In the 1820-1830s bare-knuckles era, London-born Young Dutch Sam, at 5'9", fighting at 145 lbs. or less, was recognized as World Welterweight boxing champion. (There were no official "weight" divisions in boxing until the late 1880s.)
Young Dutch Sam, the son of champion boxer Dutch Sam (1801-1814), previously elected to the IJSHOF), did not lose a fight from 1823 to 1834. His opponents included: Jack Cooper, Tom Cooper, Dick Davis, Ned Neale, Harry Jones, and Ned Stockham.
Like his father, he was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002, as a Pioneer. They are one of only two father-son tandems in the IBHOF.
