Tom Molineaux -- USA

Tom Molineaux (1784 – 1818) was an African American bare knuckle boxer.  He spent much of his career in Great Britain and Ireland, where he had some notable success.

Born into slavery in Virginia, Molineaux was trained by his father, also a fighter, as was Molineaux's twin brother.  To entertain plantation owners enslaved men would fight neighbouring estates, a practice common during that era.  Owners often bet substantial sums of money on the outcome.  Molineaux earned his owner large sums in winnings, Tom ultimately participated in a match involving a wager of $100,000. When he won his grateful owner granted him his freedom and a gift of $500.  Molyneux moved to New York where he engaged in a number of successful prize fights.  His victories allowed him to proclaim himself the Champion of America in 1809.

That same year he sailed to England where he expected to be able to earn money as a prizefighter and to challenge Tom Cribb, generally recognised as the Champion of the World.  Molineaux soon found fellow African American Bill Richmond, they became friends and Tom began training at his boxing academy.  He was not as skilful as Richmond but he had the size, weight and strength to be successful and beat Cribb for the Championship of the world.

Molineaux's first fight in England was on 24 July 1810, beating Jack Burrows in 65 minutes.  On a cold and windy day in December 1810, Molineaux fought Tom Cribb at Shenington Hollow in Oxfordshire for the English title.  According to the writer Pierce Egan, who was present, Molineaux stood five foot eight and a quarter inches tall, and weighed "fourteen stone two" (198 pounds (90 kg).  Egan wrote that few people, including Cribb, expected the fight to last very long; there was betting that Cribb would win in the first ten rounds.  However, Molineaux proved a powerful and intelligent fighter and the two battered each other heavily.

For 18 rounds, the mob shouted and cheered as Molineaux absorbed Cribb’s best shots and returned them blow for blow.  They were happy to applaud his performance as long as there was no chance of him winning, but then, in the 19th round, Cribb appeared to be flagging.  Molineaux trapped him on the ropes and locked Cribb in a wrestler's hold (legal under the rules of the time) so that neither could hit the other nor escape.  The crowd stormed the ring, hoping to give Cribb a chance to recover while order was restored.

In the confusion several fingers on Molineaux’s left hand were broken.  There was also dispute over whether Cribb had managed to return to the line before the allowed thirty seconds had passed.  If he had not, Molineaux would have won, but the referee let the fight continue.  Tom kept the upper hand, Cribb was losing the fight and the betting was 4-1 against him.

By the 28th round after a vicious exchange, Cribb lay dazed on the ground, with one hand at the ropes, as if trying to raise himself up, Cribb could not rise and Molineaux thought he had won the fight.  Realising that Cribb would not get back to his feet in time, his second approached the referee and accused Molineaux of carrying lead bullets in his hands.  This was a ploy to give Cribb time to recover and by the time the accusation was proved false Cribb was back on his feet refreshed.

In the 31st round, Molyneux’s head struck a stake in the ground, when he tripped over Cribb after throwing him to the ground.  Semi-conscious and unable to defend himself in the 33rd round, Molyneux fell to the ground and announced he could not fight on but his second persuaded him to continue, however he was defeated in the 35th round.  The bout that would go down as one of the most unfairly contested championship bouts in England’s history.

Molineaux sent a letter to Cribb demanding a return fight and a re-match was scheduled for the following autumn.  During this time and leading up to the fight Molineaux had become distracted with his new found fame and was leading the life of a man about town much to the dissatisfaction of his trainer Bill Richmond.  By contrast Cribb was taken to a secret training camp for his preparation, and all contact with women was forbidden.

The return fight on 28 September 1811, at Thistleton Gap in Rutland was seen by 15,000 people. Molineaux, though still hitting Cribb with great power, was out-fought; Cribb broke his jaw and finally knocked him out in the 11th round.  Trainer Bill Richmond was furious that his protege had wasted his chance and threw him out of his gym never to speak to him again.  The morning of the fight Molineaux had consumed a boiled fowl, an apple pie and a tankard of beer. Not surprisingly, the fight lasted only 19 minutes and was an easy victory for Cribb.

Molineaux's career ended in 1815, he retired in Galway, Ireland where he was looked after by the black bandsmen of the 77th regiment who were stationed there.

He became increasingly dependent on alcohol, and died three years later from liver failure, aged 34.

A hand coloured etching of Molineaux by Robert Dighton is held in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Thomas Molineaux is featured in the short animation, 'The Prize Fighter', directed by Jason Young.