On This Day In Boxing History!

1910: “The Old Master” Joe Gans Passes!

(Alex Pierpaoli’s “Blast From the Past”

Joe Gans at 1:02 mark of Talkin Boxing with Billy C)

Terry McGovern 124 lbs beat Joe Gans 133 lbs by KO at 2:05 in round 2 of 6. Gans was knocked down once in the 1st round and six times in the 2nd round. Gans reportedly "took a dive" -- prompting the state to outlaw prize-fighting for the next 26 years. The next legal bout did not occur until July 3, 1926, although a number of "private" and "bootleg" fights would be staged in the interim.

Joe Gans, born Joseph Gant in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 25, 1874, is widely recognized as one of the greatest lightweight boxers in history. His ring name, Joe Gans, resulted from a newspaper typo early in his career, and he kept it thereafter. Gans began his fighting career in the tough “battle royals,” matches where several Black boxers fought until only one was left standing, before turning professional in 1891. He quickly established a reputation for his scientific, strategic style in the ring and primarily competed in the lightweight division, though he also fought in the featherweight and welterweight classes.

His first major title shot came in 1900 when he challenged world lightweight champion Frank Erne but had to quit in the twelfth round due to an eye injury. Undeterred, Gans faced Erne again in 1902 and knocked him out in the first round, capturing the lightweight world title and becoming the first African-American world boxing champion of the 20th century. Gans then held the lightweight title from 1902 to 1908, defending it against many top fighters of the era, often giving away size and weight advantages and battling deep-seated racial prejudice—accepting lower purses and stringent weight conditions discriminatory toward Black fighters.

One of Gans’s most notable bouts took place on September 3, 1906, in Goldfield, Nevada, where he fought Oscar “Battling” Nelson in a grueling 42-round match promoted by Tex Rickard. Gans won by foul, further solidifying his legendary status; the match became famous for the phrase “bring home the bacon.” The two fought again in 1908, this time with Gans losing by knockout, marking the end of his championship reign. His professional record, reported to include between 145 and 157 wins—over 100 by knockout—also encompassed about 12 losses and more than 20 draws or no contests.

In his later years, Gans’s health declined due to tuberculosis, and he died on August 10, 1910, at the age of 35 in Baltimore. He is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Baltimore, where his monument is maintained by the International Boxing Commission. Gans’s pioneering approach to boxing, seen in his technical mastery of stance, footwork, blocking, counterpunching, and the jab, profoundly influenced the sport, and he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. His career not only set new standards in boxing excellence—earning praise from historians such as Nat Fleischer, who called Gans the greatest lightweight of all time—but also served as an inspiration to generations of African Americans during an era of severe racial discrimination. His legacy is honored with a bronze statue at Madison Square Garden and through continued recognition of his historic victory over Nelson in Goldfield, Nevada, securing his position as both a sports and cultural trailblazer.

Joe Gans   

Born: November 25th, 1874

Birth Name: Joseph Gant

Birth Place: Baltimore, Maryland

Residence: Baltimore, Maryland

Pro-Debut: October 23rd, 1893

Alias: Old Master

Division: Lightweight

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 5′ 6½″  

Reach: 71″  

Record: 145-10-16, 100Ko’s

Bouts: 176

Rounds: 1475

Ko’s: 57%

Died: Age 35, August 10th, 1910

Career

International Boxing Hall of Fame – Class of 1990

Note: Great Uncle of IBF Super Featherweight Champion Tevin Farmer

August 10th

1910: Joe Gans, 35-year-old, dies from tuberculosis.

1949: Carlos Palomino born in Sonora, Mexico

Ezzard Charles KO8 Gus Lesnevich

1958: Michael Dokes born.

1959: Pascual Perez W 15 Kenji Yonekura

1963: Dick Tiger RTD7 Gene Fullmer

1967: Riddick Bowe is born in Brooklyn, New York

1985: Hector Camacho W12 Jose Luis Ramirez

1986: Carlos DeLeon KO8 Michael Greer

1987: Artem Dalakian is born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union

1988: Léo Santa Cruz is born in Huetamo, Michoacán, Mexico

1991: Isidro Perez WSD12 Alli Galvez

1996: Dariusz Michalczewski WDQ7 Graciano Rocchigiani

Saman Sorjaturong KO9 Shiro Yahiro, Bangkok

2001: Four division former champion Pernell Whitaker, 37, is arrested on drug charges in Virginia Beach.

2002: Jean-Marc Mormeck KO8 Dale Brown

2006: Omar Nino Romero W12 Brian Viloria

2013: Nehomar Cermeno WSD12 Oscar Escandon    

Anselmo Moreno W12 William Urina      

Ogleidis Suarez W10 Liliana Palmera

2014: Vyacheslav Glazkov WMS10 Derric Rossy

2018: Marcela Acuña W10 Laura Griffa

2019: Vergil Ortiz Jr. KO6 Antonio Orozco

2024: Angelo Leo KO10 Luis Alberto López

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