Marvin Hart’s Double Win

In 1902, future World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Marvin Hart was a rising contender.  Fighting primarily out of his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, Hart was matched against Kid Carter at the Southern Athletic Club on May 2, 1902.  At 17-1, Hart knew another victory would go a long way in securing a heavyweight title fight.

The Brooklyn-born Kid Carter intended to stake his own title shot claim by halting Hart’s momentum.  With so much on the line, fans were anticipating a hard fought contest.  They weren’t disappointed.

After entering the ring and shaking hands, the men prepared for battle.  The referee gave brief instructions and sent the men to their corners to start the fight.

At the bell, both men went for the clinch.  Standing chest to chest, both men freely punched to their opponent’s body.  Most of the round was focused on body attacks but Hart did stagger the Kid with an uppercut to the chin.  Kid Carter appeared out on his feet but clinched again to save himself.  Most ringside observers gave Hart the first round.

Hart also won the second round by punching Carter freely in the face.  Carter continued to hit the body with the hopes of wearing Hart down for future rounds.

The third round was even but Carter had his best round in the fourth.  Hart cracked Carter with a right hook to the jaw to start the fourth.  Carter didn’t give Hart much more offense.  Snapping his jab repeatedly into Hart’s nose, Carter drew blood.

Hart made a comeback in the fifth round by staggering Carter with a left, right combo to the head.  Carter returned the favor in the sixth round.  Neither man could pull ahead of his opponent in the fight.  The seventh and eighth rounds continued evenly with the men staggered but not knocked down.

Entering the ninth round, Hart’s eyes were almost swollen shut.  Both men had numerous facial abrasions and looked exhausted.  As they met in the center of the ring, the fans didn’t believe the men could last much longer.

Hart opened the round with a right hook to the body.  Seeing Carter’s body shake from the effect of the blow, Hart took a slight step to the right before cracking Carter’s jaw with a right cross.

Carter jumped to his feet at the count of 4.  Hart timed his attack perfectly and scored 3 straight right crosses to the jaw.  This time Carter went down hard.  He attempted to struggle to his feet at the count of 9 but was unable to make it back to his feet.  Hart won the bout on a ninth round knockout.

Hart scored another win on September 3, 1902, when he wed the former Florence Ziegler at the Beulah Presbyterian Church in Louisville.  2,000 guests gave Hart and his bride a rousing ovation.  1902 was becoming a big year for Marvin Hart.  Whether it would lead to a title shot was still to be determined.

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Sources: The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), May 3, 1902 edition, p. 1 and September 4, 1902 edition, p. 12

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