Joe The Old Master Gans (153-1-21, 100 KOs) born 11,25,1874 died in 8,10, 1910. Fought during the Jim Crow era from 1891-1909. First African american champion in any sports,won the lightweight championship of the world in 1902 and held it to 1908, consider the best lightweight ever by many boxers and historian. Nat Fleischer creator of The Ring magazine called Gans the best lightweight ever. Sam Langford deemed him as the greatest boxer of all time, Benny Leonard, who is generally considered the next best lightweight in history,idolized Gans, Bob Fitzsimmons--the first of only two fighters in history to capture undisputed, lineal world titles in three of boxings eight traditional weight divisions--called Gans the cleverest fighter hed ever seen and Abe Attell gave his opinion that Joe Gans was the greatest lightweight that ever entered a ring. In his prime no fighter of his weight was his equal. Even the ex heavyweight champion of the World John L Sullivan, first champion to draw the color line said these words in 1906 about Gans, “I never liked a Negro as a fighting man…but Gans is the greatest lightweight the ring ever saw. He could lick them all on their best day. Gans is easily the fastest and cleverest man of his weight in the world. He can hit like a mule kicking with either hand.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 18:29:37 +0000
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