RARE Antique 1906 Joe Gans vs Battling Nelson Original Fight Program & Postcard

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

This is a great opprtunity to own an extremely RARE antique September 3, 1906 Joe Gans vs. Battling Nelson Original Championship Bout Fight Program & Postcard advertisement for the World Lightweight Title and what at that time was considered the Fight of the Century and some would argue is the greatest fight of all time because it took place in the heat of Nevada and lasted a total of 42 rounds which still stands as the longest bout in history . Joe Gans was the first US born African American to be a champion in boxing. In pretty good shape for it's age with the program missing it's front and back cover and is loose but still retains all 48 pages. You can read the program online digitally. The postcard measures 5 1/2" x 3 1/4" and the program is 8" x 10 1/2"I've never seen the 2 together but I have seen the program in better shape for go over $1500 and the postcard went for somewhere around $500-$600. The Longest Fight On Labor Day, 1906, in Goldfield, Nevada, Gans and Nelson were matched in the first Fight of the Century promoted by Tex Rickard, who would later achieve greater fame by promoting Jack Dempsey's million-dollar fights. The Goldfield match under the blazing Nevada desert sun drew the largest gate in history at that time, with a purse of $30 thousand and attendance over 8,000. Before the fight, the ring announcer read the telegrams from fans who could not attend, as was the custom. A note from Gans' foster mother stated: Joe, the eyes of the world are upon you. You bring back the bacon. Newspapers across the country the next day reported on Gans' ability to Bring Home the Bacon. The phrase caught on and is now part of everyday speech. Gans won the fight after 42 grueling rounds. Forced to make an unnaturally low weight of 133 ringside in full boxing gear, he became ill from the weight loss. Joe Gans became the first American-born, black sports champion when, in 1902, he won the world lightweight boxing title in Fort Erie, Canada, with a spectacular one-round knockout of the defending champion, Frank Erne. Gans was one of the first practitioners of scientific gloved boxing, following the era of bare-knuckles fights. Known as the Old Master, he fought in three divisions (featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight) for 18 years, compiling over 150 career wins and over 100 knockouts. After his death from tuberculosis in 1910, Gans was considered by many to be the greatest fighter who ever lived. In 1907 and 1908, with the death germs of tuberculosis ravaging his body, Gans defended his title several more times before losing it in a rematch to Battling Nelson in 1908. Gans continued to fight, wanting to earn enough money for his family to live comfortably after he was gone. One newspaper columnist noted that, the sorrow and not the merriment of his people are written on his face. He has the saddest eyes. Legacy- Joe Gans overcame the prejudices of his time and proved that black men could achieve success despite the great odds against them. With his winnings from the Goldfield fight, he established the Goldfield Hotel in Baltimore, a black and tan club, where he gave the great, rag-time musician, Eubie Blake, his first big opportunity. Nat Fleischer rated Gans as the greatest lightweight boxer who ever lived. Generations of boxers have been taught the moves that were first perfected by the Old Master. -Colleen Aycock and Mark Scott "Joe Gans, who apparently cared more about the future of loved ones than his own, literally killed himself to make the lightweight limit for the bout, (Nat Fleischer stated in "The Three Colored Aces" that, as a result of the extremely light diet and strenuous training in the Nevada heat, Gans would feel the effects of tuberculosis shortly afterward) for a huge event, and payday in Goldfield Nevada. Billy Nolan, the manager of Battling Nelson, set extremely unfair standards as the champion Gans received only $11,000 compared to Nelson's $34,000. And when Gans did so much to make it down to 133 pounds, the lightweight limit at the time, Nolan an... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.