Fairbanks Sunday Times – October 28, 1906
Pugilistic Nicknames
By John H. Heath

NEW YORK.—The practice of giving nicknames to boxers has been so pronounced that few of the more capable men have escaped it. No matter whether it was done by the sporting public or writers, the boxer of any prominence whatsoever who has not had some sobriquet applied to him in sportive familiarity is a rarity. In many cases the appellation bestowed upon a fighter has been used so persistently that the public either did not learn his correct name or forgot it. In others it was just some fanciful epithet that really didn’t mean anything.

But it is a privilege supporters of boxing have reserved for themselves and they will not be denied. When one looks over a list of boxers who have been active in ring circles during the last generation he will find a set of names that runs the gamut from Colonial French to Volapuk . Sometimes the names will refer to the boxer's former occupation, to his birthplace, religion, race, nationality, or has been prompted by some peculiarity of appearance, method of fighting or some physical infirmity.

Often, however, they are misleading and could just appropriately be applied to some tree, horse or stone pillar. While in most cases but one name was given a boxer, others were given two, three and as high as half a dozen.

Bob Fitzsimmons, for instance, at different times has been called Ruby Robert, ex-blacksmith, Cornishman, New Zealander, Antipodean and the Farrier. Jim Corbett has been referred to as Gentlemen Jim, Pompadour and the ex Bank Clerk: Jim Jeffries as the Boiler Maker: John L. Sullivan as the Boston Boy and the Mighty John L.

Peter Jackson, as the Midnight Mars; Peter Maher as the Irish Champion and the Dublin Man, though he was born in Galway. Tom Sharkey has been known as the Sailor and the Able Seaman, and Jack Munroe as the Butte Miner.

Dick Moore was known as Gentleman Dick; Geoffry Thorne as Jeff; Mike Conley as the Ithaca Giant; Paddy Slavin as the Sydney Cornstalk; Joe Goddard as the Barrier Champion; Peter Everett as Mexican Pete; George Godfrey as Old Chocolate; Ed Corcoran as Denver Ed Smith; Tom Carey as Jabber Carey; Con Coughlin as the Galway Man; Joe Hugan as Philadelphia Jack O'Brien: Jim McVey as Connie McVey; Herbert Slade as the Maori, and ,Mervin Thompson as the Cleveland Thunderbolt. Amos Smith was called Mysterious Billy so he would not be confused with Philadelphia Billy, Texas (Tarantula) Billy and Australian Billy, all with the same surname.

Al Marx was called the Cowboy: William Gabig, Big Bill; George La Blanche, the Marine; Lemuel McGreggory, the St. Joe Kid; 'Frank Craig, the Harlem Coffee Cooler; George Cole, the Trenton Tea Warmer: Bill Quinn, Scaldy Bill; Jim Watts, the Pendennis Pet; Paddy Purtell was the original Saginaw Kid, though in later yearn it was given to George Lavigne; Eddie Carter 'was called Kid; Norman Selby , Kid McCoy; Noah Brusso, Tommy Burns: Frank Herald, Reddy and also the Nicetown Slasher; John Ferguson, Sandy: Ed Martin, Denver Kid; Jim McCormick, Texas Jim; C. A. C. Smith, the Thunderbolt.

Joe McAuliffe the Mission Boy; Charley McCarthy, Bull. Johnny Dwyer was the original Brooklyn Strong Boy, the name being applied later to Jack Fallon; Bill Bradburn was called the Stock Yards Pet; Mike Brennan was the original Montana Kid, before It was given to Dave Campbell; Charlie Kamerer was the Fighting Dutchman and Jack Johnson is called Arthur.

Billy Layton, Jimmy Kelly, John Donaldson and Jimmy Butts were all known as Professor at different times; Jimmy Carroll, the middle weight, was called Brooklyn Jimmy, while the English lightweight of the same name was known as Foxy Jimmy; Martin Costello, was Buffalo; Jimmy Connelly, as One-Eyed, and Jim Dunn was known as Wild Bill.

