Joe Gans biography
Joe Gans, byname of Joseph Gaines, (born November 25, 1874, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.—died August 10, 1910, Baltimore), American skilled boxer, generally known as the Old Master, who was maybe the best fighter within the historical past of the light-weight division. Because he was black, he was compelled by boxing promoters to allow less-talented white fighters to final the scheduled variety of rounds with him and sometimes to defeat him. He was additionally compelled to battle at unnaturally low weights, and, maybe consequently, he was so weakened that he contracted tuberculosis and died whereas a younger man.
After 11 years of combating, Gans gained the world light-weight title by knocking out Frank Erne in a single spherical at Fort Erie, Ontario, on May 12, 1902. On September 30, 1904, Gans fought a 20-round draw with the nice welterweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott, who thereby retained his crown. Gans was already ailing when he defended his light-weight championship towards Battling Nelson at Goldfield, Nevada, on September 3, 1906. Gans, who gave certainly one of his most interesting performances, gained this match when Nelson intentionally fouled him within the forty second spherical. In a return bout with Nelson in San Francisco on July 4, 1908, a weakened Gans was knocked out in 17 rounds.
Gans spent a number of months in Arizona in an unsuccessful try to arrest his illness. When he returned to Baltimore, Maryland, to die, his practice was greeted at every station by teams of boxing followers, and his impending dying was handled as a nationwide calamity by the press. Gans was inducted into The Ring journal’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954.