This is kind of a random question, but did fighters in the early days of the Marquess of Queensbury era typically have trainers, or did they basically train themselves? It just seems like there wouldn’t have been many people qualified to train fighters in these days, since most would have previously fought or trained guys under the London Prize Ring rules. I know, for example, that Sullivan trained with William Muldoon for a while, but that seemed to be more for strength and conditioning, especially since Muldoon had a wrestling background. Anyway, I was just curious about this.
There was certainly a lot more boxers who learned on the job or were more in charge of their own training back then, but there were certaining people being trained too. Jem Mace and Larry Folley trained a lot of the boxers down under, there were also various amateur clubs that had trainers, and you fairly regularly see variou people training fighters mentioned. You also saw much younger fighters (compared to modern trainers) being involved in training more, like Tommy Ryan and George Dixon.
Of course, people sometimes believe that they were just toughmen and brawlers who decided to fight for money. It wasn't that easy.
The organizational structure of boxing, at the elite level, has not changed much since the early 19th century. There have always been promotors and trainers, in the same way that there are today.
A couple of random picks from New York Clipper, although these were not MoQ fights, but there wasn't lack of trainers even for men who never fought before. 1875-07-03 New York Clipper (page 111) A brace of novices, by name William Linn and William Harris, engaged in a little mill near Virginia City, Nevada, June 10. ... Linn ... This was his first appearance in the prize-ring, though he is the hero of any number of ordinary "scraps." He has been in training but ten days, under Bill Davis. ... Harris ... Like his opponent, he has never before shied his castor into the prize-ring, but he has been victorious in so many ordinary fights that his friends believed him to be invincible. He has had no particular trainer, being guided by several of his friends, and bringing himself down to a fighting weight, in accordance with his own and their ideas. 1876-09-16 New York Clipper (page 195) The men went into training, a few miles from the Queen City, in due course, Goss having the veteran Jim Cusick for mentor, while Allen was attended by Jack Madden.
A lot of boxers were participating in regular exhibitions, with gloves. Regardless, early MoQ fights were mostly with skin tight gloves, so it didn't make much difference in this regard.
When he won the title Sullivan was trained by Billy Madden. But they soon fell out and Madden ended up working with Charlie Mitchell instead.
I’d bet that a bunch of them—including some highly-regarded challengers— weren’t all that far removed from being toughmen and brawlers. They were certainly closer to them than to the top modern professionals who put in thousands of hours honing their craft before they even turn pro.
For what it's worth, it's more of an inference than an assumption, and my impression is mostly based on details I'd gleaned from perusing lots of old newspaper articles. What basis do you have to assume otherwise?
