Throwback Thursday - Pedlar Palmer and George Dixon Fight to a Short Draw

Pedlar "Box O'Tricks" Palmer; Source

The creation of a rivalry, or even a fistic foil character begins somewhere, and often the beginning doesn't capture the overall result of the series. Roberto Duran being knocked down and decisioned by Esteban De Jesus was shocking, maybe even overshadowing the fact that he was stopped twice as punishment; Ray Robinson's first meeting with Jake LaMotta ended in a relatively uneventful and, per reports, "unimpressive" decision win for Robinson. 

That first chapter in the story of these rivalries is still a necessary one, though, leading to significant chunks of boxing history that feed yet more punch-driven records. In this instance, two of the best fighters around, and two of the more notable really small fighters ever, crossed paths and sparked their own fuse, with Thomas "Pedlar" Palmer meeting George Dixon on January 30, 1896.

Palmer had just won over Billy Plimmer by DQ in November of 1895, in what is generally accepted as the first time a title changed hands by DQ. In the aftermath, the Idaho Statesman called Palmer a "world beater." The result was an unexpected one, and as Plimmer had previously beaten Dixon on points, a Palmer vs. Dixon showdown was a natural -- even as something akin to a six round exhibition. 

TQBR Radio 1/28: Mikey Garcia vs. Juan Carlos Burgos, Lamont Peterson vs. Dierry Jean Recaps with Joel Stern

What this week's episode of TQBR Radio might be like, if anyone on the show were dapper; via

 
This week's episode is actually just "Return of the Men." But if nothing else, it will mark the first guest of 2014, following the first bigger fight weekend of the year, too.

If you've been listening to Queensberry Rules Radio for the last nine months or so, you know how this works: James Foley of Bad Left Hook and TQBR's Patrick Connor broadcast live, recap some fights, preview others and crack a series of tasteless jokes -- sometimes in that order. Those who haven't been listening: what exactly are you accomplishing with all this free time?

We survived a whole lot of fights from this past weekend relatively unscathed. From Mikey Garcia's somewhat lackluster win over Juan Carlos Burgos to Lamont Peterson's slightly more spirited victory of Dierry Jean (and accompanying undercards), no serious travesties happened in the spotlight. And this week, Foley and Connor are joined by contributor to The Sweet Science and assistant boxing coach at UC Davis Joel Stern.

Click this link to tune in live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Throwback Thursday - "Shadow" Maber Thumps Danny Needham

William "Shadow" Maber; Source

Trying to nail down traits of the typical "old timey" boxing character seems easy enough: funny stance, some type of sash, badly-fitting trousers and an epic mustache. To plant the stereotype's roots deeper still, add a dash of  jail time to a pinch of bar fighting hooligan and you have the "American Dream" of the turn of the century. 

Australian character William "Shadow" Maber, who was the grandson of a pair of Irish and English convicts, calloused his knuckles in mining camps and small stake private bouts before making the sport his thing. 

Taken in by "Smiler" Hales, editor of the Sydney paper the Referee, Maber was something of a prospect, years before the concept really existed. The Los Angeles Herald reported that Hales had said in 1892, "...as I have always predicted in the Referee, I will yet bring Maber out champion light weight of the world. I know this is a big boast, but I do not know a man on earth who has his advantages who can fight strong at 9 stone 7 pounds. When we cut for the championship you can bet all the bad whisky in Australia (and that is a big bet) that he'll not give away a pound to any man, though at present Maber will meet a lot of these fellows up to 140 pounds."

TQBR Radio 1/21: Jean Pascal vs. Lucian Bute Recap, Mikey Garcia vs. Juan Carlos Burgos Preview; More

Boxing comes back to life this weekend, after a few dead weeks; Source

To be honest, we just wanted an excuse to use the poster art from a great 80s movie. It is indeed true that the schedule was bare for a couple of weeks, and that the calendar is full this weekend, but it's just a cool movie with a cool poster. You should watch it.

