Sullivan Wins Fight of the 19th Century

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John L. Sullivan was the transitional heavyweight prize fighting champion.  He transitioned prize fighting from the bare knuckle era to modern boxing under the Marquis of Queensbury rules by refusing to fight in any more non-gloved bouts.  Before he made this pledge, he took part in the Fight of the 19th Century with the formidable Jake Kilrain. Jake Kilrain was

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Wrestling Champion Tries Boxing

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On Tuesday, January 19, 1909, Dr. Benjamin Roller, a Seattle physician and pro wrestler who was good enough to win the American Heavyweight Championship, inexplicably decided to try his hand at professional boxing.  His opponent was friend and sparring partner, “Denver” Ed Martin, who would win the Colored World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Dr. Benjamin Franklin Roller was a unique athlete

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Langford Defeats The Great Gans

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On December 8, 1903, Sam Langford fought the reigning lightweight boxing champion in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts.  Prior to fighting Langford, most boxing experts felt Joe Gans could not be beaten in a legitimate bout.  Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Gans was able to break the color barrier by winning the World Lightweight Boxing Championship. Sam Langford is often considered

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Old Smoke Defeats Benicia Boy

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John Morrissey claimed the World Bare Knuckle Prizefighting Championship in a controversial bout with Yankee Sullivan in October 1853.  After beating a murder charge for his participation in the murder of Bill “The Butcher” Poole, Morrissey decided to defend his title against John C. Heenan, “the Benicia Boy”.  “Old Smoke” Morrissey defeated Heenan in the October 1858 bout held in

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Heenan Loses to King in Last Bout

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John Camel Heenan was known to 19th Century bare knuckle prizefighting fans as “the Benicia Boy”.  Despite an 0-1-1 record as a professional fighter, Heenan claimed the World Prizefighting Championship based on a draw with Tom Sayer in an 1860 English prize-fight. Heenan’s first professional fight had been with the reigning World Heavyweight Prizefighting Champion John Morrissey’s last professional fight

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Tom Hyer Beats Yankee Sullivan

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Tom Hyer won the American Bare Knuckle Prizefighting Championship in 1841.  Like most prizefighting champions of the Nineteenth Century, he did not fight very often.  Hyer normally paid his bills as an enforcer for political parties in New York.  Originally, Hyer employed his talents for the Whigs but would switch allegiances to the “Know Nothing Party” with his friend William

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Morrissey vs. Sullivan: Fight, Then Feud

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On October 12, 1853, 23 year-old John Morrissey would meet 40 year-old “Yankee” Sullivan for the American and possibly World Heavyweight Prizefighting Championship.  Sullivan had been considered the champion since Tom Hyer, who had beaten Sullivan previously, retired instead of fighting Sullivan in a rematch.  Sullivan claimed the title and was backed by Hyer, who had made peace with Sullivan.

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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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