-fated comeback against the great Jack Johnson. Jeffries didn’t win his bouts with superior boxing
Jake Kilrain is best known as the last and toughest challenger to John L. Sullivan in the last bare knuckle world championship fight. Despite Kilrain’s inability to beat John L. Sullivan, he had a successful career both before and after the bout with the mighty Sullivan. Fighting for 10 more years in gloved bouts, Kilrain was mostly successful but on
While bare knuckle prizefighter Tom Allen was born in England during 1840, he spent the majority of his adult life in St Louis after relocating to the United States in 1867. After a disappointing loss to Jem Mace in 1870, where he impressed spectators with a gallant performance in a losing effort, Allen started campaigning for a shot at American
Monte Attell was the younger brother of World Featherweight Boxing Champion Abe Attell. Monte would always be stuck in the shadow of his older brother but was a talented fighter in his own right. Monte would win the World Bantamweight Boxing Championship during his career and establish himself as a world class fighter. In 1904, he was a 19-year-old up-and-coming
During his first run as World Featherweight Boxing Champion, Abe Attell was based out of St. Louis, Missouri. Besides having his camp in St. Louis, Attell defended his title several times at St. Louis’ West End Athletic Club. At the time, St. Louis was the largest city west of the Mississippi River in the United States. Born Abraham Washington Attell
Bob “Rudy Robert” Fitzsimmons was an English boxer, who won the undisputed middleweight, heavyweight and light heavyweight world championships, at the turn of the 20th Century. Often mistaken for an Australian because he started his boxing career there, Fitzsimmons traveled to the United States in 1890 to campaign for the middleweight championship. Fitzsimmons stood just under 6 feet tall but