Bill Hanrahan was known as Soldier Allen; Jim Ferns as the Rube ; William Doughty is Jack Dougherty: Joe Welch, Spider Welch; Jack McAuliffe the Copper Boy; Frank Patterson was the original Butcher Boy.

Joe Gans was occasionally referred in as the Iceberg; Oscar Gardner, the Omaha Kid ; Frank Erne, the Student; Sam Fitzpatrick, the Australian Comet ;Scott Collins, Bright Eyes; Billy Welch, Young John L.: Frank McLain was the original Cuban Wonder, Emil Sanchez being called the same name later; Tommy Hogan, of Pittsburg was Kid; Joe Young fights under the name of Tommy Ryan and was dubbed "Tonsillitis Tommy”; Jack and Mike Sullivan are the Pippin Twins; Jack Dempsey was the Nonpareil; Tom Tracey, Smiling Tommy; Billy Teller, Black Spike, and Cornelius Moriarty was known as Wilmington Jack Daly.

Bill McPartland was generally called Kid; Aurello Herrera is the Mexican; Willie Fitzgerald is the Fighting Harp; George Green was the original Young Corbett . Hugh Clavin is known as both Young Erne and Yl YI by his intimates.

Jimmy Kennard was the St.Paul Kid; Mike Leonard was the Beau Brummel; Billy Vernon was the Haverstraw Brickmaker; Billy Ernst the Bushwick Dutchman; Jack Collier, the Rockaway Lifesaver; Lee Hill was called Sugar-Foot: George McFadden was Elbows: Billy Mellody is Honey; Fred Morris, Muldoon's Cyclone; James Curtin was Spider Kelly; Billy Hill, Muldoon's Pickanniny; Hiram Goldstein was called Hymie; Battling Nelson's full name Is Oscar Matthew Battling Nelson: Tom Moore is known as Young Mowatt; William Ryan is Buddy; Tom Sullivan is Brooklyn Tommy; Frank Wongo was the Indian, and Phil Powers is known as Young Donahue; Johnny Griffin was the Braintree Lad ; Ike Weir was the Belfast Spider

Tommy Kelly was the Harlem Spider; Joe Bernstein, the Ghetto Champion; Tom Palmer as the Pedlar and the Little Box of Tricks; Albert Griffith was Young Griffo; Walter Egerton was the Kentucky Rosebud; Billy Murphy was called Australian Billy and the Little Torpedo; Wm. Broad has always been Kid to ring followers; Terry McGovern, Terrible Teddy; Austin Rice is the Iron Man: Charles Nehring is the Charley Neary who recently stopped Herrera; and Rosario Locke is called Kid. Jerome Quigley was often called the Fighting Plumber; Hughey Napier, the Kangaroo; Jack Bonner, the Fighting Miner; Foster Walker, the Messenger Boy; Tom McCarthy, Woburn Tom; John Boyle was always called Crockey; George Kerwln, the Mystery; Frank Garrard, the Letter Carrier: and Tommy Ryan, of Philadelphia, was called Philadelphia Tommy to distinguish him from Tonsillitis Tommy.

Among the old-timers Jem Mace was the Gypsy; John Mahan was known as Steve Taylor; Dick Goodwin was Spring Heel Dick; W. Thompson was generally known as Bendigo; Bill Perry was called the Tipton Slasher many years before the present-day boxer with the same nickname, Benny Yanger, tried his hand at the game; Bill Sheriff was the Prussian, Bill Poole was known as the American boy; the famous John C. Heenan was known as the Benicia Boy; Sam Hurst was the Staleybrldge Infant, and Jack Burke was called the Irish Lad.

Thanks robsnell! Alot of work went into this It also reminds us the nicknames can go go far beyond the "Rockys" and "Sugars".

