Frank "Paddy" Slavin

Frank Patrick Slavin (5 January 1862 – 17 October 1929), also known as "Paddy" Slavin, was an Australian heavyweight boxer. He was a pioneer of prizefighting in his country, fighting under the tutelage of Larry Foley.[1]

Frank Slavin
Statistics
Real nameFrank Patrick Slavin
Nickname(s)Paddy, The Sydney Cornstalk
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height6 ft 1+12 in (1.87 m)
NationalityAustralian
Born(1862-01-05)5 January 1862
Vacy, New South Wales, Australia
Died17 October 1929(1929-10-17) (aged 67)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights83
Wins43
Wins by KO38
Losses12
Draws9
No contests19

One of Slavin's first bouts was against Bob Fitzsimmons, who later became the world's first triple champion. Slavin established himself as one of the best heavyweights of his time by defeating then unbeaten New Zealand champion Harry Laing and eventually capturing the Australian heavyweight championship.[2] In 1890, Slavin was named the world heavyweight champion by the National Police Gazette. John L. Sullivan was commonly regarded as the titleholder, but the Gazette declared Slavin the world champion in light of Sullivan's reluctance to fight challengers.[3] He also engaged in a close rivalry with Peter Jackson. The feud, which had started a decade earlier, was resolved in a closely contested fight for the first Commonwealth heavyweight title won by Jackson in May 1892.[4]

Slavin moved to the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush.[5] He died in Vancouver at the age of 67. Slavin was inducted to the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.

References

  1. "Paddy Slavin—Pioneer of Prizefighting - Boxing.com". www.boxing.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. "BoxRec – Frank Slavin". boxrec.com.
  3. Pollack, Adam (2006). John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, p. 207. McFarland & Company. ISBN 078642558X
  4. "Cyber Boxing Zone – Frank "Paddy" Slavin". www.cyberboxingzone.com.
  5. "Frank Patrick Slavin – Skagway Stories".


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