Daniel Mendoza
| Daniel Mendoza | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Rated at | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Nationality | English |
| Born | 5 July 1764 |
| Died | 3 September 1836 (aged 72) |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 37 |
| Wins | 34 |
| Wins by KO | 30 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Daniel Mendoza (5 July 1764 – 3 September 1836) (often known as Dan Mendoza) was an English prizefighter, who was boxing champion of England in 1792–1795. He was of Portuguese-Jewish descent.
According to the Ring Boxing Record Book, Mendoza was undefeated in 27 straight fights prior to 1788. Bare-knuckle fights ended when an opponent was knocked out or unable to continue (Technical knockout) or by foul or a draw. Dates and exact locations are unknown, except that all fights were in England. Mendoza defeated the following opponents: Harry the Coalheaver, Tom Wilson, John Horn, Harry Davis, John Lloyd, Thomas Monk, John Hand, Bill Move, John Williams, Richard Dennis, George Cannon, Al Fuller, Tom Spencer, William Taylor, John Braintree, William Byrant, John Matthews, Tom Tyne, George Hoast, George MacKenzie, John Hall, William Cannon, George Barry, George Smith, William Nelson, Sam Martin (11 January 1787 won in 10 rounds), and William Warr (1787 won in 23 rounds).
Before Mendoza, boxers generally stood still and merely swapped punches. Mendoza's style consisted of more than simply battering opponents; his "scientific style" included much defensive movement. He developed an entirely new style of boxing, incorporating defensive strategies, such as what he called "side-stepping", moving around, ducking, blocking, and, all in all, avoiding punches. At the time, this was revolutionary, and Mendoza was able to overcome much heavier opponents as a result of this new style. Though he stood only 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) and weighed only 160 pounds (73 kg), Mendoza was England's sixteenth Heavyweight Champion from 1792 to 1795, and is the first middleweight to ever win the Heavyweight Championship of the World. In 1789 he opened his own boxing academy and published the book The Art of Boxing on modern "scientific" style boxing which every subsequent boxer learned from.
Mendoza helped transform the popular English stereotype of a Jew from a weak, defenceless person into someone deserving of respect. He is said to have been the first Jew to talk to the King, George III. Mendoza was second for Tom Molineaux, a freed Virginia slave, in his fights.
Daniel Mendoza’s first fight occurred in 1780 when he was aged 16. Mendoza was working for a tea dealer in Aldgate. The fight was not a prize fight for a purse but a contest to settle a dispute with a porter over his remuneration for a consignment of tea. Mendoza stated that the porter, rather than charging his regular fee, behaved in a manner unfit for a gentleman, demanding twice the usual price. After much arguing between the proprietor of the tea dealership and the porter, the porter suggested that they should settle the dispute in a duel with fists. Mendoza believing that the porter was bullying his employer accepted the challenge on his employer’s behalf. The duel took place in the street outside the tea dealership in a hastily constructed ring. The fight lasted for forty five minutes ending when the porter declared that he was unable to continue. This victory brought a small measure of fame to Mendoza, stories of the fight spread through the surrounding neighbourhoods; portraying Mendoza as the talented whippersnapper who had not just beaten but thrashed his larger opponent.
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