Any Answers to why Joe Goddard started at such a late age?

You can refer to the opening post of my Mega Thread from years past...

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/joe-goddard-megathread.669204/

 

He was older then the Queensbury rules and wasn't aware of it until much later in life.

A century later as MMA was starting out it had a similar figure in Dan Severn. Born in 1958 got started in his 30s older then everyone else. Looks familar with a handlebar mustache.

 

Matt Skelton at 35.

 

Goddard was a guy that went wherever the money was at. As a young man he spent many years involved in the Gold Rush and might have stayed involved in the gold rush if he hadn't fallen ill. He later got in the waterworks business, which he continued to be a heavy investor in up to his death.

But, what specifically got Goddard in the fight business was a dispute over a woman and back in those days you handled most disputes with a fight in front of witnesses. Goddard won the fight and the woman, who would go on to be his wife and the mother of his kids. A well known fight promoter witnessed Goddard fight and offered him money to start fighting for him and the rest was history.

Here is a piece that discusses Goddard's start as a fighter from 1902.

Joe Goddard, the "Barrier Champion," who is now at death's door in Cooper Hospital, Camden, as the result of a pistol wound in the head received at the primary election in last July, has had a most eventful career, and has taken more money out of the prize ring than any other fighter. barring John L. Sullivan. Some other pugilist have made more money than Goddard, possibly Corbett, for instance, but they did not win it in the prize ring. There is nothing of the actor about Goddard, and all his wealth as collected by hard fighting.

He is not a clever boxer, and many number of men could win easily from him in a contest for points. But he has a rare ability for giving and taking punishment, and in all his fights has proved most dangerous hen his opponent has looked on him as beaten.

Goddard's right name is said to be James Bradley. He has a wife and four children now living at No. 256 Doreas Street, South Melbourne, Australia. His eldest son is a stenographer and type-writer.

Began Fighting As A Boy

Goddard was born in Pryamul, a small town in the gold fields of New South, Wales, Australia, in 1862. His father was an Englishman and his mother was Irish, and Joe claims that he came by his pugilistic tendencies from the maternal side of the house. He grew up and received his schooling in Pyramul, and he believes the rugged forms of life in the gold fields had much to do in shaping his career. Fighting was one of the diversions of the miners, and Joe took part in many a battle long before he thought of entering the ring.

When a lad of 14 years Joe left Pyramul and went to the gold fields of North Queensland, one of the toughest regions of the island continent. Although young, he was a man's size. He worked in the mines until he was prostrated with a fever and came near dying. As soon as he had sufficiently recovered he returned home; but soon afterward went to New South Wales, where he, with another young man, took a contract on the water works of Sydney.

Here he met Edward Ryan, a young man well known about the city for his prowess as a fighter. He had whipped all comers, and was looking for other victims. Ryan and Joe chanced one day to pay attention to the same young lady. Ryan took exception to Joe as a rival and invited him to desist or fight. Joe accepted the challenge to fight, the contest to be with bare knuckles and to a finish.

The fight took place in the city, and Ryan fell in the fifth round, after a bloody bout. Ryan was not satisfied, so he challenged Goddard to fight him again he challenged Goddard to fight him again for $500 a side. Joe accepted and the fight came off according to Queensberry rules and Ryan was knocked out in the third round.

Joe had never had so much money before, and the thought of owning so much gold nearly turned his head. This was the turning point of his life, for he saw glittering riches in the real of Fistiana, and made up his mind to win some of it if possible.

His victory over Ryan spread far and wide, and in a few days after the fight Goddard received a challenge to meet Owen Sullivan for a purse of $1000. Joe put out his man in 11 rounds and added more gold to his bank account. A month later he whipped Charley Dunn in 13 rounds and pocketed another $500.

His fame as a rising man was noised about, and he was challenged to fight by Billy Mullins, at Melbourne, for the gate receipts. He put Mullins out in one round and pocketed $4500.

He next met Ed King, the Melbourne heavy-eight, in that city, and punished him in four rounds and took the purse of $1000.

While in Melbourne Joe had three more fights - Tom Lee, whom he whipped in eight rounds, for a purse of $2000; Jack Burk, in nine rounds, purse $500, and Mike Dooley, 21 rounds, purse $2000.
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Because it’s just another reason Joe Goddard was ****ing awesome, damn shame there’s no film.

He was almost certainly no technical savant but nobody before 1893 had an easy time in the ring either him at any level. Good argument to being the best in the world at some point; most thought he beat Jackson and there’s a solid chance he beats Corbett. That said, would running head first into John L. Sullivan, at any stage of John L’s career, be a good idea considering Choynski had Goddard down and hurt multiple times?

 

One of my favorite examples is Martin Rogan. I believe he was like 33 years old when he had his pro debut.

 

He was truly awesome. A heavy handed, take no quarter brawler who held his own with the best, most scientific heavyweight on earth. And to top if all off he drank like a fish.

 

No problem mate. Rogan was a very entertaining fighter (thus the nickname The Entertainer). He had an absolute war with Matt Skelton that was pretty epic, I recommend that fight for sure.

 

This face is hillarious.

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