In the late 1890s, when boxing was rivaling the popularity of baseball, George Dixon and Terry McGovern were among its most famous practitioners. Their paths crossed in 1900 in what is widely considered the most significant featherweight bout in history. Both men were journeyman fighters who died young under distressing circumstances. Both were products of a burgeoning industrial society and a cult of masculinity, at a time when prizefighting's adherents and opponents were in a constant tug-of-war. Betting on the championship fight was heavy, the outcome controversial. This book tells the full story, with a cast of characters including infamous manager/promoter Tom O'Rourke, World Welterweight Champion Barbados Joe Walcott, and Tammany Hall bigwig Timothy "Big Tim" Sullivan, whose invisible hand made New York the epicenter of boxing in the 1890s.
- ISBN13 9781476688732
- Publish Date 16 September 2022
- Publish Status Forthcoming
- Publish Country US
- Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
- Format Paperback
- Pages 277
- Language English