Foley's Hall, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia was a happening place.Peter Jackson fought there over 21 times,Fob Fitsimmons over 34 times,Young Griffo over 64 times,frank paddy Slavin over 21 times.this place was legendary.Anyone no much about this joint.
Just going off the top of my head here, cant remember if he sold the premises in his lifetime, for some reason have a feeling he may have. I think he bought the hotel from the winnings he gained by beating Abe Hicken for the Australian HW title under the recent addition Queensberry Rules. Foley, having previously owned his own construction company, had his students build the "iron pot" at the back of the premises of the White Horse Hotel, where he would train pupils and hold exibition matches.
Ah a thread for Aussies, we'll be the only who care about this, but that's great because this is a great subject, pity some of the yanks think we always sucked at boxing, one bloke reckons we never produced a single GREAT ???........ stuff 'em. let's talk about the great Larry Foley..... the first of many Australian greats, well not according to the Aussie bashers but let's face face it, they have their heads in a dark fetid and smelly place where the sun don't shine..... I may just refuse to talk about anything that ain't Australian boxing around here for a while..................... who needs em.
Actually, after Peter Jackson and Bob Fitzsimmons came to the U.S., along with several other top Australian fighters, it was presupposed that if you were from Australia, you could really fight. Australian boxing got a lot of respect around that time. My book, In the Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons, talks a great deal about Fitz's early career in Australia at Foley's Hall, and about how hot boxing was there at that time.
