Daniel Mendoza
Born in Aldgate, London, bare-knuckle pugilist Daniel Mendoza was the first Jew to become an English heavyweight champion, a title that he defended twice before losing it to John Jackson on a ninth-round knockout in 1795. Although he was a natural middleweight, Mendoza developed defensive moves and a technique of rapid rather than hard punching to fight against much heavier opponents. He has been called the father of scientific boxing. Proudly billed as “Mendoza the Jew,” he was the first boxer to receive royal patronage. He opened his own boxing academy and gave boxing exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom. Mendoza was selected for the inaugural group in the United States Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954.
Entries in the Posen Library by This Creator
Primary Source
The Art of Boxing, Preface
Primary Source
Memoirs of the Life of Daniel Mendoza
Related Guide
Life Writing: Biography, Autobiography, and Ego Documents, 1750–1880
The famous and the obscure, women and men, in epitaphs and private letters, ethical wills, cookbooks, and religious reflections, all reflect aspects of Jewish life in a period of great transition.