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Tom Molineaux and the Mule Faced Boy: Deconstructing Slave Fight Folklore
Tom Molineaux and the Mule Faced Boy: Deconstructing Slave Fight Folklore
February is black history month in the United States and Canada, a tradition that dates to the 1970s. Nat Fleischer, the co-founder and publisher of The Ring magazine, was ahead of the curve. Fleischer authored Black Dynamite, a five-volume series released in 1938 that celebrated the achievements of black boxers in the prize ring.
Black Dynamite was seminal, especially Volume 1 which covered the bare-knuckle era. Post-1938, most of what would be written about antiquarian black prizefighters was culled from Fleischer. The challenge now for modern day boxing historians is to figure out how much of what he wrote is actually true. The inconvenient truth is that a lot of rubbish was published under Nat Fleischerâs byline.
Vol. 1 is rich in information about Tom Molineaux. An American slave by birth, Molineaux turned up in England about 1809 and after a few minor bouts succeeded in landing a fight with Englandâs topmost fighter Tom Cribb. They actually fought twice, first in December of 1810 and then again in September of 1811. In their first encounter, Molineaux was cheated of victory when a mob burst through the ropes and bullied the referee into giving Cribb extra time to recuperate when he was just about finished. In the rematch, contested without incident, Molineaux was knocked out.
The various retellings of these two fights differ in little details, but what is indisputable is that these fights, although ignored by the American press, gripped men of all social classes in England, notwithstanding the fact that prizefighting was a bootleg sport with matches necessarily held outside densely populated areas. Tom Cribb was recognized as the champion of England, tantamount to being the champion of the world, and it was a matter of considerable importance to the Brits that he did not yield his title to a foreigner, especially a black foreigner. His victory over Molineaux in their rematch inspired a great outpouring of affection. When he died, his admirers commissioned a handsome stone statue of a lion to ornament his tomb.
The dates and results of Molineauxâs prizefights in England are a matter of public record. But what about Molineauxâs background? And how, pray tell, did he get from point A to point B, how did he shake free of the shackles of slavery in the United States and wind up becoming one of the most famous pugilists in all of Great Britain?
Fleischer doesnât identify his sources, but says that through arduous research he learned that Tom Molineaux was born into a family of great bare-knuckle fighters. His father Zachary and Tomâs brothers Elizah, Ebenezer, Franklin, and Moses were also renowned pugilists âand they outclassed all rivals in Virginia.â
Tom earned his freedom from bondage, says Fleischer, by defeating a slave from a rival planation. Tomâs master, Squire Algernon Molineaux (all of his slaves took his surname) was one of the wealthiest men in Virginia and wagered such an immense sum that he faced bankruptcy if Tom was defeated. Manumission was Tomâs reward.
On the subject of slave fights in general, Fleischer says, âTournaments were held to determine which slave was plantation champion and, inevitably, these rivalries soon transcended plantation boundariesâŠThe slaves (in inter-plantation fights with huge sums at risk) fought and trained on a reward-punishment basis, the best of their lot being excused from the gruesome field work and perhaps even gaining their freedom while the less talented might be denied food for several days or even put to death for an inept performance.â
Nat Fleischerâs credibility as a boxing historian was such that his rendering came to be accepted as gospel. The lurid 1957 best-seller Mandingo, the debut novel of the shameless Falconhurst series, calcified Fleischerâs perspective,
Falconhurst is the name that author Kyle Onstott gave to the antebellum plantation where his story was centered, a place where incest and miscegenation were rife and slaves were hideously dehumanized, even mutilated and murdered. And yes, brutal slave fights factor into the narrative.
The novel Mandingo spawned the 1975 movie of the same name and its sequel Drum, movies in which Ken Norton played a prominent role. Quentin Tarantinoâs 2012 blaxploitation Western Django Unchained pays homage to Mandingo. A bare-knuckle fight to the death between two black slaves is a key plot point in the movie. Fights of this description would acquire the name Mandingo fights.
Tarantinoâs movie heightened interest in slave fights, reviving the question of whether Mandingo fights actually happened. And by now, educators well-versed in African-American history could see that fights of this nature just didnât pass the smell test.
A male slave had value to a plantation owner as a field worker and as a breeding mechanism and, like all his slaves, was property he could pass on to his heirs or sell if times got tough. A slave with the strength and stamina to become a champion prizefighter would logically be especially valuable. To risk a man of this caliber in a fight where he stood the risk of being severely damaged, makes no sense economically. It would be akin to a luxury car dealer entering his most expensive vehicle in a demolition derby.
