The Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World

We went to the pub in the next village, its our local, for a talk about this man. There is a small corner in the pub with a log burner and big settees named after him. He is well known in the USA and in Australia but I had never heard of him.
His name is Gem Mace, born in 1831 in the village of Beeston Norfolk. He lived for his first 15 years opposite the village pub, the same pub we were sitting in listening to the story of his life. His first fights were on the village green.
He fought his way to become the undisputed British champion but there was a problem. Boxing or pugilism was illegal at the time and he was arrested just before another fight. He left England for the USA were the rules were not so strict. In 1870  he fought and beat Tom Allan, another English boxer, for the world championship. There is a life sized bronze statue of both boxers in Kenner Louisiana where the fight took place
 After this he toured the world both fighting and doing exhibition bouts, joining the circus for a short time. He retired back in the UK and died penniless in 1919.
Interesting fact. He spent some time as a member of Pablo Fanque's circus, the same circus as celebrated in the Beatles song "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite."  
For the benefit of Mister Kite,
There will be a show tonight on trampoline.
The Hendersons will all be there, late of Pablo Fanque's fair;
What a scene.


Sorry this is so long but it does prove I paid attention to the talk