America Takes Up Boxing

By a sort of traditional consent, the fight between Jacob Hyer and Tom Beasley in New York in 1818 is established as the first ring battle in America in which the public-at-large was represented and in which the rules that governed boxing in England were accepted by the principals. We accept Jacob Hyer of New York as the first American to fight professionally in public, and his son Tom as the first American heavyweight king.

After Tom Molineaux and Bill Richmond, each of whom had gained prominence as fighters in England though each was an American, there is a long hiatus in U. S. heavyweight history, the first advertised ring affair thereafter being the Hyer-Beasley mill. While pugilism was flowering in England, it was only budding in America, where the majority of those who took part in fights were sailors who had come to the Eastern ports in ships that crossed the Atlantic.

Their contests were usually staged in the back rooms of taverns, in stalls and out-of-the-way places where they could steer away from the police, since fights were prohibited by law.

Thirty-three years after the Hyer - Beasley battle, the first heavyweight championship bout took place in the United States with Tom Hyer, son of Jacob, facing "Yankee" Sullivan for a $5,000 side bet and the championship of America. It was fought at Still Pond Creek, near Baltimore, on February 7, 1849, with Hyer the victor in sixteen rounds.

Hyer decided to remain inactive thereafter due to the failure of Sullivan's backers to put up a side bet of $10,000 for a return bout.

Though William Fuller, a Britisher of mediocre talent, visited America to open a public gymnasium and academy for boxing and declared himself the champion, he had no basis for this since he was a citizen of England and had also been badly whipped by Tom Molineaux at a time when the Negro was well past his prime.

Fuller returned to England and was followed in this country by Deaf Burke and O'Rourke, whose presence aroused interest in boxing. But still the game lagged until after Tom Hyer became the first acknowledged champion heavyweight of America.

Boxing and politics went hand- in- hand in those days, with the Native Americans pitted against the Irish every time a ring battle was staged. After Hyer 's gruelling contest at Caldwell's Landing, New York, on September 9, 1841, against George McChester, known as "Country McCluskey," Yankee Sullivan and his mobsters picked on Hyer and his supporters and frequent encounters followed. The bout with McCluskey took two hours and fifty-five minutes to decide, with Hyer winning in 101 rounds.

The bitterness between the Hyer and Sullivan ranks resulted in a bout for the title that took place at Rock Point, Maryland, February 7, 1849, and ended in sixteen rounds with Hyer retaining his crown. Hyer retired following his failure to entice William Perry, "The Tipton Slasher," to come to America to fight him for world honors. Tom Hyer died in New York on June 26, 1864.

From the time of the Hyer - Sullivan feud until well into the twentieth century, boxing in America could be dubbed the history of Irish supremacy. Hibernians from abroad, and some of those who lived in America, ruled the roost for many years.

Shortly after Hyer whipped Sullivan, another good heavyweight appeared in the person of John Morasses, a son of Erin who came to this country at the age of three and with his parents settled in Troy, New York. He was born in Templemore, County Tipperary, February 5, 1831.

Morassey was a leading politician, became a power in Irish-American affairs, was a top man in the strong political institution, Tammans Hall, and fought for his rights at the drop of a hat. In his later years after retirement, he opened a gambling house in Saratoga, New York, owned race horses, and was the first Congressman and Senator to be elected from among boxers in our country.

After Hyer retired as champion, he went to California, but upon his return, his sparring partner, who had accompanied Tom as a prospector, remained and to earn extra money fought a friend of Morassey, John Willis. Morassey, who was present, wagered heavily on his man and had many of his followers on hand to see that "justice" was done to his boy.

George Thompson, Hyer's pal, had all the better of the milling, but sighting danger ahead, he deliberately fouled to lose the fight, thus saving his neck. Morasses cleaned up on the victory of Willie and on returning to New York, he made an unsuccessful attempt to match Willie with Hyer or with himself. He then accepted a defi from Sullivan to battle for Hyer'e crown and on October 12, 1853, he whipped Sullivan at Boston Corners, New York, Sullivan quitting in the thirty-seventh round.

Upset by losing to his bitter Tammany Hall rival, Sullivan quit New York and went to California to try his hick as prospector. He got in difficulties there and was hounded by the Vigilante Committee. Following his arrest, he was found dead in his cell, apparently a victim of a Vigilante's deed.

The bitter rivalry between Sullivan and Morrissey found a counterpart in that between Morrissey and his fellow townsman, John C. Heenan, known as the "Benicia Boy." Their feud reached its culmination at Long Point, Canada, on October 20, 1858, when Morrissey gained the right to the American heavyweight championship by defeating his rival, who had lost the use of his right hand when it struck a stake in a neutral corner.

Morrissey then retired and operated his luxurious gambling houses both in New York City and Saratoga. He served two terms in the U. S. Congress and was also elected in the New York Senate but never served because of illness. He (lied on May 1, 1878, at the age of forty-seven.

With the retirement of Morrissey, Heenan had the field to himself. He was the outstanding heavyweight of his period in America and was generally recognized as title holder because Morrissey had refused to give him a return bout following the mishap lie had suffered in their Canadian bout.

With no suitable opponent in America, Heenan's friends urged him to issue a challenge to Tom Sayers, British title holder, for the highest honors in fistiana.

Adah Isaacs Menken, who later became his wife, was instrumental in forcing the issue, and it was her influence, combined with that of George Wilkes, editor of the Spirit of the Times of New York, who challenged Sayers on behalf of Hee-nan, that resulted in the match being made. It was the first in which an American heavyweight title holder was pitted against a British champion.

Thus, with Heenan's tap overseas, ended the first phase of boxing in the United Status.