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Inishowen's legendary boxing champ
Boxing's 'Golden days' of 20 round contests and extremely gory
encounters in the early 1900's was when Inishowen's 'Punching Pat
Bradley', known as the 'Wild Irishman from America' was dropping
some of the world's most feared fighters with his devastating left
hook.
Before being crowned Welterweight Champion of Australia in 1913,
the man from Bogstown in Quigley's Point had already knocked out,
among others, the English middleweight champion, Jim Sullivan, in
the opening round.
Born on March 3, 1884, to John and Elizabeth (nee McSheffrey) Bradley,
the Inishowen fighter emigrated to America, like so many others
from the area, in search of work. During his fighting days Pat punched
his way through some of the toughest opponents that England, America
and Australia could throw at him and was remembered in the press
for a long time after his career in the ring had ended. Contemporary
accounts of the Inishowen fighter revered him as one of the best
"knockout merchants" to have ever graced the ring anywhere.
A real one punch man in every sense of the term - and whether he
landed properly with left or right the recipient stayed put, and
took no further interest in the proceedings. "The great and
near-great came under the hammer of his fists at one time or other,
and ...he quickly became the deadliest thorn in the jaws of one
of the welter and middle weights, and the joy of the crowds, which
above all things, love a fighter," wrote one sports columnist
ahead of Bradley's Australian title fight with 'Jumping' Jerry Jerome
in 1913.
Still remembered
And nearly 60 years after his hey day the Australian and British
press were remembering Bradley's ferocious fighting exploits. In
January 1967 'The Sun' newspaper described Bradley as a boxer with
"bulldog courage and a killer punch", while the 'Daily
Mirror' described the Inishowen man as "a nearly flawless fighting
machine in August 1958.
Before entering the Sydney Stadium ring to face 'Jumping' Jerry
Jerome in front of 12,000 cheering fight goers, Bradley had already
knocked out all the "second raters", according to 'The
Sun'. And that newspaper detailed "a typical" victory
for the Quigley's Point as his bout against English Welterweight,
Sid Stagg, in 1912.
"Round after round saw the Englishman peppering the exposed
portion of Bradley's face, from the bridge of the nose upwards,
with perfect straight lefts. When Bradley swung, Stagg would lean
back, and the blow would whistle harmlessly passed his chin. Stagg
was a mile ahead on points.
"In the thirteenth round, however, he was nearer the edge
of the ring than he calculated. The ropes checked him as he lent
back and Bradley's left caught his chin, knocking him cold.
San Francisco
Bradley arrived in Sydney from San Francisco in 1911 at a time
when the boxing game was swamped with leading American fighters;
it was known as the 'Golden Age' of boxing down under.
However, he found himself on the shelf and was glad to fight to
stave of hunger when he first appeared at the Gaiety in Castlereagh
Street, Sydney. Eventually he was given a few bouts with other little
known fighters in Sydney Stadium and soon he had earned a challenge
against Australian champion, Dave Smith.
The fight was scheduled for September 13, 1913 but Smith was struck
down with flu and another Australian champion 'Jumping' Jerry Jerome
was the fighter who stepped in to face Bradley. 'Jumping' Jerry
Jerome, the famous Queensland aboriginal middleweight, went toe
to toe with the Donegal man for eight rounds, before giving in to
our very own 'Punching' Pat.
Jerry Jerome was one of the most colourful boxers in that golden
era. He fought all the great fighters of the day including 'Cyclone'
Johnny Thompson, Les O'Donnell, Arthur Cripps, Bill Sonter, Dave
Smith and Eddie McGoorty. He was described in an Australian magazine
as "the comedian of the boxing ring" because of his antics
in the ring. And despite weighing 10lbs less than Jerome, Bradley,
at 11st 1lb, the towel was throw from the aboriginal's corner after
only eight rounds, but only after Bradley too had hit the floor
in the seventh.
Walloped
According to newspaper reports Jerome hit him everywhere and with
everything he had. He cut his mouth, nose and ears. "Holding
him by the neck first with left and then with right hand, Jerry
walloped him with punches that broke the skin. He gripped, punched
and ripped. Blood fairly gushed from Bradley's nose and mouth,"
said one report.
After falling to him knees, Bradley rose again on the count of
six and, as if from nowhere, a punch caught the Australian champ
unawares. "Bradley shot up a terrific right to the jaw, Jerome
wobbled at the knees. Another left to mouth and right to the jaw
sent Jerome sprawling against the ropes. Bradley pounced upon him
and continued to punch away at the helpless Jerome. The referee
pulled him away ,,,the bell stopped the slaughter," it read.
Jerome's face was badly swollen. His lips, eyes and cheeks were
cut. "Bradley jolted his right to Jerry's mouth and rocked
him with a smashing left hook to the jaw. Then, the crowd's amazement,
Jerry raced across to his corner holding his hands in a token of
surrender and half turning his head to make sure his opponent wasn't
in pursuit. "Bradley sprang across the ring. But, before he
could deliver his decisive blow, the towel was thrown in from Jerome's
corner."
And one newspaper article gave an idea of just how hard Bradley
had been hit: "The glove was hurriedly removed from the hand
and, after a hurried inspection it was announced that a bone in
Jerry's hand was fractured."
Legendary left hook
Bradley's legendary left hook was perfected while his boxing career
was nurtured in the fighting capitals of the USA. "I developed
the hook through the coaching of a fighter in America who taught
me boxing." he told an Australia newspaper while reflecting
on his illustrious career in 1959.
"He used it to great effect and proved to me it was difficult
punch to master. I worked away on it day after day for five months.
I practised it on a sandbag in the gymnasium but often despaired
of every being able to perfect it. "I was anxious to master
the blow, knowing, as all boxers do, that it is the advanced hand
for orthodox boxers and, if it can be used effectively, is the better
hand as its use doesn't leave you so open to the other fellow's
attack. "I also had a knockout in my right but when I once
succeeded in having ten seconds counted over an opponent as a result
of the hook I can't tell you how delighted I was. I kept on perfecting
the punch and then used it more than my right.
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