For example, Frank Inglis from St Lucia featured in the region on 7 March 1910. Black boxer professional#In the same year, professional Black fighters from across the Atlantic also appeared in Hull. Black boxer driver#Jady later returned to Hull on 13 January 1910 to fight Driver Hicks at the Olympic Gymnasium. Although Jady lost the match, the Hull Daily Mail reported that the Black fighter had made a good account of himself. The occasion was marked with a twelve-round fight between Black boxer Young Jady from Liverpool, and Young Norton from Yorkshire. An example of this occured on 4 December 1909, when the New Olympic Gymnasium was opened on Mason Street Hull. The respect given to pugilists of African descent can be demonstrated by their position on the boxing card and the praise given to them after contests had ended. The higher volume of organised fights and the strive to arrange the best contests ensured that a greater number of Black boxers travelled to the area. As the sport started to be further celebrated for its entertainment value, boxing events began to take place weekly across the region which attracted larger crowds. However, it was not uncommon for white boxers to dismiss matches against Black fighters. The reason behind Stokes’ decision remains unknown. However, the boxer from Yorkshire declined the fight and a purse of £75 put up by the Hull Syndicate. He was scheduled to fight Tom Stokes from Mexborough in Hull six months prior to his arrival at Withernsea. Despite training in East Yorkshire, Jephtha never fought in the region. One of the athletes was ‘coloured’ South African boxer, Andrew Jephtha (Jeptha) who was dubbed by the Hull Daily Mail as the ‘welter-weight champion of the division.’ Unfortunately, very little is known about the facilities that were used to train the cohort, where exactly they were based or how long they stayed at the seaside resort. However, in October 1909, several members of the boxing fraternity travelled to Withernsea to complete a training programme. Although boxing events were organised on a regular basis in Hull and East Yorkshire during the first decade of the twentieth century, there is sparse evidence to suggest that Black professionals played a significant role in lucrative prizewinning competitions.
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