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.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Blackjack Mulligan: The Meanest Outlaw In The Ring
I think I was eleven, lying on my stomach watching the TV. Black and
NFL Gratitude to Greats Project (with John Vairin)
John Vairin was diagnosed with a rare occurrence of oral squamous cell cancer. He
NFL Players Who Stepped Into the Boxing Ring
In this segment, I will be speaking of NFL Players who stepped into the
Super Bowl XXI (Broncos vs. Giants): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXI, which was held on January 25, 1987, between
Emmitt Smith: Why Do People Diminish His Accomplishments?
Emmitt Smith could do it all–run, catch, and block. He’s the NFL’s all-time rushing
Joe Savoldi: From NFL Scandal to Super Spy in World War II
Welcome to this episode of “When Football Was Football.” We hope that you enjoy
Why The Mike Webster Story Is So Important!!!
If you were an NFL fan during the late 1970s and early 1980s, you
The Top Pound-For-Pound Boxers of All-Time
I am going to focus on 3 of the top men who ever laced