George Dawson was a 19th-century Lightweight Bare-knuckle boxing champion, said to have developed the kidney punch.[1][2]
George Dawson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 October 1867 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Lightweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.71 m) |
| Reach | 68 in (173 cm) |
Early life
editDawson was born on 7 October 1867 in the village of Dark Corner, New South Wales during the Australian Gold Rush.[3] His parents George and Elizabeth had immigrated from Wrawby, England on the ship Emperor in 1851 to join the Australian gold rushes.
Following the deaths of his parents through his childhood, he had itinerant employment through New South Wales, until a chance meeting with a boxing trainer, who encouraged him to try the sport.
Australian career
editHis height was 5 ft 7½ in (1.71 m), weight 125-140 lbs[4] and had a reach of 68 in (173 cm)[5] He won the Lightweight championship of Queensland in 1887 and Lightweight Championship of Australia 1889-1891.
American career
editHe immigrated to the United States in 1892[6][7] arriving in San Francisco on the steamer, Alameda.
His professional career included:
- won 11 (KO 11)
- lost 1 (KO 1)
- drawn 3
Total rounds boxed 292[8] and included bouts with:
Later life
editHe took a job as a boxing trainer at the University of Chicago. There he married Adele Abbot, a proof reader at a printing company on 28 June 1905 in Cook County, Illinois, and they had two children, a son John H. (born 1908) and a daughter Elizabeth (born 1909).[12]
References
edit- ^ Rochelle Llewelyn Nicholls, Joe Quinn Among the Rowdies: The Life of Baseball's Honest Australian (McFarland, 2014) page 129.
- ^ "Solar-Plexus", Kidney Punch Was Invented By George Dawson. "The Boxer and Wrestler" c1935 Archived 18 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Windsor and Richmond Gazette Friday 19 May 1916 page 12.
- ^ George Dawson at The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Old Timer.
- ^ George Dawson at BoxRec.com.
- ^ Milwaukee Journal 7 October 1914 page 10[permanent dead link].
- ^ Windsor and Richmond Gazette Saturday 23 April 1892 page 3.
- ^ George Dawson at BoxRec.com.
- ^ Rochelle Llewelyn Nicholls, Joe Quinn Among the Rowdies: The Life of Baseball's Honest Australian (McFarland, 13 Oct 2014 ). page 129.
- ^ Barrier Miner Thursday 28 July 1892 page 4.
- ^ Windsor and Richmond Gazette, Saturday 7 November 1891 page 8.
- ^ George Dawson genealogy Archived 25 October 2014 at archive.today.