Thanks mate it took a while as the article was a bit hard to read. Some of them a really funny and a bit strange. The own i like is that given to my dad - The Birkenhead Basher"

I like some of the old nicknames like the Manassa Mauler, or the Brockton Blockbuster. Names like "The Next Generation" Spinks or "Galaxxy Warrior" Campbell are lame by comparison. Even "Money" Mayweather and "Pac-Man" are both weak nicknames.

Jean-Marie Emebe nicknames Coyote, the hunter, the champ "

Jean-Marie EMEBE: the obstacle-strewn path of a boxer atypical
Sunday, January 18, 2009 by webmaster
"Coyote, the hunter, the field", it is through this multitude of pseudonyms, connotation of hard, Jean-Marie Emebe added the middle of the boxing and his opponents.



The man is required by its silhouette, his integrity is respected physics, it has remained the same sport in its approach. 44 years old today, Jean-Marie Emebe retired with his family for a deserved rest in the northern suburbs of Paris.

Born August 17, 1955 at Boalando in Cameroon, he is confronted early on with the harsh realities of life. His father, a farmer, is a victim of polio, and can no longer work. This disease will affect the orientation of young Emebe because his father can not therefore, provide for family expenses. Only boy in a family, with four daughters (the eldest of Emebe JM), it will be forced to get by joining Cameroon's economic capital, Douala. With a raw physical strength and a hell of a dose of energy just waiting to be channeled, sport is the only way out for him. He naturally begins in judo. Chance mixes in this adventure sport, reading the sports pages of the national daily, he comes across an article about his friend, Hugh Samo, who must deliver a boxing match. The orchestrated hype around this event will quickly change their minds. He traded his kimono and cons of boxing gloves, to determine in turn the media nirvana. "We had never spoken like a judoka" Emebe justified.

In this new discipline, it will soon be talked about in the amateur boxing championship. There is carving a reputation for destructive, his fights are short, usually two minutes, the opponent is knocked and this, for many viewers are still at the gates of the stadium to get the ticket. He quickly expanding its track record: 45 fights, 40 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats. African champion in welterweight, he will then pick up in 1979 in Senegal, the African Championship of average weight against the formidable Ghanaian Richard Ofosu aka "scorpion" by KO in the ... Second recovery. He was a finalist at the World Championships military some time later. The fate will once again get involved in 1976. Selected Olympic Games in Montreal in the middleweight category, the draw of the first round must oppose American Michael Spinks, who also won the gold medal at the Games and later became champion World heavyweight. While JM Emebe in the locker room getting ready to cross the gloves against the American, he learns to these dependencies, the withdrawal of African Olympic Games. And it's heavy heart that the "hunter" (the hunter) returns to the country. Disappointed, he turned professional and displays in the wake of 12 consecutive victories with 11 KO. Feared in the African continent, where its powerful hooks and uppercuts his eventually discourage and scare away all potential adversaries, finding no opponent, he decided to try the European adventure.

In February 1981 he moved to Paris and was welcomed in the stable of JP Goubet where he met his compatriot, Paul Chu. Faced with the harsh realities of European life, it ends up imposing still again his strength and muscle power. This force eventually penalize him because his opponents débinent. Nobody wants to meet this force of nature. Attached to his roots in Cameroon, it can not compete for the championship of France, nor claim the European crown. Flooded and forced the organizers promise, he opted for French nationality. The file for naturalization filed, that's no problem, no one wants to give him his chance in organizing fights.

The federal authority is silent despite promises. "Nobody helped me, even the federation" confesses Emebe. A total of nine fights in six years. Small consolation for those who had a profile of World Champion. Some are to blame Emebe behind the scenes his big mouth and how it will handle everything that the world does not like boxing. As a result, the doors close each other, beyond a direct boxer. To stay in business, he became a globe trotter of boxing, Noumea in Senegal, Guadeloupe in the Ivory Coast in search of a ring.

