We have to remember, before television, before the Marquess of the queensbury - there was the London ring rules. They had champions, reigns and a dense pool of competition. fighting was a trade more than an event. The styles they would have likely used would be similar to the early 1900's, with Johnson, Jeffries, Langford etc - a mixture of grappling and punching - long rounds and a real emphasis on "hurting" the other guy, not out boxing him. That being said, what do we really know?
Chat GPT with the "deep research" option gave me this. I also have a book, BOXING: A GUIDE TO MODERN METHODS
It goes into some detail on the best bare knucklers. It seems to hold them in pretty high regard alongside fighters that were modern during the books printing year. (Dempsey, Tunney and Greb). Some of these guys look like old napoleonic war veterans from the Grande Armee. They look made of stone. many of them seem to carry Grins on their faces, a bit sadistic looking. A lot of them also died very young. The book also seems to mention boxing fatalities as being more common. or at least thats the impression I get.
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1. Jem Mace (1831-1910) "The Father of Modern Boxing"
Chat GPT with the "deep research" option gave me this. I also have a book, BOXING: A GUIDE TO MODERN METHODS
It goes into some detail on the best bare knucklers. It seems to hold them in pretty high regard alongside fighters that were modern during the books printing year. (Dempsey, Tunney and Greb). Some of these guys look like old napoleonic war veterans from the Grande Armee. They look made of stone. many of them seem to carry Grins on their faces, a bit sadistic looking. A lot of them also died very young. The book also seems to mention boxing fatalities as being more common. or at least thats the impression I get.
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1. Jem Mace (1831-1910) "The Father of Modern Boxing"
- Known for skill, defense, and introducing footwork into bare-knuckle fighting.
- Won the English heavyweight title in 1861.
- Career lasted decades; fought in England, the U.S., and Australia.
- Bridged bare-knuckle and gloved eras.
- Last major bare-knuckle champion; first gloved heavyweight champion.
- Won the final sanctioned bare-knuckle title fight in 1889 vs. Jake Kilrain (75 rounds).
- Powerful, charismatic, and a cultural icon of the era.
- English lightweight/heavyweight with unmatched toughness.
- Famous for his 1860 draw with American champion John C. Heenan (considered the first international title fight).
- Small for a heavyweight but fought much larger men and earned legendary respect.
- Notable for incredible durability and size for his time.
- Won and lost the English title in grueling wars.
- Fought Simon Byrne to the death (Byrne died days later).
- Dominated the sport in the early 1800s.
- Twice defeated American Tom Molineaux, a former slave and fierce contender.
- Considered a British national hero and symbol of strength.
- African-American former slave who gained fame in England.
- Nearly beat Cribb in 1810, a controversial fight many believed he won.
- Fought with intelligence, speed, and ferocity.
- Introduced defense, angles, and strategy to what had previously been brawling.
- ***ish-English boxer who broke barriers and changed the sport tactically.
- Created the first set of boxing rules in 1743 to reduce fatalities.
- First true organized champion and boxing theorist.
- Towering for his era; rival of Sayers and Burke.
- Fought in some of the era most brutal contests.
- Irish-American fighter, known for clean fighting and resilience.
- Held the American heavyweight title and drew with John Heenan.
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