That said, this week on Queensberry Rules Radio, James Foley of Bad Left Hook and TQBR's Patrick Connor spew forth all sorts of pugilistic lunacy: a recap of Jean Pascal vs. Lucian Bute and Mike Perez vs. Carlos Takam, a preview of Mikey Garcia vs. Juan Carlos Burgos and Lamont Peterson vs. Dierry Jean and all associated fights, and much more. The schedule is literally packed this weekend. So tune in and let these two fiends lead you through the canvas jungle.

Click this link to tune in live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Throwback Thursday - George "Elbows" McFadden Grinds Down Joe Gans

George "Elbows" McFadden

Often in eras past, grudge matches and rivalries weren't blood feuds that spanned years, or even a decade. Some were, but when fighters were content to meet one another multiple times in a year, deciding who the alpha was could be settled with fewer distractions and road blocks. 

George "Elbows" McFadden and Joe Gans had something of a Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez relationship, only perhaps with results reversed. Rather than a four fight series ending in a decisive stoppage of the bigger name, in the McFadden-Gans saga, the lesser-known pugilist made good on assisted naptime in the first meeting, and they finished 1-1-1. All three bouts were interesting affairs, though, matching styles that seemed to simply mix well, catching many an eye in the process -- just like in Pacquiao-Marquez.

The Jersey Journal said McFadden had a "splendid knowledge of the finer points of the game" in previewing the April, 1899 bout, while the Denver Post said of McFadden in their preview, "He has an impregnable defense, beside being a hard hitter. McFadden is also a crack-a-jack with the gloves."

TQBR Radio 1/14: Jean Pascal vs. Lucian Bute Preview

Lucian Bute, left, and Jean Pascal, probably just moments before asking the TQBR Radio team to TAKE THE TEST! FOR THE FANS!; photo: Herby Whyne

The sting of a lack of boxing action on television is something that's become unfamiliar to us boxing fans. We've become soft -- spoiled, even. But the good stuff is just right around the bend, and we'll be past this frozen tundra bereft of good boxing action soon enough.

This week on Queensberry Rules Radio, James Foley of Bad Left Hook and TQBR's Patrick Connor preview the second best possible all-Canada match up that could potentially be made in Jean Pascal vs. Lucian Bute. (The best one would be Drake vs. the guy who shot him on Degrassi.) It's a fight that in itself is interesting, but it also kicks off what should be more serious bouts as the weather begins to warm up.

Click this link to tune in live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Throwback Thursday - Mysterious Billy Smith Hammers Kid Lavigne

 
There exists a certain breed of nostalgia that fuels interest in eras long completed in boxing -- more specifically, the "Theodore Roosevelt, safari for fun, bending steel beams as a hobby" eras. The ones we generally only have pictures of, if we do at all. The men who boxed then hardly fought in what could be described as a "sport" or "game"; they required a kind of disdain for rules, safety and ethics that is purely alien to us now. 

Imagine a man whose rule-breaking and ferocity was too much even for that era. 

A 1992 article in The Ring magazine announced Smith as "The dirtiest fighter of all time." One can likely confirm without video evidence, though: Smith had lost five times by disqualification at the time of his scrap against Kid Lavigne in March of 1899. In one of those DQ losses, this time to Charles "Kid" McCoy, the Boston Herald said, "It looked as if knees, heads and teeth were being used, with Smith most to blame."

TQBR Radio 1/7: Inaugural Episode of 2014

Queensberry Rules Radio's Foley and Connor are only the second-best duo to come from the 80s; Source

Happy New Year from Queensberry Rules Radio!

Our first episode of 2014 should be fun, as always. There hasn't been a whole lot of huge news or many significant fights in the last few weeks, but by golly, your favorite private eyes will find a way to crack unnecessary jokes anyway. What we hope for in 2014, though, is more Maneaters like Sergey Kovalev and Gennady Golovkin. They make our dreams come true. But more Cold War between Golden Boy and Top Rank? We can't go for that.

This week, James Foley of Bad Left Hook and Queensberry-Rules' Patrick Connor recap the dodgy KO scored by Rances Barthelemy over Argenis Mendez and the rest of the Friday Night Fights card, as well as whatever other news happens to be flapping about lately.

Click this link to tune in live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.