Joe Gans

Joe Gans (born Joseph Gant; November 25, 1874 – August 10, 1910) was an American professional boxer. Gans was rated the greatest lightweight boxer of all time by boxing historian and Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer. Known as the "Old Master," Gans became the first African-American world boxing champion of the 20th century, reigning continuously as world lightweight champion from 1902 to 1908, defending the title 15 times against 13 other boxers. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

Career
Gans started boxing professionally in early 1891. Starting in Baltimore, he gained many fans within the boxing world, both white and black alike, with his "scientific" approach to fighting.

Unlike the more brutish and adrenaline-fueled fighting styles prevalent at the time, Gans' fighting method involved learning an opponent's strengths and weaknesses to compete with a game plan. He fought through much adversity and unfair stipulations for certain fights. On three separate occasions in 1895, he had to fight an extra round after going the distance. In a fight versus Johnny Van Heest, Gans had Van Heest whipped to a standstill in the eighth round, but Mr. Daniel Carr, the referee, ordered an extra round. Though Van Heest had none the best of the last round, he was given the decision. Against Bobby Dobbs, "Gans had to stop Dobbs in 10 rounds or get the loser's end of the purse (25 percent) and also had to pay Dobbs $50 for every round after 10th that the latter was able to stay. Dobbs asked his seconds to throw up the sponge in the middle of the 14th round, claiming a sore hand. Dobbs was down repeatedly, either from knockdowns or going down on his own." In Gans' fight with Buddy King in 1903, they fought in "drizzling rain."

A slender man, never weighing over 137 pounds, Gans frequently fought heavier boxers, thus adding to the legend of his scientific fighting technique. He became known as a true student of the sport, earning him the nickname “Old Master.”

Two fights in one day
On January 7, 1895, after knocking out Samuel Allen in three rounds, Allen's second, Bud Brown, immediately challenged Gans. Not backing down from a fight, Gans accepted and outpointed Brown in a 10-round points decision.

Title bouts
On March 3, 1900, at the Broadway Athletic Club in New York, Gans quit with an eye injury in the twelfth round and lost via TKO while challenging lightweight champion Frank Erne in Gans' first title fight.

However, in their rematch two years later at the International A.C. in Fort Erie, Ontario, Gans knocked Erne out in one round to convincingly take the world lightweight title. "In the exchange, Gans got both hands to head, and Erne seemed a trifle dazed. Gans felt him out with a left shove to the face, drawing blood to nose. Erne seemed dazed, and Gans rushed and exchanged, putting right plump on Erne's jaw. Erne fell slowly to the floor with his mouth and nose bleeding, rolled over on his stomach, and was counted out before he could attempt to regain his feet." Gans had thus become the first-ever U.S.-born African-American boxing champion. (Canadian-born black George Dixon had won the world bantamweight title in 1892, and Barbados Joe Walcott had won the world welterweight title in 1901, but neither of them was U.S.-born.) Gans reigned as champion from 1902 to 1908.

On January 6, 1902, Gans defeated the former world welterweight champion, Canadian-born Eddie Connolly, in a five-round bout at the Washington Sports Club in Philadelphia.

One reporter noted that Connolly "did nothing but hug and wrestle, adding variety to his performance in the third by deliberately trying to butt the Baltimorean [Gans]." The reporter also noted that Connolly clinched frequently and "wrestled" rather than boxed, probably to protect himself from Gans' fierce assaults. By the time the referee ended the bout in the fifth round, Connolly had been "rendered practically helpless" by the powerful punching of Gans.

Gans also defended his Lightweight World Title against other talented boxers such as Steve Crosby and Gus Gardiner. There was also Charley Sieger, Kid McPartland, Rufe Turner, Charles "Elbows" McFadden, and Frank Erne.

In an important title defense, he defeated the "Durable Dane" Oscar "Battling" Nelson in 42 rounds on September 3, 1906, in Goldfield, Nevada. This blockbuster fight, arranged by legendary promoter Tex Rickard, would eventually be honored with a historic memorial.

On September 15, 1905, Gans fought to a 15-round prearranged draw with future Welterweight World Championship claimant Mike "Twin" Sullivan. Most people reporting on the fights believed that Sullivan deserved the decision. In an immediate rematch, he defeated Sullivan by knockout on January 19 and March 17, 1906, in San Francisco and Los Angeles and again in March of the same year.

Although the bout was recorded as a Welterweight Title match and thus supposedly had a weight limit of around 142 pounds (which was estimated to be Sullivan's weigh-in ), Gans' weigh-in was estimated to have been 134 pounds. Gans' defeat of the heavier Sullivan, a strong puncher by reputation, showed his mastery in the ring. In this well-attended bout, Gans share of the gate was a considerable $2,425.20, and Sullivan's was $1,616.80. Gans reportedly had bet another $1,700 on himself.

Gans and Battling Nelson fought for the World Lightweight title twice in Colma, California: first on July 4 and again on September 9 of 1908. Gans lost the first fight by knockout in the 17th round of 45, ending his multi-year reign as champion; he lost the rematch via KO in the 21st round of 45.

Draw with Barbados Joe Walcott
On September 30, 1904, Gans fought to a 20-round draw against Barbados Joe Walcott. "The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Walcott damaged ligaments in his left arm and that it was 'useless from the 4th round on.' It was announced before the fight that no title was at stake. Referee Jack Welch gave 7 rounds to Gans, 5 to Walcott, with 8 even, but thought that Walcott's aggressiveness compensated Gans' advantage in cleverness. Shortly after this fight, Walcott accidentally shot himself in the hand and was out of action until January 1906."

Death
Joe Gans died on August 10, 1910, of tuberculosis, at the age of 35. He is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Baltimore. His monument is maintained by the International Boxing Commission and sits just to the left of the main entrance of the cemetery.

It reads: "I was born in the city of Baltimore in the year 1874, and it might be well to state at this time that my right name is Joseph Gant, not Gans. However, when I became an object of newspaper publicity, some reporter made a mistake and my name appeared as Joe Gans, and as Joe Gans it remained ever since."

Professional honors and legacy
Gans had a final professional record of 145 wins with 100 knockouts, 10 losses, 16 draws, 6 no contests and 19 no decisions (Newspaper Decisions: 13-2-4). He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

A bronze statue of Joe Gans stands on the suite floor at Madison Square Garden, having previously been outside of the locker rooms. Boxers would traditionally bump the statue's outstretched left fist for good luck before matches.

Gans’ legendary fight with Battling Nelson on September 3, 1906, was commemorated with a memorial located in Goldfield, Nevada, at the site of the fight.

Gans was the first African-American to win a World Boxing Championship and the first to win a Lightweight Boxing title. Gans' achievements not only set new records, but gave African Americans hope in the early twentieth century. In a time of racial segregation, champion Joe Gans somehow emerged victorious.

Gans was rated the greatest Lightweight boxer of all-time by boxing historian and Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer.

One boxing historian writes of Gans: "Through his ring accomplishments, Gans put into action what others could only theorize. The articulation of the black quest for social equality reached large audiences through the pulpits, and the most authoritative sermons were published in newspapers and religious quarterlies."

Motion picture
The Gans-Nelson battle in Colma, California, was the subject of a four-reel motion picture that played in major cities around the country.

Hemingway connection
Ernest Hemingway utilized Joe Gans as a character in his 1916 short story "A Matter of Colour." This early story set the stage for Hemingway's 1927 parable "The Killers."

Professional boxing record
All information in this section is derived from BoxRec unless otherwise stated.

Official record
All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as “no decision” bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.

Unofficial record
Record with the inclusion of newspaper decisions in the win/loss/draw column.