Son of Richard Slade
New Zealand (NZ) Maori boxer. Born to James Slade (an Irish whaler) and Sophia Te Paea Rupu Kopiri, a native Maori, at Kaikino north of Awanui (Kaeo is also cited as his birthplace). Slade, was the first NZ born fighter to fight for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Slade spent his youth on a farm; he learned the butchering trade and practiced it for a while. Growing up, he was outstanding in athletics such as running, vaulting, and wrestling. Boxing coach Jem Mace began working with him in 1881. Slade competed in the first New Zealand amateur boxing championships in 1880 and, though he did not win, Mace believed Slade had talent and took him to the United States. Slade fought the great American heavyweight boxer John L. Sullivan in New York on August 6, 1883 1883, before a 130,000-strong crowd. The boxers wore gloves per World Campion Sullivan’s stipulation—major bouts were still bare fisted in that era. At the time, black people were prevented from entering interracial boxing bouts in the US due to Jim Crow laws in many states, so the half-caste Ngāpuhi Maori brown-skinned Slade was something of a curiosity for the American boxing-going public. Slade was knocked out by Sullivan in the third round. Whereas Slade was big and strong, he was also slow and somewhat clumsy. The two boxers subsequently toured the US together. Sade's appearance in that fight was remarkable for another reason. He was the subject of a huge promotional campaign in the United States at a time when the power of advertising, then in its infancy, was unheard of. He was oftened titled “The South Seas Savage” or “Maori Slade.” On the night of the fight, Madison Square Garden was sold out and thousands more waited in the streets to hear the outcome. Convict executions were delayed so the condemned could learn the result before their demise. Illuminated by 157 flood and gas lights, the fight took place in the open air under pounding rain, drenching all in attendance. Nearly every American newspaper published a special pre and post-fight edition. The New York Daily News sold an astonishing 1.5 million pre-fight copies. Slade lost on a TKO in the third of four rounds. Following the title fight, Sullivan and Slade toured the US, promoting boxing and wrestling. After the exhibition tour with Sullivan, Slade had a stint as a deputy sheriff and married a Mormon bishop's wife in Utah. Slide was a very good wrestler, but promoters tried to make him into a boxer. He put up a reasonable contest against Sullivan, but he wasn't a world beater. Remarkably, before the Sullivan match Slade had never had a real fight - it was all exhibitions. But for a brief time he was almost a household name - he was the best known Maori in America: He went to visit Washington DC and met politicians. When he first hit New York there was a huge amount of interest - people waiting at the train station to catch a glimpse of him. He went to Wall Street where all rushed to see this him. Slide was entered into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, certainly not for his boxing match record (0 wins, 7 losses, one draw), but for his role in bringing the spotlight to the Maori peoples of New Zealand.
Submitted by THR.
New Zealand (NZ) Maori boxer. Born to James Slade (an Irish whaler) and Sophia Te Paea Rupu Kopiri, a native Maori, at Kaikino north of Awanui (Kaeo is also cited as his birthplace). Slade, was the first NZ born fighter to fight for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Slade spent his youth on a farm; he learned the butchering trade and practiced it for a while. Growing up, he was outstanding in athletics such as running, vaulting, and wrestling. Boxing coach Jem Mace began working with him in 1881. Slade competed in the first New Zealand amateur boxing championships in 1880 and, though he did not win, Mace believed Slade had talent and took him to the United States. Slade fought the great American heavyweight boxer John L. Sullivan in New York on August 6, 1883 1883, before a 130,000-strong crowd. The boxers wore gloves per World Campion Sullivan’s stipulation—major bouts were still bare fisted in that era. At the time, black people were prevented from entering interracial boxing bouts in the US due to Jim Crow laws in many states, so the half-caste Ngāpuhi Maori brown-skinned Slade was something of a curiosity for the American boxing-going public. Slade was knocked out by Sullivan in the third round. Whereas Slade was big and strong, he was also slow and somewhat clumsy. The two boxers subsequently toured the US together. Sade's appearance in that fight was remarkable for another reason. He was the subject of a huge promotional campaign in the United States at a time when the power of advertising, then in its infancy, was unheard of. He was oftened titled “The South Seas Savage” or “Maori Slade.” On the night of the fight, Madison Square Garden was sold out and thousands more waited in the streets to hear the outcome. Convict executions were delayed so the condemned could learn the result before their demise. Illuminated by 157 flood and gas lights, the fight took place in the open air under pounding rain, drenching all in attendance. Nearly every American newspaper published a special pre and post-fight edition. The New York Daily News sold an astonishing 1.5 million pre-fight copies. Slade lost on a TKO in the third of four rounds. Following the title fight, Sullivan and Slade toured the US, promoting boxing and wrestling. After the exhibition tour with Sullivan, Slade had a stint as a deputy sheriff and married a Mormon bishop's wife in Utah. Slide was a very good wrestler, but promoters tried to make him into a boxer. He put up a reasonable contest against Sullivan, but he wasn't a world beater. Remarkably, before the Sullivan match Slade had never had a real fight - it was all exhibitions. But for a brief time he was almost a household name - he was the best known Maori in America: He went to visit Washington DC and met politicians. When he first hit New York there was a huge amount of interest - people waiting at the train station to catch a glimpse of him. He went to Wall Street where all rushed to see this him. Slide was entered into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, certainly not for his boxing match record (0 wins, 7 losses, one draw), but for his role in bringing the spotlight to the Maori peoples of New Zealand.
Submitted by THR.
