By Joe Koizumi
This Japanese historian delightfully read an excellent Fightnews report on the fight ever filmed titled: Doubt Cast Over Claim of Corbett-Courtney Being First Fight Ever Filmed
It mentioned that the Mike Leonard vs. Jack Cushing film was the historically first ever filmed and premiered in August 1894 (I agree), but said the film was lost.
It is my pleasure to inform you that the mentioned film, however, exists and has been already publicly shown through YouTube, as follows:
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The reason why the result wasn’t known might be simply that it was just an exhibition or demonstration (with each round lasting one minute with neither referee nor judges) to be experimentally filmed by Otway Latham together with Edison Manufacturing.
For your reference, BoxRec provides us with each record of Leonard (then 6-3-1, 4 KOs at the point of shooting on June 15, 1984) and Cushing (0-0 at that time), as follows:
BoxRec: Mike Leonard | BoxRec: Jack Cushing
By utilizing new and still developing tools of YouTube, BoxRec etc, we may shine a light to the darkness or previously unknown or undoubted in ring history more and more in the future.
Good read and delightful to watch. Pretty cool
I think it says so much about the interest in this sport that, as soon as human beings figured out a way to video record something, they immediately said, ‘Oh I know! Let’s tape a fight!’
Luis Ortiz fought on Undercard…
^Comment of the day right here!^
LMAO!!! Great post.
I’m glad they’ve updated the attire since then
It’s been established for a long time that Leonard/Cushing predates the Corbett film
Why does Boxrec list the fight as taking place in 1900?
Never mind. I was reading it wrong
I have seen this 30 years ago. not new. Lol! Great for newbies though.