Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-02-18
A FIGHTING JEW


est Of the following article. Harry Con.
gel yields the privilege OF this column TO
Leon q. Davis, n prominent Jewish
writer on sports, whose life OF Daniel
Mendoza, the father OF all boxers.
should attract wide attention:
II was largely due to the pugilistlc
genius of n son Of Israel that 'flst.nght-
Ing" was raised from mere trial Of
physical sticking power to contest OF
brain as well. Daniel Mendoza. prob
ably the most famous scientist" In
the history Of boxing, was born In
Whitechnpel in the year 1853. by the
time he was of an age 10 show his nat.
ural aptitude for boxing, there was
dawning the great period of the prize
fights which only closed when, under
the influence Of Queen Victoria. ex.
hibitions of the noble art OF self-de.
fence were classed with duelling.
gambling, and other such sinful occu-
patlons Of dissipated youth. and consc.
qncntly was royalty discouraged
Mendoza was one of the first TO
realize that in boxing. as in all other
professions. mere aptitude is Of little
avail without patient and laborious
study. "Fcot-work,' most important
factor In the ring. had hitherto been
more or less neglected while IA cum
ming and deceptive defence" 20 quote
messed several of his most famous
fights. had never been so carefully
and nimbly executed by any prize
fighter before his time"
Mendoza had to rely considerably on
skill. He was no giant of strength. and
the power behind his punch was more
than half knack. His first appearance
in the prize ring proper was made M
Barnet when he was twenty-four years
of age. He was matched against Sam.
uel Martin of Bath, whom he knocked
out in less than half an hour. Men.
doza's technique as displayed in this
fight was something Of an eye-opener
for the enthusiasts around the ropes. A
year later he was matched against n
brilliant fighter, who was not only Men.
doza's superior in weight, but had had
much more experience in the ring. Men.
doza put up n magnificent show but was
eventually knocked out This defeat,
however, did his reputation little harm
while it taught him many a valuable
wrinkle in matters of ring craft. Thus,
in the return match, which was ar.
ranged in the following year, Mendoza,
after a very tough fight, achieved vie.
tory in the twenty-second round.
Those We're the days of bare-fist fight
ing, and to this, to a large extent, must
he attributed the longer average dura-
tion Of the contest. Then again. the
training prior to the fights was dictated
more by old prize fighters superstitions
than by sound medical advice. while
scientific physical culture was but vag-
uely understood. These facts com.
hined TO reduce the actual intensity of
the fighting, despite the popular picture
of fights In those far on days so beloved
TO some of our novelists.
BY the last decade of the eighteenth
century Mendoza's name had become n
household word. The young Jew had
gone from triumph to triumph. He
the provinces, giving exhibitions OF
Sparring In one of these, which took
him as far as Ireland, he defeated n
powerful young giant who, although
gentleman amateur, was reckoned more
than n match for the best of profcs.
sionals.
No young blood of those days would
have considered himself possessed of
gentleman's full equipment unless he
doza's Academy. Teaching and giving
displays, Mendoza found good deal
more profitable than the prize ring it
self. In those times twenty pounds
was magnificent purse for the winner,
while money paid win, draw or lose"
was an unheard of bargain. Besides
the fees from his numerous pupils.
Mendoza filled the post of sheriff's of.
lccr for the county Of MiddleseN.
For many years Mendoza remained
champion of England. His fame alone
was enough TO discourage many a can.
didate for the title, for by that time
rumour had attributed to him mir
aculous feats of fighting prowess. From
the age Of twenty-nine until he was
flfty-scvcn years old, this famous fight.
ing Jew did not meet defeat. There
was n rumour told some years later OF
a young marquis, who, about this time,
successfully defeated Mendoza at
private show" behind some stables in
Southwark. But there is little likcli-
hood of this story being founded on