Of the old timers, I sort of favour the lesser well known, guys like : Leach Cross Tommy Murphy Joe Grimm Soldier Bartfield Bearcat Wright Chuck Wiggins ( one tough hombre ) the Sullivan twins stay safe guys.
Sonny Liston completed his first term in reform school that same year, which is a remarkable coincidence.
I'm also a fan of the Georgian bare knuckle era. Mendoza was the first Jewish world champion, trailblazer really his counter punching style was a real break from the normal style of the day punch, clench, throw etc. Tom Cribb would be mine almost died twice as a young man working the barges travelled from the home of bare knuckle champions of the era Bristol to make his fortune in London which he did. Fought Bill Richmond and Tom Molineaux twice, no colour bar happy to fight black fighters. This all happening in a era of extreme prejudice, befriended Richmond after fighting beating him then of course Molineaux who was Richmond's protege. He was a British sporting superstar in his day. Jack Johnson as well big fan of his fought under extreme pressure, racial hatred and so many fighters after learned from him in how to maximize your earnings by selling yourself to the crowd be it the ones that come to see you lose as well as those that wanted you to win.
It is, it is! Honestly. A guy I met in the pub told me. He said, that his grandad met Moore s mother in the pub one night. And she wasn't even tipsy. And she says that Archie came out in the year of our Lord.. 1862. Or was it 1870 something.. Mumbles... Any way, its a fact. And I'm not even drunk.. Just tipsy.
I like Sullivan, but the oldest I genuinely "admire" is Max Schmelling. As far as inspiring, I tried to copy Joe Louis a lot in my early boxing style. So three different answers to a pretty simple question.
