Gevechtssporthistoricus en krijgskunstenaar
Posts about bare knuckle prizefighting in the 19th Century and early professional boxing from 1890 naar 1930.
During the 19th century, both prizefighters and duelists took advantage of the sandbar islands in the Mississippi River, around St. Louis, Missouri, to hold prizefights or duels. Authorities have frowned on duels to the death in any location. Echter, both Illinois and Missouri also outlawed prizefighting. Bloody Island in the middle of the Mississippi River just north of Downtown St.
Johnny Reagan was an important fighter in the St. Louis boxing scene during the first decade of the 20th Century. Originally from Brooklyn, Reagan moved to St. Louis to train under Jack McKenna. McKenna based his operation out of St. Louis, where his fighter primarily fought at St. Louis’ West End Club. Reagan was a rising bantamweight at the time
Tom Allen was born in Birmingham, England on April 23, 1840 but he became famous as a heavyweight bare knuckle prizefighter in America. Settling in St. Louis around 1867, Allen won the American Heavyweight Championship in 1873 and held the title until 1876. He returned to England for a year before returning to St. Louis for good in 1878. Back
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
In March 1893, newspapers across the country carried the story of a proposed match between current world light heavyweight boxing champion Jack McAuliffe and Saint Louis boxing instructor Mike Mooney. Although the match would seem odd because Mooney was such a lightly regarded challenger, the lure of $2500 a side is probably what brought the champion to the table. Adjusted
Oliver Leonard Kirk heeft het onderscheid van het zijn de enige Olympische bokser om een gouden medaille te winnen in twee verschillende gewichtsklassen in dezelfde Olympische Spelen. Oliver Kirk bereikte dit resultaat in zijn geboortestad Olympische Spelen in 1904. St. Louis gastheer van de derde Olympiade tijdens de 1904 World's Fair Exposition. Like the Paris Games four years before, St. Louis gave
In December 1920, robbers killed Patrolman Charles Daly at the entrance to his home in the 4000 block of Forest Park Boulevard. St. Louis Police aggressively investigated the murder but it was never solved. Prior to his death, the Daly name was already well-known in St. Louis. Charles Daly was the son of professional prizefighter Dan Daly, who fought in
While famous for fighting John L. Sullivan in het laatste wereldkampioenschapsprijzengevecht dat onder blote vuistregels werd betwist, Jake Kilrain nam ook deel aan veel gevechten met handschoenen. Het prijzengevecht ging over van regels met blote knokkels naar gevechten met handschoenen onder de regels van de Markies van Queensberry (vroege amateur- en professionele boksen) in de late 19e eeuw. Zoals Sullivan, Kilrain would fight in major
Zoals ik in meerdere berichten heb geschreven, de beste zwaargewichtboksers ertussen 1900 en 1919 waren de Afro-Amerikaanse boksers gedwongen met elkaar te vechten voor de “Gekleurd kampioenschap”. Zelfs nadat de grote Jack Johnson eindelijk de kleurlijn brak en het World Heavyweight Championship won, hij zou de titel alleen verdedigen tegen blanke kanshebbers. As a result, the toughest challengers
Sam McVey would win the World Colored Heavyweight Boxing Championship in an era where the three best fighters were black and frozen out of the title picture. He started 1903 out so well, he would put pressure on World Heavyweight Boxing Champion James J. Jeffries to give him a match. Jeffries refused to break the “color line” by giving a