I AM at present collating and indexing my outcomes for 1904 previous to them being entered into my database, and I’ve come throughout fairly just a few fascinating entries that display simply how a lot the sport has modified over the last 120 years.
The greatest sources, by far, for boxing outcomes for this era are the Sporting Life and the Mirror of Life, each of that are accessible through the wonderful British Library on-line newspaper web site.
On April 4, 1904, Liverpool’s big-punching flyweight, Ike Bradley, met Arthur Grimshaw of Stratford, in London’s East finish, in a 20-round contest on the Albert Hall, New Brighton, simply throughout the Mersey from his hometown.
Grimshaw was combating in his first contest up North, and it was additionally his first bout above eight rounds. He had some guts to take on Bradley, who, though he had been a professional for less than a few years, was a seasoned 15-round specialist. Later on in his profession, Bradley adorned himself with quite a lot of massive and distinctive tattoos, and this was fairly uncommon throughout this era when it was often solely naval boxers, of which there have been many, that did this.
According to the Mirror of Life report the bout was a fantastic one, fought for a handbag of £50, and while “Grimshaw was very clever on his feet and used great judgement with good straight lefts” he was nailed within the seventh spherical with physique punches earlier than being floored thrice, the final time for the complete rely.
Today, such a loss would lead to a minimal suspension of 28 days. If the knockout was a nasty one, then the suspension might be longer. This rule applies to any inside-the-distance defeat, be it by KO, TKO or retirement. Back in 1904, although, issues had been very totally different.
Evidently dissatisfied with the character of his defeat Grimshaw requested for a rematch, and he got it, the very subsequent day! For, on April 5, 1904, the 2 males met once more, this time on the Circus, Warrington, just a few miles down the highway from New Brighton. The promoter was the identical man who had organised the primary contest and he was fairly glad to place them on once more, significantly as Bradley’s contracted opponent, Young Ward of Liverpool, had failed to show up.
Once once more, the bout was recorded by the Mirror of Life and this time Bradley gained extra shortly, once more by knockout after three rounds of boxing. “The two lads set to work at top speed, and there was nothing between them for the first two rounds. In the third Bradley caught Grimshaw a terrific punch on the chin and knocked him clean out.”
Two knockout defeats inside 24 hours couldn’t occur throughout the UK right this moment, and it might in all probability ship alarm bells ringing wherever it occurred on the earth, nevertheless it didn’t part Grimshaw and his staff, for he was again within the ring 9 days later at Liverpool, when he outpointed Young Yates over 10 rounds.
Grimshaw retired from the ring, after an eight-year profession, in 1908, with a shedding file that included some high-calibre opposition. Bradley went on to nice issues, together with a tour of the USA in 1906, many contests that had been billed for the world, European or British title, and he topped the invoice on the opening night time of the outdated Liverpool stadium, on Pudsey Street. He was probably the greatest of the early fighters to return out of Liverpool, a metropolis steeped in boxing custom.
In 1938 the Board issued a regulation that meant that no boxer might have interaction in two contests of 10 rounds or extra, inside 5 days, and finally they prohibited any boxer from collaborating in two contests inside six clear days from the date of their final contest, and this rule nonetheless applies right this moment. I ponder what Arthur Grimshaw would make of it.
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