Kōrero: Boxing and wrestling

Herbert Slade, late 19th century

Herbert Slade, late 19th century

Herbert Slade was a boxer of Ngāpuhi and Irish descent. He entered the first New Zealand amateur boxing championships in 1880 and, though he did not win, organiser Jem Mace believed Slade had talent and took him to the United States. Slade fought the great American heavyweight boxer John L. Sullivan in New York in 1883, before a 130,000-strong crowd. At the time, black people were prevented from entering boxing bouts in the US due to racial discrimination, so the brown-skinned Slade was something of a curiosity for the boxing-going public. Slade was knocked out by Sullivan in the third round. The two men subsequently toured the US together.

Though his boxing record was not distinguished, Slade is important in the history of New Zealand boxing as an international Māori sportsman in the 19th century. He was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

National Library of Australia, Rex Nan Kivell Collection
Reference: NK1236

Permission of the National Library of Australia must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Joseph Romanos, 'Boxing and wrestling - Professional boxing', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/artwork/37952/herbert-slade-late-19th-century (accessed 30 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Joseph Romanos, i tāngia i te 5 Sep 2013, updated 1 Jan 2015