May 5, 1863 – From the sports realm of the boxing ring. It was on this date that Irish boxer Joe Coburn Knocked Out, an American fighter Mike McCoole in the 67th round in Charlestown, Maryland.
This was Coburn’s in his first defense of the Heavyweight Championship of America. The bare-knuckled fight lasted one hour and eight minutes and was one of only two matches that Coburn was able to complete in the U.S. Most of the fights he competed in on this side of the pond were broken up by police.
In fact, just before this battle with McCoole, Coburn had been released from prison for a violent offense he had been charged with.
Coburn was the favorite and he seemed to have the upper hand early in the fight. He was reported to have been tossed to the ground several times, but in nearly every round “delivered his blows fairly and with tremendous effect against the face of his antagonist without his ever having received a blow in his face”.
In the 63rd round of the brutal affair, Coburn appeared visibly exhausted. By the 67th, McCoole, who appeared “lifeless”, was taken away in a wagon. McCoole had bruises and cuts that were initially treated by ringside attendants. Each fighter would receive a mighty sum of $2500 each. The fight, like all bare-knuckled fist fights at the time, was illegal in Maryland, and authorities noted that an attempt to make arrests at the fight itself would have caused bigger issues, perhaps rioting in the streets.
To settle who was the better boxer once and for all the two men tried to meet again the following year near Indianapolis. Instead of trading blows, they were both arrested and served forty days in holding cells, presumably separate from each other.
Looking for more boxing history? Check out the RINGSIDE WITH READING boxing history podcast. You can also check out a 2-part episode from Hello Old Sports covering A Complete History of the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship.
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