There are a few first-person accounts of organized matches among slaves (I am aware of only two), but in no way do they resemble the battle in which Tom Molineux purportedly won his freedom. Betting on horse races was a popular pastime among Southern planters, but old newspapers contain no reports of inter-plantation prize fights and if it were true that life-changing sums were actually being bet on these competitions, they would have almost certainly attracted notice.
After winning his freedom, says Fleischer, Molineaux found his way to Baltimore where he found work as a stevedore on the docks. He then hired out as a deckhand on a boat to Liverpool. âThe seas were rough,â says Fleischer, âand at times it appeared the vessel was about to take a dive into Davey Jones locker.â
The best boxing gyms were then in London. The sportâs wealthiest backers were also found there. So, Tom hied his way to London, trudging off on foot, says Fleischer, late in the winter of 1809 when the weather was inconducive to walking. He arrived penniless and hungry.
Wow, that was some walk, and in inclement weather no less. If one were driving from Liverpool to London, one would travel 220 miles.
The Mule Faced Boy
Many years ago, when I was in my early teens, I chanced upon Milo the Mule Faced Boy on a visit to Coney Island. More exactly, I chanced upon the gaudy mural on which he was depicted, the come-on that enticed passersby into the freak show where he was appearing. The commercial display of people with physical abnormalities came to be seen as exploitive, if not downright creepy, but it hadnât yet run its course as a popular amusement.
In person, Milo, who appeared to be a man in his mid-20âs, didnât look anything like the caricature of him on the mural outside. There was some misshapenness there, but I wouldnât have drawn the correlation to a mule if it hadnât already been stamped in my mind.
Milo made a short talk â or maybe it was the spieler who did all the talking; my memory is fuzzy â and the show, as it were, concluded with an exhortation to purchase his biography, a cheap little pamphlet that was within my limited means and so I bought it.
My goodness, what an exciting life Milo had led. It was a life chock full of harrowing adventures reminiscent of the Saturday matinee serials that inspired filmmaker George Lucas to create the Indiana Jones franchise.
That cheap souvenir is long gone. My mother likely tossed it away with my baseball cards and other clutter left behind when I went off to college. It is what mothers do, bless their souls. But I have come to learn that these flimsy biographies were standard fare for freaks that worked the fair circuit or appeared in so-called dime museums and that these little storybooks shared a common scaffolding, differing only in the details. They werenât all written by the same person, but whoever got the ball rolling set the template and subsequent generations of ghostwriters adhered to the formula.
– – –
Tom Molineaux fought sporadically after his second match with Tom Cribb. He died in Ireland in 1818 at age 34.
In the last years of his life, Tom worked the fair circuit in the British Isles, giving exhibitions and undoubtedly regaling his audiences with a little talk about his escapades. His traveling companions would have been other freaks, both organic such as giants and dwarfs and self-made such as snake charmers and sword swallowers. He would have had a little biography for sale.
Take away all the embellishments and the saga of Tom Molineaux is still a remarkable story, but the embellishments have distorted the truth to where the real flesh-and-blood Tom Molineux is lost in the rubble of history. Brian Phillips, writing for Grantland in 2012, had it right when he wrote that if you were to look up Molineaux in an encyclopedia, âwhat youâll find is less an authoritative account of the facts than two centuries worth of distilled legend.â
Molineaux was obviously a brave and resourceful man, a man with an adventurous spirit who led an incredibly exciting life. But that bit about his kinfolk — his father Zachary and his brothers, all bare-knuckle fighters of great renown â and the bit about the fabulous sums wagered on inter-plantation slave fights, why thatâs all hokum, fictions born in the fertile imagination of a hired pen freelancing as a circus pitchman.
Can I prove it? No. But of this, I am quite certain.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 297: Callum Walsh in Dublin, Anthony Joshua and More
All eyes point toward the British Isles this weekend and the American wild west.
In back-to-back days, several of that European regionâs best pugilists headline cards in Dublin then in London.
It all begins with super welterweight contender Callum Walsh, the Irish fighter from Cork who trains in Hollywood, Calif. with one of the masters, Freddie Roach.
On Friday, Sept. 20, Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) meets Polandâs Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) at 3Arena Dublin in Dublin, Ireland for a regional super welterweight title. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
Straight from the sweaty gyms of Hollywood, Irelandâs Walsh (pictured on the left) returns home to native soil where he intends to showcase the ever-growing skills learned from Southern Californiaâs hotbed of pro boxing.
On any given day a number of veteran fighters can be found to spar and learn.
Walsh, also known as King Callum, has been one of many Irish fighters who uprooted themselves from the comforts of home and moved to Southern California to find a myriad of styles from boxers coming from all parts of the world.