Pending the formalization of his naturalization, he moved again, this time for the United States. Sports exile him to settle down in New York. It is hosted by the American manager, Denis Rappaport. Whatever the cost of transport, drives and other pocket expenses, being dependent on him, nothing stops him to realize his dream sports than brandish the world crown. It delivers 4 fights, 3 wins, 1 loss and goes into the heavyweight category. The United States will also be the point of contention with the Pope Don King Boxing, Jean-Marie Emebe do not support the sharing of his purse, as requested by King. His career as a powerful brake. Say no to this because big boss of boxing is synonymous with sporting suicide.

Back in France this time pledged his French passport. After several open letters in the Paris press and the passage in TV shows done by referring to the silence around him, despite the place in the world rankings in boxing, he states in his report broadcast on French TV A2: "I want to be world champion! Give me my chance and I am ready to take everyone where and when they want". The showman Emebe had just struck. Even the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, dried praised and denounced the fact that we do not want to give Emebe chance. It does not stop there in its quest for a global opportunity. He managed to force his presence. At the meeting of the Board of boxing world headquarters there and defend his cause. He obtained the promise of the world championship play.

Finally, September 20, 1986, Emebe faces his destiny. He must win the world title in Indianapolis, facing the world champion title heavyweight category, Marvin Johnson. But first, Marvin Johnson requires an extension of the scholarship of 20 000 dollars, before climbing into the ring. Once again JM Emebe who was to receive 30,000 dollars, decided to drain the money of his purse and pay to the world champion to have the chance to wield the loop. For him the crown is of interest and not the financial aspect. Thus JM Emebe boxing at a world championship for 10 000 dollars. In front of 8000 spectators to the cause Johnson, the Franco-Cameroonian book a titanic struggle and surly. It must be stopped in the 13th round by the doctor, the black eye by the multitude of butting the world champion title. The American press also stingy with praise Emebe covers literally, praise. The game is itself classified, match of the month.

This battle marked the spirits. It opens up gaps. The young promoter Cameroon, Benedict Abéga Mbarga, began to organize a rematch in Cameroon, contracts are signed soon between the two parties. Alas! Sports authorities refute this rematch arguing that the Franco-Cameroonian is not No. 1 challenger.

Two years later, a new chance offered to JM Emebe world, always in a foreign land. This time the stage is set in the State of Dakota, in a small town of 45,000 inhabitants, Bismarck. The Civic Center is hosting the event. He is the only black in the room. For the whole city will body and soul to the world champion Virgin Hill. Balance, it is knocked out in the 11th recovery. Strong controversy has tarnished the world championship. Emebe accused have been drugged before the fight saying "the ring, I did not even know where I was." The images show an amorphous boxer unresponsive. The control detects traces of morphine in high doses in the urine of the Franco-Cameroonian. Who did what? To date, the answer went unanswered. His purse was also blocked to date.

The champion who decided to change disciplines by opening a newspaper praising his friend, despite a career in the sense of unfinished business, can claim to have made a nice contrast media in Africa, Europe and America. But the question that has to be asked is simply, why are so isolated in terms of rings globetrotter who asked only boxer to achieve a dream of a world title back to Africa (Cameroon) and France after that of Batling Siki. Despite his character that has angered many, in an environment where the Ormet is general, Jean-Marie Emebe remain forever the African boxing legend. It is now aspiring to pass on his knowledge to younger generations, if it is given the opportunity "I want to give young people all my experience, especially the little things that make a difference in a fight. I want to talk to them as I wanted it speaks to me in difficult times, as relationships with others are often very complicated. I ask only that you can give me a chance in this area that will remain forever mine, Boxing is a great school humility, it teaches you to respect the opponent while putting his punches''murderers''. I am available to whoever wants me. "







Jean-Marie EMEBE: the obstacle-strewn path of a boxer atypical
March 18, 2009, by léocadie Afaka
hello I'm Mrs. monthe noe

we have read your article dns the site that personal touch my everything I just can not tell you not to change the destiny good luck on what you endreprent fair and that God will support