Austin Rice
Name: Austin Rice
Alias: Connecticut Iron Man
Birth Name: Austin David Rice
Hometown: New London, Connecticut, USA
Birthplace: Waterford, Connecticut, USA
Died: 1921-01-15 (Age:48)
Height: 166cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Career Highlights
Austin Rice (December 25, 1872 – January 17, 1921) was a New London boxer who became a Featherweight Title contender on January 14, 1903, when he faced featherweight champion Young Corbett II in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Though he lost the fight, he went toe to toe with a world class competitor for eighteen rounds.
Though never winning a world title, Rice fought boxing champions Joe Bernstein, Benny Yanger, George Dixon, and Terry McGovern. Of these opponents, Bernstein and Yanger were top Featherweight contenders and Dixon and McGovern were Featherweight champions. Rice defeated Dixon in a twenty round match in New London.
On December 19, 1901, Rice fought former World Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion George Dixon in a classic twenty round match at the Grand Opera House in his hometown of New London, Connecticut. Connecticut's Meriden Weekly Republican, wrote "Mr. Pollack (referee) announced Rice the victor and the crowd cheered itself hoarse although a few crawled through the ropes to sympathize with Dixon. The decision was popular and just." Dixon held the featherweight championship of the World from 1891 until losing it only a month earlier to Abe Attell on October 28, 1901. Although Canadian born, Dixon became the first Black American World champion of the twentieth century.[3] Harry Harris, ex-Bantamweight Champion 1901-2
Two months later, on February 27, 1902, Rice fought Jewish ex-Bantamweight World Champion Harry Harris to a six round draw at Chicago's Pyramid Athletic Club. That spring, Rice fought Benny Yanger, one of his most gifted opponents. Yanger, though never confirmed as a featherweight champion, beat boxing Hall of Famer Abe Attell by TKO in a close and historic nineteen round match on April 24, 1902 in St. Louis. Attell held the World Featherweight Title for an historic ten years between 1902-1912. Only one month after Yanger's remarkable win over featherweight champion Attell, Rice was selected to face Yanger in a six round match in Chicago, Illinois on May 26, 1902, though he lost. The Topeka State Journal wrote that "George Siler gave the decision to Yanger, but not without protest from the majority of the sporting writers of the Chicago dailies." Another source noted that Rice may have won a longer battle with Yanger.[4][5][6][7][8]
Twice, Rice fought Billy Barrett, a competent New York featherweight in Stafford Springs and Middletown, Connecticut on October 2, and May 1, 1901. Both bouts garnered considerable local press.[9] They had met previously on November 26, 1899 in a close match in New York at catchweights of 128 pounds. Rice won the bout by a narrow margin.
He was well respected in New London for supporting a variety of civic causes. On June 2, 1904, Rice fought a sparring match for the benefit of the Pastime club of New London. In August 1904, Rice consented to box a three round exhibition match at the opening of the New London Opera House with fellow New London boxer and long time Yale boxing coach Mosey King.
Match with Young Corbett II, Featherweight Champion
Rice was first scheduled for a 20 round exhibition with Young Corbett II, featherweight champion, in Waterford, Connecticut, on November 6, 1902. The match did not take place until January 14, 1903 in Arkansas, and the originally scheduled bout never took place. According to one article, police officers arrested Rice in Waterbury to prevent his fighting on November 6. Corbett II was apparently arrested in Hartford as well, on the grounds that boxing was illegal in Connecticut at the time. Fellow New London boxer Mosey King made the trip with Rice to Hot Springs, Arkansas riding the trains day and night to meet featherweight champion Young Corbett II. The Featherweight Title Bout with Young Corbett II in Arkansas on January 14, which Rice lost in a 17 round TKO, was one of the most difficult of Rice's life, and he was in considerable distress by the end of the bout, More significantly, however, the Norwich Bulletin felt Rice unexpectedly dominated the first three rounds of the historic bout, and may have performed better if not for exhaustion from the long train ride he took to get to Hot Springs. This fight became the only sanctioned chance at the World Featherweight Title Rice would receive.
Rice operated a small farm in Waterford, Connecticut with the proceeds of his boxing wins. He was depicted by the press as a frugal person, and adept as a carpenter. In the last two years of his life he worked at the Groton Iron Works near near New London.
On January 17, 1921, Austin Rice died at New London, CT, of injuries sustained when run over by a wagon. Tacoma News Tribune (Some other sources say he died Jan. 15.) He left one son, a daughter, and his widow.