The first "bite fight"

[zojo]

My folks found a copy of "A Pictorial History of Boxing" at a garage sale for a quarter and sent it to me.

I just opened the chapter for the lightweights and came across this discription:

"Billy Edwards and Arthur Chambers met for the title on September 4, 1872 at Squirrel Island, Canada. Chambers rushed out for the 26th round, clinched and screamed that he was bitten. Referee Bill Tracy, noting the teeth marks, declared Chambers the winner on a foul. Actually Chambers' second, Tom Allen, did the biting between rounds."

[Uppercut1]

1872???

Man, back in those days you could imagine how raw and disgustingly beautiful fights would have been back then. I'm sure biting was the least of their worries.