Today in Wheeling History: June 1-- In the small town of Colliers in Brooke County, an intense 86-round bare-knuckle prize fight for the world championship took place (1880). The bout featured defending champion Joe Goss facing off against challenger Paddy Ryan. Since boxing was prohibited in every state, matches were frequently organized in railroad villages to evade the watchful eyes of big-city police.
In a grass meadow, a basic boxing ring was constructed with four stakes and a rope for an intense bare-knuckle prize fight. The 28-year-old challenger, Paddy Ryan, faced off against the 44-year-old champion, Joe Goss, who had a more extensive fighting experience with 14 wins out of 16 fights. The match followed popular bare-knuckle rules, and during the first 35 rounds, the fight remained evenly matched. However, as the bout progressed to the 45th round, Goss began to tire, and Ryan made a remarkable comeback. By the 70th round, Ryan took control, and in the 80th round, he delivered a powerful blow that left Goss helpless on the ground. Goss's team tried to revive him, but he was knocked down repeatedly in the following rounds. Ultimately, Goss was unable to continue, making Paddy Ryan the new boxing champion after a one-hour-and-27-minute fight.
The “Wheeling Intelligencer” played a significant role in covering the events surrounding a fight that was scheduled to take place in West Virginia. The paper's representative was sent to witness the fight, and upon Ryan's arrival at the train station, they learned that Ryan's group would disembark at Collier's Station. Surprisingly, the paper received a telegram stating that the fight location had changed to Ohio. Despite this change, the reporter approached Ryan's group, who maintained that the fight would still occur at Collier's Station. The reporter then interviewed the carriage driver who had taken Goss' group to a nearby farmhouse where they were staying. Subsequently, they accompanied Ryan's group to scout a new location for the fight near the station. The reporter also interviewed the sheriff and deputies who warned against an unlawful prizefight, but preparations for the fight continued after their departure. On the day of the fight, the "Wheeling Intelligencer" reported on the ongoing preparations and provided a detailed round-by-round account of the match itself. (https://tinyurl.com/mu2rmv2m) (https://tinyurl.com/mvdn9m96) (https://tinyurl.com/adehmde6) (https://tinyurl.com/mr3dbz3h)
In a grass meadow, a basic boxing ring was constructed with four stakes and a rope for an intense bare-knuckle prize fight. The 28-year-old challenger, Paddy Ryan, faced off against the 44-year-old champion, Joe Goss, who had a more extensive fighting experience with 14 wins out of 16 fights. The match followed popular bare-knuckle rules, and during the first 35 rounds, the fight remained evenly matched. However, as the bout progressed to the 45th round, Goss began to tire, and Ryan made a remarkable comeback. By the 70th round, Ryan took control, and in the 80th round, he delivered a powerful blow that left Goss helpless on the ground. Goss's team tried to revive him, but he was knocked down repeatedly in the following rounds. Ultimately, Goss was unable to continue, making Paddy Ryan the new boxing champion after a one-hour-and-27-minute fight.
The “Wheeling Intelligencer” played a significant role in covering the events surrounding a fight that was scheduled to take place in West Virginia. The paper's representative was sent to witness the fight, and upon Ryan's arrival at the train station, they learned that Ryan's group would disembark at Collier's Station. Surprisingly, the paper received a telegram stating that the fight location had changed to Ohio. Despite this change, the reporter approached Ryan's group, who maintained that the fight would still occur at Collier's Station. The reporter then interviewed the carriage driver who had taken Goss' group to a nearby farmhouse where they were staying. Subsequently, they accompanied Ryan's group to scout a new location for the fight near the station. The reporter also interviewed the sheriff and deputies who warned against an unlawful prizefight, but preparations for the fight continued after their departure. On the day of the fight, the "Wheeling Intelligencer" reported on the ongoing preparations and provided a detailed round-by-round account of the match itself. (https://tinyurl.com/mu2rmv2m) (https://tinyurl.com/mvdn9m96) (https://tinyurl.com/adehmde6) (https://tinyurl.com/mr3dbz3h)
RSS Feed
