This is Johnny Coulon in his prime, during his fighting days. He was involved in boxing for his entire life.
Coulon, also called "The Cherry Picker of Logan Square," began boxing at only 8-years-old and trained under his father, Pop Coulon. Later he trained with Elbows McFadden, George Siddons and James Corbett. His early boxing experience helped him become one of the youngest title claimants of all time at 18, when he defeated Kid Murphy for a portion of the bantamweight title.
A two-fisted slugger, Johnny Coulon turned pro in 1905 just three weeks before his 16th birthday. He was born in Toronto, Canada but for most of his life he resided in Chicago.
Coulon won his first 26 bouts before losing a 10-round decision to Kid Murphy. In a rematch with Murphy in 1908, Coulon reversed the decision and earned recognition as the American bantamweight champion.
On March 6, 1910, Coulon captured the vacant world bantamweight crown when he defeated England's Jim Kendrick in 19 rounds. He defended the title against Earl Denning, Frankie Conley, Frankie Burns and Kid Williams. He finally lost the crown in 1914 when Williams stopped him in the third round.
There was eventually no question as to the strength of his claim and he held the championship until 1914, when it was said he was well past his best and had been weakened by illness.
But Coulon was a skilled and scientific fighter, and he later opened Coulon's Gymnasium with his wife in Chicago, with fighters like "Sugar" Ray Robinson, Joe Louis and Carmen Basilio training there on occasion. Coulon even became one of the first ever former world champions to officially handle a current champion when he trained the great Eddie Perkins.
Throughout his life, Coulon stayed in shape. "I have never drank of smoked and I try to instill this in the boys, not by preaching but by just talking, and it seems to go over."
Coulon served in the U.S. Army during World War I, often instructing soldiers on how to fight. He boxed twice after his service stint and retired from the ring in 1920.
On his 72nd birthday, Coulon showed off for reporters by walking around the gym on his hands, it was similar to his "unliftable man" trick, he liked to show off his various tricks and skills .
When Coulon died at 84-years-old in 1973, he took an encyclopedia of boxing knowledge with him.
''The toughest opponent is me. A Iot of times, you don't want to train. You don't want to box. Sometimes, life hits you to the point where you don't even want to live. You have to fight with that person. You have to make yourself wake up in the morning. You have to make yourself watch your weight. That's how I fight with that person.'' - OIeksandr Usyk
Prime George Foreman at his most frightening, as he clubs Joe King Roman senseless.
Foreman made his first defense of the heavyweight championship with a brutal and cruel 1st round KO of Joe King Roman at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan in 1973.
Roman, a Puerto Rican heavyweight who fought out of Florida, was no match for Foreman. When Roman tried to move early, Foreman cut off the ring and trapped him near the ropes. A left hook caught Roman on the temple and sent him down into the ropes quite awkwardly, and Foreman then caught Roman with a right hand as he was down (pictured).
Action stopped as Roman's corner protested, but their fighter claimed to be okay, the referee ruled no foul was committed and Foreman appeared somewhat apologetic. When the fight resumed, a whirling right hand caught Roman and knocked him flat. He beat the count only to be caught with a few more punches, punctuated by an uppercut that crumbled him to the canvas, all but unconscious, where he was counted out.
Young Corbett II, early 1900s featherweight champion. It's a fascinating story, Young Corbett II pulled off a massive upset on this day in 1901 when he KO'd "Terrible" Terry McGovern in Round 2 of their fight in Hartford, Connecticut, to win the world featherweight crown. It's fascinating because Terry McGovern was one of the most feared fighters in boxing history, they didn't call him "Terrible" for nothing, he left a trail of destruction across two divisions on his way to the top of the bantamweight and featherweight mountains. Terry McGovern's reputation is well known to boxing fans, he was the Mike Tyson of his era. His ring record is littered with bodies, he was one of the hardest punchers in the history of the featherweight division and one of the most violent men to ever step foot in the ring. To say he was feared during his time would be an understatement. By 1901 McGovern had seized the bantamweight and featherweight titles by brute force, and was thought of as being invincible or damn near it. Enter Young Corbett II, he was from Denver, Colorado, and though Young Corbett had registered victories over former champion George Dixon and contender Oscar Gardner, he wasn't a well-known pugilist and wasn't given much of a chance to defeat the supposedly invincible featherweight kingpin, Terry McGovern. Corbett, who was trying to prove that he was by no means intimidated of McGovern's reputation, banged on the McGovern's dressing room door before their fight and jeered him by reciting some nasty remarks and insulting him. Now that takes some serious guts, and is one of the boldest things I've ever heard of, can you imagine someone busting through the door of prime Mike Tyson's locker room and taunting him before a fight? But Corbett did exactly that, then proceeded to back it up in the ring by knocking Terry McGovern out. The crowd was was absolutely stunned. It's insane to pull something like that off one time, but in the rematch in 1903, Corbett stopped him in 11, proving the first time wasn't a fluke.
Young Corbett II in his prime
Hall of Fame Athletes / 1978 Inductees / Young Corbett
Young Corbett, Denver’s first and only world boxing champion, was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame posthumously in 1978 after gaining national fame and becoming a hometown hero in Denver.