The hard-charging Walsh finally returns to perform in the heart of Ireland. His speed, power and skills have enabled him to eliminate nine of 11 opponents via knockout.
Dana White, his manager, will be attending the fight.
âLove the fact that heâs not fighting guys to pad his record, like the typical boxing model. This is a kid who really believes in himself and his potential to become a world champion,â said White the president of the UFC organization. âI also love the fact that one of the greatest trainers in the history of the sport, Freddie Roach, believes in him. I am very invested in this fight in Dublin and Iâm really excited to not only bring a fight back to Ireland but to be sitting ringside to see Callum fight in his home country.â
Polandâs Runowski has never been stopped and has a string of victories against top competition. This match will prove who moves on toward elite competition.
Saturday in London
In London, England on Saturday, top heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois lead an impressive Matchroom Boxing fight card at Wembley Stadium. DAZN will stream the card.
Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) and Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) fight for the IBF heavyweight title. Both have recently looked in peak form. Look for a stoppage in this fight between knockout experts.
Dubois only lost to Okesandr Usyk and should have been ruled the winner when he floored the champion with a body shot a year ago. The referee erroneously ruled it a low blow. The titles should have been given to Dubois at that moment. Instead, Usyk rallied and stopped the British fighter in the ninth.
Since that loss, Dubois knocked out Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic.
Former champion Joshua has never looked better and recently destroyed MMA star Francis Ngannou who gave Tyson Fury fits when they fought. Not so against Joshua who mercilessly blew him out in two rounds.
Also featured on the card are Hamzah Sheeraz, who recently defeated Ammo Williams via knockout plus Josh Warrington, Josh Kelly and undefeated Joshua Buatsi. Itâs a front-loaded boxing card.
Wild West USA
Mexicoâs former champion Jaime Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) makes his debut on a Top Rank card against undefeated Armenian super middleweight Erik Bazinyan (32-0-1, 23 KOs) on Friday Sept. 20, at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will televise the Top Rank card.
Itâs Munguiaâs first fight since losing to boxing kingpin Saul âCaneloâ Alvarez. No shame in that. But he is facing another Canadian prospect who has never lost. Recently, that country has been developing some very good pugilists like another super middleweight Christian Mbilli.
The Top Rank card is loaded with highly-regarded prospects such as Richard Torrez Jr., Emiliano Vargas, Alan âKid Kansasâ Garcia and others.
LA Area
A half dozen undefeated fighters including Daniel Cruz (7-0) against Recky Dulay (11-9) meet on Friday Sept. 20, for KO Fight Night at Farallon Event Center in Lynwood, Calif.
Among the undefeated fighters on the House of Pain fight card are Mathias Radcliffe, DeAngelo Evans, Luis Rubalvaca, and Jose Casillas.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Fights to Watch (all times Pacific Time)
Fri. UFC Fight Pass 9:30 a.m. Callum Walsh (11-0) vs Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1)
Fri. ESPN 7:30 p.m. Jaime Munguia (43-1) vs Erik Bazinyan (32-0-1).
Sat. DAZN 10 a.m. Anthony Joshua (28-3) and Dubois (21-2).
Photo courtesy of Zuffa
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The WBC world cruiserweight title fight between Ryan Rozicki and Noel Mikaelian, slated for Sept. 28 at Miami Casino Jai Alai in Miami, Florida has been postponed. A terse press release attributed to Don King Promotions, Three Lion Promotions (Rozickiâs promoter) and the WBC was issued today. No reason was given for the postponement. It merely said, âwe are working diligently to set a new date and should have a new date to announce in the days to come.â
An Armenian who has done most of his fighting in Germany and now lives and trains in Miami, Mikaelian (aka Noel Gevor) sports a 27-2 (12 KOs) record and would be making the first defense of the title he won with a third-round stoppage of Ilunga Makabu on a Don King card in Miami in November of last year. Canadaâs Rozicki (20-1, 19 KOs) suffered his lone defeat at the hands of Oscar Rivas in October of 2021. That match, which went the full 12 rounds, is recognized by the WBC as the first Bridgerweight title fight. Plagued with chronic eye problems, Rivas would never fight again.
This is the second time that the Mikaelian-Rozicki match has been postponed. They were originally scheduled to fight on June 7 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino and Resort in Hollywood, Florida, but Mikaelian (pictured on the left) suffered an eye injury just days before the fight and the match evaporated. Mikaelianâs injury bumped the welterweight contest between Blair Cobbs and Adrien Broner into the main event. Cobbs won a 10-round unanimous decision.
