Looking at the next day reports of the fight between Young Griffo and Young Peter Jackson on 1898-03-26, it was apparently revealed after the fight that Young Peter Jackson was actually Joe Gans. Anyone know much about this fight?
The Sun (Baltimore)- 28 Mar 1898 (page 6) Thought It Was Gans. RED BLUFF, Cal., March 27.—The fight between "Young Peter Jackson," of Denver, and Young Griffo, the Australian champion, came to an end in the fourth round by the decision being given to Griffo on account of an alleged foul of Jackson. It was believed by some at the ring that "Young Jackson" was Joseph Gans, of Baltimore. — Manager Herford stated last night that Gans was in Baltimore
Boxrec attributes this fight to the Young Peter Jackson that fought Sam Langford, which considering he is from Baltimore too, fits pretty well with what I've seen. https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/39929
If so, today’s fighters could learn a thing or two from Gans/Jackson about gaining and losing muscle weight from one day to the next.
To make it short, no, it wasn't Joe Gans. Gans had a fight on March 11 in Baltimore. Per March 12 issue of Daily Red Bluff News "Jackson is now at Tuscan Springs training for the fight and Griffo is expected some time to-morrow." Besides, Griffo and Gans met several months earlier and Griffo would have recognized Gans and it would be in the newspapers, but local Daily News made no mention of Gans before or after the fight.
