On This Day In Boxing History!

1933: James J. Corbett Passes!

James John “Gentleman Jim” Corbett (September 1, 1866 – February 18, 1933) wasn’t just a champion—he was a revolution in gloves.

An American professional boxer, Corbett shocked the world by defeating the great John L. Sullivan and becoming the first World Heavyweight Champion under the Marquess of Queensberry rules, which mandated gloves and codified modern technique. In doing so, he dragged boxing out of the bare-knuckle brawl and into the scientific age.

Often called the “Father of Modern Boxing,” Corbett replaced brute force with strategy—footwork, timing, precision, and daily training routines that shaped how fighters prepare to this day.

He was also a showman, actor, and one of sport’s first true celebrities. His 1897 title fight film helped introduce boxing to women audiences at a time when prizefighting was illegal in much of America.

Career record: 35 fights — 24 wins (12 KOs), 4 losses, 3 draws, 2 no contests.
He faced nine future International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees.

Born in San Francisco to Patrick Corbett—an Irish immigrant from Ballycushion, Kilmaine, County Mayo—and a mother of Scottish descent, James grew up in a household that prized education and culture.

He graduated from Sacred Heart High School (now Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory). Some accounts suggest he pursued higher education, though records are unclear.

Before committing to boxing, Corbett acted in local theaters and worked as a boxing instructor. Athletic talent ran in the family—his brother, Joe Corbett, later became a Major League Baseball pitcher.

Corbett turned professional in the late 1880s in San Francisco exhibitions. His breakthrough came on May 21, 1891, when he battled Peter Jackson to a grueling 61-round no contest. The marathon elevated his reputation overnight.

Then came history.

On September 7, 1892, at the Olympic Club in New Orleans, Corbett dismantled the unbeaten Sullivan, stopping him in the 21st round. Using movement, jabs, and sharp counters, he outclassed the bare-knuckle legend and became heavyweight champion (1892–1897).

As champion, Corbett defended sparingly, viewing the title as leverage for theatrical ventures amid boxing’s shaky legal status.

• Jan 25, 1894 – KO 3 over Charley Mitchell (Jacksonville, FL)
• Mar 17, 1897 – Lost title to Bob Fitzsimmons via 14th-round KO (solar plexus punch), Carson City

A rematch with Fitzsimmons never happened—bad blood and public taunts killed it.

Other notable bouts:

• Four-round draw with Tom Sharkey (1896)
• Disqualification loss to Sharkey (1898)
• Two title challenges vs. James J. Jeffries
  • 1900: Outboxed Jeffries for 22 rounds before a 23rd-round KO
  • 1903: Lost via 10th-round TKO at age 37

He also scored a 1900 knockout win over Kid McCoy—later rumored to be fixed.

Corbett trained fighters at San Francisco’s Olympic Club and returned to Ireland in 1894, performing exhibitions in Ballinrobe and donating to local causes.

Corbett helped pioneer filmed prizefights. His 1894 bout with Peter Courtney, filmed at Thomas Edison’s Black Maria studio, became one of the earliest recorded boxing matches. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. His legacy? Turning boxing from a slugfest into a chess match.

Fame carried him to stage and screen. Early appearances included Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph (1894). Later film credits included:

• The Man from the Golden West (1913)
• The Burglar and the Lady (1914)
• The Other Girl (1916)
• The Midnight Man (1919)
• The Prince of Avenue A (1920)
• The Beauty Shop (1922)
• Broadway After Dark (1924, cameo)
• Happy Days (1929, final role)

He also toured in vaudeville and minstrel acts with Cornelius J. O’Brien.

Corbett married Mary Olive Morris Higgins in 1886 (divorced 1895), then actress Jessie Taylor (stage name Vera), who survived him.

From 1903 onward, he lived at 221-04 Corbett Road in Bayside, Queens.

In 1924, at age 58, he sparred with future champion Gene Tunney—and impressed observers with his defense.

Corbett told his own story in his 1894 autobiography The Roar of the Crowd.

Hollywood immortalized him in Gentleman Jim, starring Errol Flynn. He’s also portrayed in the graphic novel Last On His Feet and appears in Tom Horn.

A street in Bayside bears his name. His great-great-great-nephew, Dan Corbett, later became a professional heavyweight boxer.

"James J. Corbett's greatest triumph, bigger than any championship belt, was building the bridge from boxing's brutal past to its modern future. He died of liver cancer, age 66, on February 18, 1933."

James J. Corbett   

Born: September 1st, 1866

Birth Name: James John Corbett

Residence: San Francisco, California

Birth Place: San Francisco, California

Pro-Debut: July 3rd, 1886

Alias: Gentleman Jim

Division: Heavyweight

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 6′ 1″ 

Reach: 73″  

Bouts: 20

Rounds: 232

Ko’s: 25%

Record: 11-4-3, 5Ko’s

Died: Age 66, February 18th,1933           

February 18th

1820: Professional boxing pioneer & first Irish-born heavyweight champion Dan Donnelly passes

1908: Battling Battalino was born in Hartford, Connecticut

1918 Harry Greb W10 Bob Moha

1930: Jack (Kid) Berg KO11 Mushy Callahan

1933: James J. Corbett passes age 66

1936: Freddie Miller W12 Johnny Pena

1950: Sugar Ray Robinson KO2 Johnny Dudley

1956: Billy Evans TKO4 Tommy Bain 

1961: Vicente Saldivar pro-debut KO1 Baby Palacios

1963: Davey S. Moore TKO5 Gil Cadilli

1966: Dick Tiger KO3 Peter Mueller

1969: Mando Ramos KO11 Carlos Teo Cruz

1972: Mando Ramos W15 Pedro Carrasco

1978: Sammy Serrano W15 Mario Martinez

1979: Sammy Serrano W15 Julio Valdez

1989: Pernell Whitaker W12 Haugen

Simon Brown KO3 Jorge Maysonet

1995: Oscar De La Hoya W12 John-John Molina

Francisco Tejedor KO7 Jose Luis Zepeda

1996: Henry Maske W12 Duran Williams

1997: Antonio Tarver age 28 debuts TKO2 Joaquin Garcia

2003: Angel Mast W 4 Mona Nelson

Ocian Fagan TKO4 Shelton Mosley

Abisai Orozco TKO1 Rafael Torres

Frede Alexander KO1 Ricky Jefferson

Sweet RC Fisher W4 Charles Sims

Darrin Humphrey TKO2 David Robinson

Gary Logan W8 Matthew Tait

Matt Skelton TKO4 Jacklord Jacobs

Chas Symonds TKO2 Darren Goode

Ben Hudson W6 Brian Coleman

Dafydd Carlin W6 Peter McDonnagh

2005: Antonio Margarito KO10 Sebastian Andres Lujan

2006: Antonio Margarito KO1 Manuel Gomez

Brian Viloria W12 Jose Antonio Aquirre

Ivan Calderon W12 Isaac Bustos

Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. W6 Carlos Molina

2009: Omar "Lobito" Soto W10 Humberto Pool

Troy Ross W5 Alinyemi Laleye

Ehinomen Ehikhamenor W5 Rico Hoye

2011: Jan Zaveck KO5 Paul Delgado

Monica Acosta W10 Alejandra Oliveras

Christina Hammer RTD7 Diana Kiss

2012: Vitali Klitschko W12 Dereck Chisora

Tavoris Cloud SD12 Gabriel Campillo

Jorge Arce KO5 Lorenzo Parra

Emanuel Navarrete age 17 debuts TKO1 Misael Ramirez

2014: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai KO2 Alexis Barateau

2017: Lamont Peterson W12 David Avanesyan