HONORING JEWS IN SPORTS

CLASS OF 2025 UNVEILED

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Sport: Boxing
Inducted: 2011
Country: Great Britain
Born: April 4, 1775
Died: July 3, 1816

DESCRIPTION:

Samuel Elias stood 5'6" and never weighed more than 135 pounds for a match. Nonetheless, the London-born son of Dutch parents is regarded as the greatest small man in bare-knuckles ring history.

Dutch Sam fought his first match in 1801, and had more than 100 fights, with only one loss - the last match of his career. He faced his younger opponent that day at the age 39, four years and 15,000 glasses of gin after he had retired. (100 fights in this era were considered an enormous amount.)

Known as "The Terrible Jew", he was the most scientific and feared pugilist of his day. Sam usually fought men significantly taller and heavier than himself, and many of his fights lasted 35 to 60 rounds.

His mentor was Daniel Mendoza, the first great Jewish boxer (and IJSHOF honoree), who from time-to-time was his corner man. Although Dutch Sam never won a World Championship - in the bare-knuckles era, there were no weight classes, just one champ - he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997.

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