The news of this second postponement spawned talk in online chat rooms to the effect that Don King had fallen seriously ill. According to one private correspondence shared with this reporter this morning at a local boxing gym, King had suffered a near-death experience and would be stepping away from boxing for one year.
This allegation could not be substantiated. More than that, reliable sources say it should be dismissed as an UNFOUNDED rumor. Considering all the misinformation on social media, perhaps I was remiss in not keeping it under my hat.
At one time the most powerful boxing promoter in the world, Don King turned 93 last month.
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Reflections on Yoenli Hernandez and the New Wave of Outstanding Cuban Boxers
Cuban boxers were 2-0 at the T-Mobile Arena on Mexican Independence Day weekend in Las Vegas. Erislandy Lara toyed with listless Danny Garcia for nine rounds before Garciaâs corner stopped the bout. Yoenli Hernandez improved to 5-0 with his fifth knockout, dismissing his Mexican opponent in the second round.
Lara, who was appearing his nineteenth 12-round fight, is 41 years old. Yoenli Hernandez (pictured) is 27. However, although separated by only 14 years, they effectively represent two different generations of Cuban boxers. Hernandez is part of the new wave that includes super-hot prospects Arlen Lopez and Andy Cruz.
A light heavyweight, Lopez, 31, was an Olympic gold medalist in Rio and in Tokyo, but came up short in his bid to become only the fourth boxer (and third Cuban) to achieve the Olympic hat trick, losing a split decision to Ukraineâs Oleksandr Khyzhniak in the semi-final round of the recent Paris Games. As a pro, heâs 3-0 (2 KOs).
A lightweight, Andy Cruz, 29, was 4-for-4 against Keyshawn Davis as an amateur, with the last of those four wins coming in the gold medal round of the Tokyo Olympiad. Heâs 4-0 (2 KOs) as a pro with all four of those wins coming against experienced opponents in matches slated for 10 rounds.
Yoenli Hernandez (sometimes identified as Yoenlis Feliciano) wasnât an Olympian, but he was a World Amateur Champion who finished his amateur career with 26 straight wins. He turned pro along with Arlen Lopez and four other elite Cuban amateurs on May 20, 2022 in Aguascalientes, Mexico, an historic day in the history of Cuban boxing as it was the first time that members of the Cuban National Team competed as pros with the blessing of the Cuban government.
—
Cuba has spawned a number of notable boxers over the years. Kid Gavilan, the Cuban Hawk, master of the bolo punch, won the world welterweight title in 1951 with a unanimous decision over Johnny Bratton at Madison Square Garden and successfully defended it seven times. By some accounts, he was Cubaâs first true world title-holder. Kid Chocolate (Eligio Sardinas) captured world titles as a featherweight and a junior lightweight in the early 1930âs, but neither title was recognized overseas — the junior lightweight division then lacked traction and his featherweight diadem was the New York State version of it.
Kid Gavilan and Kid Chocolate have plaques in the International Boxing Hall of Fame as does Luis Rodriguez who captured the world welterweight title at LAâs Dodger Stadium in 1963 in his second of four meetings with arch-rival Emile Griffith. Rodriguez and his compatriot Florentino Fernandez, a world title challenger as a middleweight, both had their first U.S. fights in 1959, the year that Fidel Castroâs rebels  overthrew the Batista regime. They trained at Chris Dundeeâs iconic Miami Beach gym alongside the fighter who would take the name Muhammad Ali.
Two future greats — featherweight Ultiminio âSugarâ Ramos and welterweight Jose âMantequillaâ Napoles — left Cuba a bit later and settled in Mexico. Although they won world titles in U.S. rings, they never left their adopted home. Both were residents of Mexico City at the time of their passing.
—
As is well known, Fidel Castro abolished professional sports. Moreover, there was a long lag after he came to power before elite Cuban boxers had the temerity to defect.
Cuban boxers dominated the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, sending nine of a possible 12 boxers to the gold medal round, seven of whom emerged victorious. Of the medal winners, only bantamweight Joel Casamayor left for the United States, and he did not defect until four years later on the eve of the Atlanta Summer Games. Eventually 12 other Cuban boxers â several who arrived in the U.S. before him — would join Casamayor in a stable that took the name Team Freedom. Casamayor was the best of the bunch, winning world titles as a pro at 130 and 135 pounds.
Team Freedom evolved into Warriors Boxing. The South Florida agency, run by Luis De Cubas Sr. and Leon Margules, is the dominant force in the Cuban-American boxing community. De Cubas, who once owned a piece of Roberto Duran, was born in Cuba and spent his formative years in Minnesota before settling in Miami at age 24. His business partner Margules is a Fort Lauderdale attorney.