Son of Richard Slade
New Zealand (NZ) Maori boxer. Born to James Slade (an Irish whaler) and Sophia Te Paea Rupu Kopiri, a native Maori, at Kaikino north of Awanui (Kaeo is also cited as his birthplace). Slade, was the first NZ born fighter to fight for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Slade spent his youth on a farm; he learned the butchering trade and practiced it for a while. Growing up, he was outstanding in athletics such as running, vaulting, and wrestling. Boxing coach Jem Mace began working with him in 1881. Slade competed in the first New Zealand amateur boxing championships in 1880 and, though he did not win, Mace believed Slade had talent and took him to the United States. Slade fought the great American heavyweight boxer John L. Sullivan in New York on August 6, 1883 1883, before a 130,000-strong crowd. The boxers wore gloves per World Campion Sullivan’s stipulation—major bouts were still bare fisted in that era. At the time, black people were prevented from entering interracial boxing bouts in the US due to Jim Crow laws in many states, so the half-caste Ngāpuhi Maori brown-skinned Slade was something of a curiosity for the American boxing-going public. Slade was knocked out by Sullivan in the third round. Whereas Slade was big and strong, he was also slow and somewhat clumsy. The two boxers subsequently toured the US together. Sade's appearance in that fight was remarkable for another reason. He was the subject of a huge promotional campaign in the United States at a time when the power of advertising, then in its infancy, was unheard of. He was oftened titled “The South Seas Savage” or “Maori Slade.” On the night of the fight, Madison Square Garden was sold out and thousands more waited in the streets to hear the outcome. Convict executions were delayed so the condemned could learn the result before their demise. Illuminated by 157 flood and gas lights, the fight took place in the open air under pounding rain, drenching all in attendance. Nearly every American newspaper published a special pre and post-fight edition. The New York Daily News sold an astonishing 1.5 million pre-fight copies. Slade lost on a TKO in the third of four rounds. Following the title fight, Sullivan and Slade toured the US, promoting boxing and wrestling. After the exhibition tour with Sullivan, Slade had a stint as a deputy sheriff and married a Mormon bishop's wife in Utah. Slide was a very good wrestler, but promoters tried to make him into a boxer. He put up a reasonable contest against Sullivan, but he wasn't a world beater. Remarkably, before the Sullivan match Slade had never had a real fight - it was all exhibitions. But for a brief time he was almost a household name - he was the best known Maori in America: He went to visit Washington DC and met politicians. When he first hit New York there was a huge amount of interest - people waiting at the train station to catch a glimpse of him. He went to Wall Street where all rushed to see this him. Slide was entered into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, certainly not for his boxing match record (0 wins, 7 losses, one draw), but for his role in bringing the spotlight to the Maori peoples of New Zealand.
Submitted by THR.
New Zealand (NZ) Maori boxer. Born to James Slade (an Irish whaler) and Sophia Te Paea Rupu Kopiri, a native Maori, at Kaikino north of Awanui (Kaeo is also cited as his birthplace). Slade, was the first NZ born fighter to fight for the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Slade spent his youth on a farm; he learned the butchering trade and practiced it for a while. Growing up, he was outstanding in athletics such as running, vaulting, and wrestling. Boxing coach Jem Mace began working with him in 1881. Slade competed in the first New Zealand amateur boxing championships in 1880 and, though he did not win, Mace believed Slade had talent and took him to the United States. Slade fought the great American heavyweight boxer John L. Sullivan in New York on August 6, 1883 1883, before a 130,000-strong crowd. The boxers wore gloves per World Campion Sullivan’s stipulation—major bouts were still bare fisted in that era. At the time, black people were prevented from entering interracial boxing bouts in the US due to Jim Crow laws in many states, so the half-caste Ngāpuhi Maori brown-skinned Slade was something of a curiosity for the American boxing-going public. Slade was knocked out by Sullivan in the third round. Whereas Slade was big and strong, he was also slow and somewhat clumsy. The two boxers subsequently toured the US together. Sade's appearance in that fight was remarkable for another reason. He was the subject of a huge promotional campaign in the United States at a time when the power of advertising, then in its infancy, was unheard of. He was oftened titled “The South Seas Savage” or “Maori Slade.” On the night of the fight, Madison Square Garden was sold out and thousands more waited in the streets to hear the outcome. Convict executions were delayed so the condemned could learn the result before their demise. Illuminated by 157 flood and gas lights, the fight took place in the open air under pounding rain, drenching all in attendance. Nearly every American newspaper published a special pre and post-fight edition. The New York Daily News sold an astonishing 1.5 million pre-fight copies. Slade lost on a TKO in the third of four rounds. Following the title fight, Sullivan and Slade toured the US, promoting boxing and wrestling. After the exhibition tour with Sullivan, Slade had a stint as a deputy sheriff and married a Mormon bishop's wife in Utah. Slide was a very good wrestler, but promoters tried to make him into a boxer. He put up a reasonable contest against Sullivan, but he wasn't a world beater. Remarkably, before the Sullivan match Slade had never had a real fight - it was all exhibitions. But for a brief time he was almost a household name - he was the best known Maori in America: He went to visit Washington DC and met politicians. When he first hit New York there was a huge amount of interest - people waiting at the train station to catch a glimpse of him. He went to Wall Street where all rushed to see this him. Slide was entered into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, certainly not for his boxing match record (0 wins, 7 losses, one draw), but for his role in bringing the spotlight to the Maori peoples of New Zealand.
Submitted by THR.
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