Daniel Mendoza
English prizefighter who advanced scientific boxing technique.
Last updated
Marc7000 · Public domain
Daniel Mendoza was born on 5 July 1764 in Whitechapel, London, to Sephardic Jewish parents.[1] He is considered the father of scientific boxing, introducing moves like using a guard and sidestepping.[2] Mendoza won the middleweight championship and became the lightest heavyweight champion in history.[2]
Life and work
He worked as a glass cutter, labourer, and actor before turning professional at 18.[3][4] His first professional fight was against Harry the Coalheaver in 1784, lasting 40 rounds and 118 minutes.[4] In 1787 he defeated Sam Martin, cementing his reputation as a first-class fighter.[2] After that victory, the Prince of Wales presented Mendoza with five hundred pounds.[5]
He married his first cousin Esther Mendoza around 1789, and they had eleven children.[6] After retiring, he worked as a recruiting sergeant, landlord of a pub, and authored two books.[2] The funds from his victory were used by Mendoza to establish a boxing school located in Capel Court.[7] On 15 April 1795, Mendoza was defeated by John "Gentleman" Jackson, who seized his hair and struck him until he was unconscious during the ninth round.[2]
What the cited sources add
The JGRIT account states that Mendoza stood only 5'7" and weighed 160 pounds.[2] The same source notes that Mendoza introduced boxing moves like hitting with a straight left and using foot movement.[2] The JGRIT account also mentions that actor Peter Sellers is a distant ancestor of Mendoza.[2] The year 1954 marked Mendoza's induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame, according to JGRIT.[2]
References
- Wikipedia, "Daniel Mendoza" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: The Fighting Jew: The Life and Times of Daniel Mendoza, Champion Boxer, Wynn Wheldon, Amberley Publishing 2019, p16; Siegman, "The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame", 1992; The Jewish Boxer's Hall of Fame, Blady, Ken (1988), Shapolsky Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, pp. 6–15 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Daniel Mendoza", JGRIT. facts only, no text reused. j-grit.com
- Wikipedia, "Daniel Mendoza" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Wheldon, Wynn, Mendoza the Jew, Commentary Magazine, June 2016", 16 May 2016; Brodie, Daniel, "The Jewish Strong Man", Department of Jewish Studies, McGill University, Montreal, July 2011, pg. 55.; "Daniel Mendoza", March 2023 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel Mendoza" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fight with Coalheaver in The Jewish Boxer's Hall of Fame, Blady, Ken (1988), Shapolsky Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, pg. 9. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel Mendoza" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Daniel Mendoza", JGRIT (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel Mendoza" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Siegman, "The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame", 1992; Married cousin with the money in The Jewish Boxer's Hall of Fame, Blady, Ken (1988), Shapolsky Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, pg. 10 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel Mendoza" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Daniel Mendoza", JGRIT; Prince of Wales, future King was there in The Jewish Boxer's Hall of Fame, Blady, Ken (1988), Shapolsky Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, pg. 10 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Daniel Mendoza (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Daniel Mendoza (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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