September 3: The Heavyweight

Daniel Mendoza, who weighed only 160 pounds and stood at 5′7″ yet held the title of Heavyweight Boxing Champion of England from 1792-95, died on this date in 1836. Mendoza was the first prizefighter to incorporate defensive measures — ducking, blocking, avoiding getting hit — which was revolutionary for its day and enabled him to defeat much heavier and taller opponents. His third fight with his former mentor Richard Humphries was also the first sports event for which spectators paid to gain admission. Mendoza transformed both the image and self-image of Jews in Great Britain and was said to be the first Jew to have an audience with the king (George III). In 1789 he openeda boxing academy and published The Art of Boxing, explaining his “scientific” style of bare-knuckled fighting.

“He was like the Mohammad Ali of 18th-century Jews.” —Randy Cohen, author of The Punishing Blow, a play about Daniel Mendoza