Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Posts about professional boxing and prizefighting in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
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
“Terrible” Terry McGovern proved to be a rare fighter at the turn of the Twentieth Century. While smaller boxers packed no power in their punches, McGovern, who scaled between 110 and 126 pounds, possessed tremendous knockout power. “Terrible” Terry often finished his opponents in the first four rounds. On July 1, 1899, Brooklyn based McGovern met Chicago’s Johnny Richie at
On July 2, 1921 in Jersey City, New Jersey, reigning World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Dempsey met light heavyweight boxing king Georges Carpentier. Boxing fans flocked to event resulting in the first million dollar gate in boxing history. The match would prove the old boxing adage, “A good big man always beats a good little man.” Even though Georges Carpentier
On May 10, 1870, 39-year-old prizefighter Jem Mace met 30-year-old prizefighter Tom Allen in Kennerville, Louisiana for the World Heavyweight Prizefighting Championship. Claims to the championship were very murky at the time. Thuggery and dirty tricks often obscured who was actually American Champion. Jem Mace, who was considered World Champion twice while fighting in England, was signed to meet Tom
Mike “Twin” Sullivan claimed the Welterweight World Boxing Championship, when he decisioned Honey Mellody in April 1907. Possessing both heavy hands and better than normal boxing skills, Sullivan claimed victories over the great Joe Gans and future Welterweight World Boxing Champion Harry Lewis during his career. Lewis won the welterweight title, when Sullivan could no longer make the 147 pound
On Friday, June 10, 1910, World Middleweight Boxing Champion Stanley Ketchel fought his last fight against unheralded Jim Smith. Ketchel has cleared out the middleweight division, so boxing promoters struggled to find suitable competition for Ketchel. At only 24 years old, Ketchel lived hard and fought constantly causing an early breakdown of his body. After fighting Smith, Ketchel intended to
On March 17, 1897, current World Heavyweight Boxing Champion James J. Corbett entered the boxing ring at Carson City, Nevada. Corbett faced the challenge of former middleweight boxing champion Bob Fitzsimmons. Corbett entered as the favorite enjoying both an almost twenty pound weight advantage and slick boxing skills. “Ruddy Robert” as Fitzsimmons was sometimes known won the World Middleweight Boxing Championship in
No one took advantage of the No Decision era of professional boxing like Battling Levinsky. Levinsky was a skilled defensive boxer, who took little damage during his fights. When Ring Magazine asked him why he was so active, sometimes taking 3 fights in a day around New York, Levinsky said, “I like money and I never get hurt.” Levinsky was
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