Sports History On This Day: July 25

July 25, 1902 – James J. Jeffries is an interesting character in boxing history. Big Jim was the epitome of what fight fans wanted their HeavyWeight Champion to be, large, solidly built, and ruggedly tough. The Carroll, Ohio native was all of that and a box of crackers.

He stood 6 foot 1″ tall and weighed over 200 pounds. Bob Fitzsimmons was the world champ and he held the title close to his vest. Fitzsimmons at the end of the 19th century insisted he would put the title on the line against no man until someone had proven himself as the undeniable leading contender for the crown.

“Boilermaker” Jeffries after decisions over top contenders Peter Jackson and Tom Sharkey earned that honor and in 1899 defeated Fitzsimmons for the belt. 3 years after winning this title from the Englishman Fitzsimmons, the American Jeffries repeated as the belt carrier with an 8th round KO in San Francisco for the heavyweight crown in the highly touted rematch on this date in 1902.