Sport: Uncle Tom's Nephew

First U.S. prizefighter to compete for the world's heavyweight championship was a Negro named Tom Molineaux. A Virginia slave whose master freed him for knocking out the bully of a neighboring plantation, Molineaux went to England in 1810, fought famed Tom Cribb, gave him a severe thrashing for 30 rounds. In the 31st round, Molineaux fractured his skull against a ring post, lost the fight. Cribb beat him again before a crowd of 40,000 in 1811. The black fisticuffer was found dead in an Irish army barracks in 1818.

Last week the business of avenging the sad affair of Tom Molineaux...