Clash of the Little Giants: George Dixon, Terry McGovern and the Culture of Boxing in America, 1890-1910

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

In the late 1890s, when boxing rivaled the popularity of baseball, George Dixon and Terry McGovern were among its most famous practitioners. Their paths crossed in 1900 in what is widely considered the most significant featherweight bout in history. Both men were fighters who died young under distressing circumstances. Both were products of a burgeoning industrial society and a cult of masculinity, at a time when prizefighting’s adherents and opponents were in a constant tug-of-war. Betting on the championship fight was heavy.

This book tells the full story, with a cast of characters including infamous manager/promoter Tom O'Rourke, World Welterweight Champion Barbados Joe Walcott, and Tammany Hall bigwig Timothy Big Tim Sullivan, whose invisible hand made New York the epicenter of boxing in the 1890s.