I think this award has to go to the Mike McTigue - Battling Siki Light Heavyweight Championship bout. The fight took place on St. Patricks Day 1923 in the unlikely venue of the La Scala Opera House in O'Connell St in Dublin during the height of the Irish Civil War. The Irish Civil War broke out it in June 1922 shortly after the end of the Anglo Irish War of 1919 - 1921. Dublin had seen fierce fighting for several years and much of O'Connell St was in ruins. A bomb exploded outside the arena a few hours before the fight started shattering the windows and armoured cars patrolled the streets around the arena as it got closer to the bell. There was a lot of opposition to the fight taking place as many felt it was inappropriate to be hosting such events admist all the suffering and both fighters received death threats leading up to the fight. In fitting with the circumstances sourounding the fight- the fight itself was controversial. McTigue was declared the winner and Siki later regreted agreeing to fight an Irishman in Dublin on St. Patricks Day however contemporary records of the fight agree that very little happened for the first 14 rounds and that McTigue finished the fight the stronger. In between one of the rounds an armed sentry prodded McTigue with his bayonet and informed him that he had bet three pounds on him and God help him if he lost. The motivation appears to have been sufficient enough for McTigue to win the fight. Both fighters seemed destined for fame and fortune. One was due to fight Tunney and the other Dempsey but they both descended into alcoholism and died in poverty. Siki was found dead on 9th Avenue in New York in 1925 with two bullet holes in the back of his head- his murder was never solved.
