By Geoffrey Ciani: Who were the Top 10 pound for pound boxers in the 1900s? (The decade, not the century, in case there was any confusion).
Welcome to Part 2 of 13 from the newest Boxing Survey Series, which will survey volunteers in an effort to determine the best pound for pound boxers from each decade. For this particular survey which focuses attention on boxers from the 1900s, a total of 13 volunteers participated. Each volunteer provided a chronological list of between 10 and 25 names to cast their votes for the best boxers in the 1900s.
The 1900s happened quite a long time ago, over 100 years ago, and the sport of boxing has changed and evolved a great deal over the years. Rules have changed, weight limits have changed, additional weight classes have been added, and boxing techniques and training practices have changed and evolved with time. Looking back at the 1900s, however, we see a period in boxing where many talented professionals shined on the big stage, many of them early pioneers for modern boxing who helped pave the way for the future of professional boxing.
Among the talented pioneers who boxed professionally in the 1900s, one of the notable standouts was Joe Gans, The Old Master. Gans was a revolutionary in terms of preparation, where he would study and analyze his opponents to create a suitable game plan that played to his ample supply of skills and talent. The Old Master was known for having extraordinary ring intelligence, he threw sharp punches with pinpoint accuracy, and he was very economical with his movement where he utilized a versatile approach. Gans won the world lightweight championship in 1902, marking him as the first native-born black American world champion. Gans went on to defend that lightweight crown over the next 6 plus years, during which time he accumulated 15 title defenses.
So who were the Top 10 pound for pound boxers during the 1890s? And where does Joe Gans figure in?
This edition of Rummy’s Corner will attempt to answer that question based on the results from this Survey, which included 13 volunteers. Please watch and enjoy the video. This is Rummy’s Corner (produced and narrated by Geoffrey Ciani).