The recognition by his native state seems long overdue and comes after he took his place among the ring immortals by being elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1965.
Corbett received national attention when he knocked out “Terrible” Terry McGovern in the second round of a featherweight title fight in Hartford, Connecticut, November 28, 1901.
William H. Rothwell was born in Denver, October 4, 1880. It was on Swansea Street that he first learning to protect himself by using his fists. When he started fighting professionally at the tender age of seventeen, he took his ring name after his manager, Jimmy Corbett. Boxing was popular in the rip-roaring mining towns of Colorado and Corbett had several fights in such towns as Leadville, Cripple Creek and Aspen.
Standing only five-feet two-inches tall, he gained acclaim as a deadly puncher. In a memorable fight in Denver, he stopped Oscar Garner in the second round and then beat Kid Broad and ex-champion George Dixon.
After his forty-second fight, Manager Corbett figured the time had come to take his protégé east, and a title bout with Terry McGovern was negotiated. It was considered a mismatch by most eastern critics, as McGovern was viewed, pound for pound, one of the deadliest punchers in the boxing game. In the previous two years he had scored seventeen knockouts, including a string of twelve straight.
The betting gentry wagered the feisty twenty-one year old from the Rockies would take the count within five rounds. Although the featherweight limit was 122 pounds at the time, by mutual agreement the fighters agreed to scale in at 126 pounds. It was a slam-bang battle from the opening bell. Corbett ripped over a right to the jaw late in the first round and the champ went down but jumped up without a count.
Early in the second round another right to the jaw floored McGovern, but again he leaped to his feat without taking a count. The champion fought back, but Corbett refused to give ground, landing a vicious uppercut to the champ’s jaw and McGovern landed on his back and was counted out. A new champion was born.
Corbett’s victory touched off a wild celebration back home in Denver, and Corbett’s mother, two sisters and younger brother were the focus of national attention.
Unfortunately, Corbett’s fame was short lived. Unable to make his weight, he had to relinquish his featherweight title. Abe Attell, who fought many of his early fights in Denver, was recognized as the featherweight champion.
Corbett campaigned as a lightweight with moderate success, then returned to Denver for his last fight against Kid Broad in 1902. Corbett began instructing youngsters and retired in 1910 with a record of thirty-four knockouts in 104 fights.
Corbett died in April, 1927, only a few months after he had appeared in an exhibition at the Elks Club against Mike Mongone, an opponent in his early days in the mining camps.
Comments
This is Johnny Coulon in his prime, during his fighting days. He was involved in boxing for his entire life.
Coulon, also called "The Cherry Picker of Logan Square," began boxing at only 8-years-old and trained under his father, Pop Coulon. Later he trained with Elbows McFadden, George Siddons and James Corbett. His early boxing experience helped him become one of the youngest title claimants of all time at 18, when he defeated Kid Murphy for a portion of the bantamweight title.
A two-fisted slugger, Johnny Coulon turned pro in 1905 just three weeks before his 16th birthday. He was born in Toronto, Canada but for most of his life he resided in Chicago.
Coulon won his first 26 bouts before losing a 10-round decision to Kid Murphy. In a rematch with Murphy in 1908, Coulon reversed the decision and earned recognition as the American bantamweight champion.
On March 6, 1910, Coulon captured the vacant world bantamweight crown when he defeated England's Jim Kendrick in 19 rounds. He defended the title against Earl Denning, Frankie Conley, Frankie Burns and Kid Williams. He finally lost the crown in 1914 when Williams stopped him in the third round.
There was eventually no question as to the strength of his claim and he held the championship until 1914, when it was said he was well past his best and had been weakened by illness.
But Coulon was a skilled and scientific fighter, and he later opened Coulon's Gymnasium with his wife in Chicago, with fighters like "Sugar" Ray Robinson, Joe Louis and Carmen Basilio training there on occasion. Coulon even became one of the first ever former world champions to officially handle a current champion when he trained the great Eddie Perkins.
Throughout his life, Coulon stayed in shape. "I have never drank of smoked and I try to instill this in the boys, not by preaching but by just talking, and it seems to go over."
Coulon served in the U.S. Army during World War I, often instructing soldiers on how to fight. He boxed twice after his service stint and retired from the ring in 1920.
On his 72nd birthday, Coulon showed off for reporters by walking around the gym on his hands, it was similar to his "unliftable man" trick, he liked to show off his various tricks and skills .
When Coulon died at 84-years-old in 1973, he took an encyclopedia of boxing knowledge with him.
''The toughest opponent is me. A Iot of times, you don't want to train. You don't want to box. Sometimes, life hits you to the point where you don't even want to live. You have to fight with that person. You have to make yourself wake up in the morning. You have to make yourself watch your weight. That's how I fight with that person.'' - OIeksandr Usyk
Prime George Foreman at his most frightening, as he clubs Joe King Roman senseless.
Foreman made his first defense of the heavyweight championship with a brutal and cruel 1st round KO of Joe King Roman at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan in 1973.
