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
The Battle of New York (Jets vs. Giants – 1974)
During the 1974 NFL season, pro football fans in New York suffered. I mean
Tales From Forgotten NFL Training Camps (Chicago Bears and Cardinals)
With training camps around the National Football League opening up soon, we’d like to
The World of Football (With Randy Snow)
This time I take the DeLorean to many timelines in “The World of Football”
Interesting Facts About the Origin of Olympics
Imagine you are in 776 B.C. as you are witnessing Coroebus, a cook, run
The 1970s Rivalry Between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders
Today we’re going to discuss the 1970s rivalry between the Oakland Raiders and the
A Quarterback Duel of a Different Nature (Running in the 70s)
In 1972, the NFL got a chance to see a quarterback duel of a
The Thrilla in Manila: A Grudge Match For Ali and Frazier
‘The Thrilla in Manila’ would be the third time that Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier
Jimmy Conzelman: The NFL’s Most Unique Coach
How would you like to have this guy for your football coach? He looks