Orville "Awful" Gardner
Posted: 03 Sep 2013, 13:49
Does anyone know of a photograph of famous prize - fighter Hezekiah Orville "Awful" Gardner?
He trained American heavyweight champions Tom Hyer, John Morrissey, and Joe Coburn.
Gardner was born in 1825 at New York, killed a man named Jim Morris in the 1840's due to a body slam in a fight, and was an emigrant runner in New York City. He roughed people up for politicians and attended Bill the Butcher Poole's funeral in 1855, and was scheduled to fight Dominick Bradley for the Heavyweight Championship of America, being in his favor, but nothing more on the fight or whether or not he won a title.
Gardner defeated Scottish champion Allen McFee after 33 rounds and lost to William Hastings, aka Dublin Tricks in 17 rounds due to throwing out his shoulder. He claimed he never lost a fight.
He was the Mike Tyson of his era, even once biting a man's ear off in a fight.
Gardner also spent time in Sing Sing Prison, converted to Christianity and was one of America's first celebrity Christian converts.
He was always mentioned in the New York Times.
He trained American heavyweight champions Tom Hyer, John Morrissey, and Joe Coburn.
Gardner was born in 1825 at New York, killed a man named Jim Morris in the 1840's due to a body slam in a fight, and was an emigrant runner in New York City. He roughed people up for politicians and attended Bill the Butcher Poole's funeral in 1855, and was scheduled to fight Dominick Bradley for the Heavyweight Championship of America, being in his favor, but nothing more on the fight or whether or not he won a title.
Gardner defeated Scottish champion Allen McFee after 33 rounds and lost to William Hastings, aka Dublin Tricks in 17 rounds due to throwing out his shoulder. He claimed he never lost a fight.
He was the Mike Tyson of his era, even once biting a man's ear off in a fight.
Gardner also spent time in Sing Sing Prison, converted to Christianity and was one of America's first celebrity Christian converts.
He was always mentioned in the New York Times.