Roman, a Puerto Rican heavyweight who fought out of Florida, was no match for Foreman. When Roman tried to move early, Foreman cut off the ring and trapped him near the ropes. A left hook caught Roman on the temple and sent him down into the ropes quite awkwardly, and Foreman then caught Roman with a right hand as he was down (pictured).
Action stopped as Roman's corner protested, but their fighter claimed to be okay, the referee ruled no foul was committed and Foreman appeared somewhat apologetic. When the fight resumed, a whirling right hand caught Roman and knocked him flat. He beat the count only to be caught with a few more punches, punctuated by an uppercut that crumbled him to the canvas, all but unconscious, where he was counted out.
Another shot of that George Foreman clubbing, man that is brutal.
Young Corbett II, early 1900s featherweight champion. It's a fascinating story, Young Corbett II pulled off a massive upset on this day in 1901 when he KO'd "Terrible" Terry McGovern in Round 2 of their fight in Hartford, Connecticut, to win the world featherweight crown. It's fascinating because Terry McGovern was one of the most feared fighters in boxing history, they didn't call him "Terrible" for nothing, he left a trail of destruction across two divisions on his way to the top of the bantamweight and featherweight mountains. Terry McGovern's reputation is well known to boxing fans, he was the Mike Tyson of his era. His ring record is littered with bodies, he was one of the hardest punchers in the history of the featherweight division and one of the most violent men to ever step foot in the ring. To say he was feared during his time would be an understatement. By 1901 McGovern had seized the bantamweight and featherweight titles by brute force, and was thought of as being invincible or damn near it. Enter Young Corbett II, he was from Denver, Colorado, and though Young Corbett had registered victories over former champion George Dixon and contender Oscar Gardner, he wasn't a well-known pugilist and wasn't given much of a chance to defeat the supposedly invincible featherweight kingpin, Terry McGovern. Corbett, who was trying to prove that he was by no means intimidated of McGovern's reputation, banged on the McGovern's dressing room door before their fight and jeered him by reciting some nasty remarks and insulting him. Now that takes some serious guts, and is one of the boldest things I've ever heard of, can you imagine someone busting through the door of prime Mike Tyson's locker room and taunting him before a fight? But Corbett did exactly that, then proceeded to back it up in the ring by knocking Terry McGovern out. The crowd was was absolutely stunned. It's insane to pull something like that off one time, but in the rematch in 1903, Corbett stopped him in 11, proving the first time wasn't a fluke.
Young Corbett II in his prime
Hall of Fame Athletes / 1978 Inductees / Young Corbett
Young Corbett, Denver’s first and only world boxing champion, was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame posthumously in 1978 after gaining national fame and becoming a hometown hero in Denver.
The recognition by his native state seems long overdue and comes after he took his place among the ring immortals by being elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1965.
Corbett received national attention when he knocked out “Terrible” Terry McGovern in the second round of a featherweight title fight in Hartford, Connecticut, November 28, 1901.
William H. Rothwell was born in Denver, October 4, 1880. It was on Swansea Street that he first learning to protect himself by using his fists. When he started fighting professionally at the tender age of seventeen, he took his ring name after his manager, Jimmy Corbett. Boxing was popular in the rip-roaring mining towns of Colorado and Corbett had several fights in such towns as Leadville, Cripple Creek and Aspen.
Standing only five-feet two-inches tall, he gained acclaim as a deadly puncher. In a memorable fight in Denver, he stopped Oscar Garner in the second round and then beat Kid Broad and ex-champion George Dixon.
After his forty-second fight, Manager Corbett figured the time had come to take his protégé east, and a title bout with Terry McGovern was negotiated. It was considered a mismatch by most eastern critics, as McGovern was viewed, pound for pound, one of the deadliest punchers in the boxing game. In the previous two years he had scored seventeen knockouts, including a string of twelve straight.
The betting gentry wagered the feisty twenty-one year old from the Rockies would take the count within five rounds. Although the featherweight limit was 122 pounds at the time, by mutual agreement the fighters agreed to scale in at 126 pounds. It was a slam-bang battle from the opening bell. Corbett ripped over a right to the jaw late in the first round and the champ went down but jumped up without a count.
Early in the second round another right to the jaw floored McGovern, but again he leaped to his feat without taking a count. The champion fought back, but Corbett refused to give ground, landing a vicious uppercut to the champ’s jaw and McGovern landed on his back and was counted out. A new champion was born.
Corbett’s victory touched off a wild celebration back home in Denver, and Corbett’s mother, two sisters and younger brother were the focus of national attention.
Unfortunately, Corbett’s fame was short lived. Unable to make his weight, he had to relinquish his featherweight title. Abe Attell, who fought many of his early fights in Denver, was recognized as the featherweight champion.
Corbett campaigned as a lightweight with moderate success, then returned to Denver for his last fight against Kid Broad in 1902. Corbett began instructing youngsters and retired in 1910 with a record of thirty-four knockouts in 104 fights.
Corbett died in April, 1927, only a few months after he had appeared in an exhibition at the Elks Club against Mike Mongone, an opponent in his early days in the mining camps.
This is a photo of "Terrible" Terry McGovern (left) and Young Corbett II before their famous 1901 encounter.