Fight of the Century...the 19th century.
DCW
Posts: 7,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
In honor of tonight's "fight of the century," I'd like to take it back 157 years to the first mega fight and post a couple of medals commemorating the event.
John Heenan of the United States vs. Tom Sayers of England. 
It happened In a field in Farnborough, England behind one of the taverns on April 17, 1860. Bare knuckle fighting was illegal, but it didn't stop this event from being put together and attended by some popular figures of the day (Charles Dickens being one of them, Prime Minister Lord Palmerston, another.)
They fought for two and a half hours, or forty-two rounds before being broken up by police. Each was badly beaten, and no clear winner could be determined. They were both given a championship belt, and the fight gained legendary status in its day. The two even went on tour in its aftermath recreating this epic brawl.
Sadly, both men died young in comparative fashion with little to their names; Sayers of untreated diabetes in 1865, Heenan of tuberculosis in 1873.
Here are a pair of medals issued by Joseph H. Merriam of Boston struck on 31mm bronze planchets. (Ex. Tanenbaum, Litman, Miller Collections.)
Enjoy tonight's "fight of the century!"
McGregor in 3...
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Comments
Nice tokens.
There are also 4 So-Called Dollars for boxing fights.
Should we have modern tokens and medals for big fights?
I love boxing. But tonight's "fight" is a joke and is one of the many reasons why boxing has lost so much credibility.
")
FWIW, I have Jack Dempsey / Gene Tunney autographs that my father obtained in the sixties at a Chicago luncheon. The boxing promotion never stops. JD / GT Long Count Fight, 1927.
Nice tokens.
Ali would have whipped them both.
He was a heavyweight, to be fair. Maybe 80-90lbs heavier than these gentlemen?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Interesting history! Go McGregor!!!!!
Great write up DCW! Loved it
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Any ranked heavyweight fighter would beat any welter weight to middle weight fighter 499 times out of 500.
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Great tokens, love them.
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC FOR SALE
now one cares about credibility as long as they can sell the general population on how to take their money and make them happy sounds like the have did a great job.
Odds at start were something like.
Conner: -995 MayW: +2200
Now: -385. +400
That's quite the move. And If you bet early you could have mad a killing if he can pull it off. Who's watching? Any interest?
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Cool tokens!
OK, I'll admit it, I was a light weight.
Most of the time, I boxed in the super featherweight class, but sometimes I boxed up a class as a lightweight.
It was excruciating how long a 2 minute or 3 minute round could last.
Cool tokens, all the way cool
My Dad fought at 6' 4 and 145lbs. He was a welterweight. Golden Gloves In Detroit and fought for the Army. I'm closer to 6' and fought in a fair amount of martial arts tilts. We always debated for years on who would win in a match like this but never thought we would see the day. I'm kind of excited about the possibilities.
I expect Mayweather to beat McGregor. I think it goes longer then most anticipate and the fight gets stopped.
I will be tuning in.
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Mayweather wins in 10. Entertaining, competitive and fun and close rounds up to the stoppage. No knock downs
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I thoroughly enjoyed the match. The amount of money that got payed out is ridiculous
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Great entertainment
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I thought it was very entertaining. Definitely not a mockery of the sport, as some predicted. I had Conor McGregor winning the first 4 rounds.
But as always, when Mayweather makes those calculations...
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
McGregor surprised a lot of boxing people including Mayweather.
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
...but he didn't surprise sharp $$$ and oddsmakers...hook...line...and sinker...Walking Tall
The outcome did not surprise me (Boxing is the only sport I follow - no ball sports)... The match rules heavily favored Mayweather. McGregor got a great payday and the match surprised many people.... the problem being, the two sports are very different... and to hamstring McGregor to pure boxing rules - and against the consummate skills of a champion like Mayweather, well, IMO, the outcome was predictable. Now, if they had a rematch using the MMF rules, I would wager several AGE's on McGregor. Cheers, RickO