The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-20
MENDOZA BEAT
EN- ALI. EARLY
IN RING CAME:
Star of the East Wrested
English Title From
Humphreys.

Prize fighting was a. most popu-
lar sport in England nearly 200 years
ago, and the doings and battles of
! the early ring champions who -four
ished at that early period of the Eng
lish prize ring are now famous. The
nobility patronized the contests which
were fought on the grass, the Gus
/ tom followed until recent years. Spec
tatorS stood or sat around the ring
side, in fair or stormy weather, as
the case might be-.
One of the most famous men Of
his day was Dan Mendoza the He
brew champion of England from 1892
to 1875, the Star Of the East, as he
was called. He fought many memo
rable battles, winning two out of four
from Dick HUMPHREYS. He became
! champion Of England and held the
title until 1913, when John Jackson
defeated him.
Mendoza was born in London in
| 1853, and fought his first battle when
| 81 years old, with Harry the Coal
HEAVIER. He won from Harry in 40
minutes and he was then matched to
| fight Martin, the Bath, butcher, who
| had been whipped by Dick Hum
! phries after two hours Of desperate
| fighting. They met and Mendoza
showed SO much skill that after fight
! ing 20 minutes, Martin was. unable to
rise from the beating he received.
/ Mendoza was then matched to fight
Richard Humphries, famous Eng
! lish fighter, called the gentleman
| boxer. They fought four battles,
which are recalled as the most des-
perate ever seen in the early Eng
| Hsh prize ring.
The battle between these famous
| fighters are among the best Of the
early encounters They met for the
first time on September 9, 1881,
| when HUMPHREYS won in easy style.
There. was intense rivalry between
them after this go and another match
was made for SO guineas. Both men
started training and entered the ring
on January 1888. A crowd Of ten
thousand gathered around the ring
side, and although Mendoza fought a
game fight and stood the powerful
blows from HUMPHREYS, he went
down and out. after fighting 40 min
utes.
: Msndoza's friends thought so well
! of him, that a third match was made
which was fought on May 6, 1889.
Both men were trained to the minute
\
struck, each cycling the other Hum
phries sent in a powerful blow, Dan
lodged, and landed terrific blow on
Humphries fell just as Dan was about
knockdown, and winning much
money for his hackers, as large sums
were waEered on first knockdown and
first blood, in tie early days Of the
En- glish' prize ring. For an hour they
fought HUMPHREYS leading. Mendoza
Furnishing him with telling blows.
Humphries began dropping to avoid
the blows, at last he rell without be-
ing struck This was foul in those
! days, but the referee ordered them to
fight. The men started in again,
Mendoza pounded HUMPHREYS for half
an hour. rushing him to the ropes
Humphries fell pust as Dsn was about
to deliver a blow in his face. The
crowd yelled Foul" and the referee
gave Mendoza the fight
On September 20, 1890, the fourth
and last battle between these men
was fought. It lasted one hour and
13 minutes and ~ rounds were
fought. Humphries wanted to settle
the score Of his former defeat, burt
Mendoza who was rounded into
championship form, was too strong
and cautious and although his adver-
sary was tough customer and used
all his science and skill, Mendoza
| wore him down with powerful blows
| At last, HUMPHREYS seconds gave the
battle to Mendoza. They never met
again.
Mendoza claimed the champion
| ship Of England and was challenged
by Bill War;, the Bristol champion
On May IA, 1893, they fought before
psome of the most famous sporting
men of that day. Mendoza had Tom
johnson and Martin for seconds.
War; had Jackson and joe Ward
For IA rounds War; knocked Men
| doza around the ring. 4 He knocked
| Dan clean off his pins with a straight
from the shoulder in the fourteenth
round. In the seventeenth Mendoza $
wind and strength came back and in
10 minutes he Knocked. War; down
10 times. He struck War; a hard
/ blow in the face, then dashed him
| to the earth, knocking War; out for
half an hour, and won the fight.
] They met again in 1875, for a large
sum. War; received an awful beat
ing, and after fighting Is minutes,
Mendoza was declared the winner.
War; left the ring a badly punished
man.
/ Mendoza then met John Jackson.
The battle was a short one, as Jack
son seized Mendoza by his long black
hair and, holding his head back, he
pc inded Dan until he was dazed and
i fell to the ground exhausted. Every
thing went under the early rules and
a re ind ended when a fighter was
knocked, wrestled or fell down. Jack
son and Mendoza never fought again
| Mendoza lost the championship to
Jackson and retired from the ring
until 1920, when he was 81 years old
and SO years after his first ring bat.
F., tie he fought Tom Owen, an old-time
fighter. 81 years old, for purse OF
| so guine-s It was to settle an OLD
grudge c. 80 years standing that they
met in the ring, under London prize
ring rules The battle lasted rs min
ltes and II rounds were fought. Men
doza was knocked out.
Nn0nTmnm MaEM