The Only Official Bare-Knuckle Boxing Belts Are Coming Back.
Before March 20, 2018, professional bare-knuckle boxing was never legal anywhere in the United States. The State of Wyoming is the first to ever make it legal. However, this did not stop championship bare-knuckle prize fights from taking place in the U.S. in the past. One might ask, if it was illegal then who authorized and approved it? Easy: the National Police Gazette.
Richard K. Fox, publisher of the Police Gazette, had the power, resources, and determination to foster the nascent sport—which was all illegal, even gloved—and withstand the legal ramifications in the process. It was the Police Gazette that created rules, arranged matches, and bestowed championship belts to the winners. Before 1881, American champions had been decided by a sort of consensus among the sporting fraternity that immersed itself in the illicit doings of prize fighting. But there was never any overarching authority that could smooth the logistics—especially since they were illegal—of mediating contracts, selecting venues, providing honest stakeholders, etc. And there was no authority that could say “so-and-so is the champion and here is his belt” and have the sporting fraternity respect that, until the National Police Gazette.
The Police Gazette had been reporting on boxing matches since Fox took over the publication in the late 1870s. But in 1881, he decided to take the next step and become the organizing entity for the entire sport. Fox had become impatient with the roadblocks and difficulties that were preventing a match between Paddy Ryan, who had claimed the American championship, and a young upstart named John L. Sullivan. So the April 16, 1881, issue of the Police Gazette proclaimed, “Richard K. Fox offers to match Sullivan to fight Paddy Ryan at catch-weight, according to the new rules of the London prize ring for the heavy-weight championship of America. He will also offer a champion belt to the winner. All matches for the belt to be made at the Police Gazette office.” London Prize Ring Rules meant bare knuckle. And for the next 12 years, the Police Gazette repeatedly stated its preference for bare knuckle over gloves to determine ultimate championships. If it was gloved, it couldn’t be a real professional championship.
But by the early 1890s, largely due to Fox’s efforts, boxing began to move into acceptance and legality. The only catch was, to be legal it had to be gloved. The handwriting was on the wall. If Fox was going to continue to have the Police Gazette be a major factor in boxing, he would have to accept the gloved version for championships. Still, he made one last-ditch plea in a November 1893 editorial. “BARE KNUCKLES, NOT GLOVES” screamed the headline. “The Prize Ring Championship Has Always Been Settled In That Way.” The article goes on to explain how all the great champions of the past, in both England and America—including John L. Sullivan—had won their titles bare knuckle. But it was a lost cause. Gloves were the only way the sport could legally continue, and so Fox started allowing his belts to be won exclusively with gloves. From that point, bare-knuckle championships were no longer officially sanctioned… until now.
Now that bare knuckle is legal in Wyoming, the Police Gazette is taking its lineal championships—after 125 years—out of suspended animation. The four original weight classes, and the last boxer to win each championship in a bare-knuckle match, are as follows:
Heavyweight: John L. Sullivan
Middleweight: “The Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey
Lightweight: Jack McAuliffe
Featherweight: Ike Weir
Bobby Gunn currently holds the heavyweight belt, but has been unable to defend it due to the difficulties in navigating legalities and putting too much trust in those who promise more than they can deliver. Now that the legalities are out of the way, a match can be made in a more orderly fashion involving more reliable people. The other three weight classes are open. In addition, it is the intention of the Police Gazette to offer championships in two new weight classes: cruiserweight and bantamweight. The Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame of Belfast, New York, has been authorized by the Police Gazette to issue the heavyweight belt and will be issuing the belts for the additional weight classes as well. All weight limits will follow the current standards in professional boxing. It is the further intention of the Police Gazette that Bobby will have completed a defense of his World heavyweight belt and all American belts will be decided by November 30th of this year.
Professional championship bare-knuckle boxing is back. It deserves to have the emblems of its championships back with it.
Torpedo Billy Murphy displays the Police Gazette Feather-weight Champion Prize Ring Belt of the World after having won it in a gloved match from Ike Weir, the last bare-knuckle holder.