Peter Courtney

Name: Peter Courtney
Hometown: Trenton, New Jersey, USA
Birthplace: Pennsylvania, USA
Died: 1896-05-11 (Age:28)
Stance: Orthodox
Pro Boxer: Record

Sept.8, 1894 Courtney appeared before Edison's Kinetoscope as the sacrificial lamb for heavyweight champion James J. Corbett. (A report in the New York Sun refers to a comment from Corbett, "...I was going out in Jersey to knock out a stiff.") Both men indulged in smoking a large cigar upon their arrival at the site of the proposed battle. Corbett was dressed in a fine suit and wore a tie studded with diamonds and three diamond rings on his fingers. Courtney, a husky fellow, on the other hand looked like a labourer in a battered hat and cheap suit. Corbett knew nothing about his opponent as he had been secured by his manager. The purse was $5,000 with $4,750 of it going to Corbett if he knocked out Courtney at the end of 6 one and a half minute rounds.

In an interview with the New York Sun reporter prior to the fight with Corbett, Courtney claimed he had KO'd Ed Warner, the New Jersey champion in one round in his very first fight. He then stated he had knocked out Jim Glynn in 2 rounds, Jim Dwyer in 3 rounds, and Jack Welch in 4. He also boasted he had stayed 4 rounds with Bob Fitzsimmons that same year, a claim later denied by Fitzsimmons.

• Two sets of gloves were presented to Corbett, one of two ounces and one of 5 ounces, which he referred to as pillows. At first he opted for the 2oz gloves to ensure he'd knock out Courtney as per the agreement with Edison and company, but his chief second John McVey advised wearing the 5oz mitts so as not to cut up Courtney's face.

• While Corbett seemed to worry himself over every little thing including the size of the ring, Courtney stayed cool and calm and complained about nothing, just happy to be there.

• Corbett weighed 195 and Courtney 190.

Courtney died of consumption May 11, 1896.