Joe Gans
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Joe Gans (November 25, 1874 - August 10, 1910) was born Joseph Gaines in Baltimore, Maryland. Gans was rated as the greatest lightweight boxer of all time by boxing historian and Ring Magazine editor, Nat Fleischer. He fought from 1891 to 1909, and is believed to have contracted tuberculosis in 1908. His final record included 131 wins (88 KOs) 9 losses and 13 draws.
Gans won the lightweight championship by knocking out Frank Erne on May 12, 1902. Erne had successfully defended the title against Gans earlier, when Gans was forced to quit due to a serious eye injury as the result of a head-butt.
There is some dispute as to whether Gans relinquished the crown in November of 1904. According to a reissue of the Ring Record Book, compiled by others after Nat Fleischer died, Gans relinquished the crown after winning a fight on a foul from Jimmy Britt. According to this version of history, Gans later regained the title on September 3, 1906 by defeating Oscar "Battling" Nelson on a foul after 42 rounds.
British boxing historian Gilbert Odd, lists Gans as champion from 1902-1908. There is no corroborating evidence of Gans' abdication of the title, and Gans continued to fight as a lightweight; thereby casting doubt on his attributed stated reason for surrendering the crown. Whatever the true facts may be, he was defeated by Battling Nelson by KO in 17 rounds on July 4, 1908, thereby eliminating any further claim to the title by Gans.
Gans fought many great fighters during his career. He drew with the original Joe Walcott, whom Nat Fleischer ranked as the greatest welterweight ever. He also fought and defeated Jack Blackburn (who would go on to greater fame as Joe Louis's trainer), and lost a fifteen round decision to fellow all time great Sam Langford ('tho in fairness to Gans, it should be noted that he had fought master boxer Dave Holly the day before in Philadelphia. Gans is listed among the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time and is generally considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time, pound-for-pound - if not the greatest.
