Boxing in New Mexico, 1868-1940 ChrisCozzone and JimBoggio. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2013.

Abstract

Boxing in New Mexico, 1868-1940 Chris Cozzone and Jim Boggio. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2013.Many boxing fans probably cannot name a single boxer from New Mexico, with the possible exception of former light heavyweight champion Bob Foster, who came a couple of decades after the period covered here. Although boxing became more acceptable in the 1890s, with the international popularity of fighters like John L. Sullivan and Gentleman Jim Corbett, when the brutish London Prize Ring Rules gave way the less violent Queensberry Rules, this chronicle begins a generation earlier. It was in this transition period that prizefighting in New began with a bang but also with tragedy. The first fight was a 185-round slugfest in 1868 that lasted six hours and nineteen minutes, which would make it the longest fight in the annals of boxing, if more verification existed besides a lone Denver News article. This fight between Barney Duffey and also reflected the vicious nature of the sport at that time, as the latter died ten minutes after the endurance test was over. After this dubious start, no records exist of another fight occurring in the territory for the next twelve years. More years would pass before prizefighting became legal in the territory, as sentiments toward the sport were often like one fight observer in 1908 who opined, Personally, I'd rather see a dogfight in the street than all the prizefights on earth-for the dogs don't know any better while men ought to (76). The authors, Chris Cozzone and Jim Boggio, cover some of these legal battles, but New also benefited from its outlaw status, as clandestine fights were sometimes held there just north of El Paso and Juarez, as boxing was also illegal in Texas (and would remain so until 1933).The first of boxing in New identified by the authors began in 1912, the year of statehood as well as the biggest fight ever held there, the Jack Johnson-Jim Flynn bout in Las Vegas, New Mexico. This period ended in 1917 and was marked by featherweight Benny Chavez, who gets his own chapter, a fighter highly regarded regionally and might be the greatest fighter ever come out of New Mexico (186), but one who never got a shot at the world title. The second golden age (1922-1932) was led by lightweight Eddie Mack (born Pedro Christostomo Quintana) who merits not one, but two chapters of his own, despite also never getting a real chance at a championship belt, even though he did defeat a current world champion, Tod Morgan, in a non-title bout. …