Yoenli Hernandezâs manager of record is Providence, Rhode Island businessman Robert Valle, but Warriors Boxing, which also controls WBA (regular) light heavyweight champion David Morrell, has its fingers in the pie. Virtually every boxer who defected from Cuba during the Castro years was helped along the way by Luis De Cubas and his associates. His name now appears on the ballot for the International Boxing Hall of Fame and itâs a fair guess that he will go in with the next class of inductees.
In many ways, things have gotten worse in Cuba since Fidel Castro passed away in 2016. More than a million Cubans â roughly 10 percent of the population â left the island nation between 2022 and 2023, the largest wave of out-migration in Cubaâs history. Of that number, more than 400,000 settled in the Unites States, mostly in the Miami area.
Within that diaspora were many of Cubaâs most talented boxers. Those that leave for greener pastures are no longer stamped an enemy of the state. Restrictions have been eased for people traveling back and forth between the two countries.
Cuban boxers were well-represented on the rosters of the teams in the newfangled Team Combat League where men compete in one-round matches across six weight categories. One doesnât have to like the concept to appreciate the fact that the TCL has been a godsend to boxers who would otherwise have trouble staying busy while also putting a few dollars in their pocket to help pay the bills during the lacuna between conventional prizefights.
The novice professionals from Cuba who have competed in these events tend to be younger than their predecessors who left Cuba to launch their pro careers. To take but two examples, light heavyweight Brayon Leon and welterweight Darian Castro, both strong prospects who excelled at the TCL brand of fisticuffing (a combined 22-2) are 22 and 21 years old respectively.
The takeaway is that we will be hearing a lot more about Cuban boxers in the next few years. And if Yoenli Hernandez becomes a big name in the sport, remember that you heard it here first.
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A Closer Look at Jordan Plant, One-Half of Boxingâs âPower Coupleâ
Boxing Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser
Avila Perspective, Chap. 291: Mayweather Chronicles
Jarrett Hurd and Jeison Rosario Fight to a Draw in Plant City
Nikita Tszyu Overcomes Adversity, TKOs Mazoudier in a Sydney Sizzler
Canelo Proves Too Canny and Tough for Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas
Results and Recaps from Mexico City where Picasso Upended Hovhannisyan
Tomoki Kameda, Japanâs âLittle Mexican,â and the Glory Days of Japanese Boxing
Results and Recaps from LA where Pacheco KOed Sulecki with a Body Punch
Canelo vs Berlanga Battles the UFC: Hopefully No Repeat of the 2019 Fiasco
Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
Avila Perspective, Chap. 294: Southern California Battles
Catching Up with Nico Ali Walsh who Doubles Down on his Aversion to Jake Paul
Avila Perspective, Chap. 296: Canelo vs Berlanga and More
60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
The ‘Monster’ Keeps on Trucking: Inoue Stops Doheny in the 7th Round
Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
Canelo – Berlanga Postscript
Reflections on Yoenli Hernandez and the New Wave of Outstanding Cuban Boxers
Rocky Hernandez Improves to 36-2 with a Controversial TD in Hermosillo
Avila Perspective, Chap. 297: Callum Walsh in Dublin, Anthony Joshua and More
Mikaelian vs Rozicki POSTPONED Amidst Rumors that Promoter Don King is Ailing
Reflections on Yoenli Hernandez and the New Wave of Outstanding Cuban Boxers
Canelo – Berlanga Postscript
Canelo Proves Too Canny and Tough for Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas
Stephen Fulton Nips Carlos Castro in a Prelude to Canelo vs Berlanga
Rocky Hernandez Improves to 36-2 with a Controversial TD in Hermosillo
Avila Perspective, Chap. 296: Canelo vs Berlanga and More
Canelo vs Berlanga Battles the UFC: Hopefully No Repeat of the 2019 Fiasco
Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
Boxing Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser
The ‘Monster’ Keeps on Trucking: Inoue Stops Doheny in the 7th Round
A Closer Look at Jordan Plant, One-Half of Boxingâs âPower Coupleâ
Results and Recaps from LA where Pacheco KOed Sulecki with a Body Punch
Catching Up with Nico Ali Walsh who Doubles Down on his Aversion to Jake Paul
Avila Perspective, Chap. 294: Southern California Battles
Nikita Tszyu Overcomes Adversity, TKOs Mazoudier in a Sydney Sizzler
Tomoki Kameda, Japanâs âLittle Mexican,â and the Glory Days of Japanese Boxing
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