Laurence "Larry" Foley
BORN December 24 1848; Sofala (near Bathurst), New South Wales, Australia DIED July 12 1917; Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (St. Vincent's Hospital); Affected Heart HEIGHT 5-8 3/4 WEIGHT 150-154 lbs Foley
was a pioneer in early boxing styles and techniques and trained many fighters in Australia; His school of boxing in Sydney was famous and produced such fighters as Peter Jackson, Frank "Paddy" Slavin, Tom Lees, Mick Dooley and Jim Hall During his career, which spanned more than 30 years, Foley was the Bare-Knuckle Champion of Australia
1866 Oct Sandy Ross Como, NSW, Aus D 71 1869 Jack Hough Cummings River, NSW, Aus KO 4 1870 Stonewall Jackson Sodwalla, NSW, Aus KO "Portuguese Jim" Sodwalla, NSW, Aus KO Fred Jackson Gulgong, NSW, Aus KO Bill Eggleston Gulgong, NSW, Aus ND 2 1871 Charlie Kelly Sydney, NSW, Aus KO Apr 29 Sandy Ross Sydney, NSW, Aus KO 4 1872-1876 Alf Hughes Redfern, NSW, Aus KO Pat Brigan Redfern, NSW, Aus KO Dick Brieley Redfern, NSW, Aus KO Ben Woods Sydney, NSW, Aus KO 7 Arthur Corbitt Redfern, NSW, Aus KO Ben Fagan Redfern, NSW, Aus KO 1877 Mar Jem Mace Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Apr 10 Jem Mace Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Apr 17 Jem Mace Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Bill Brewer Sydney, NSW, Aus KO 3 Sep 29 Jem Mace Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Oct 1 Jem Mace Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Oct 5 Jem Mace Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Nov 10 Captain Martin Sydney, NSW, Aus KO 2 1878 May 11 a local amateur Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 May 18 Sandy Ross Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 May 25 a local amateur Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Jun 1 a local amateur Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Jun 15 a local amateur Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Jun 22 a local amateur Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Jun 29 "Melbourne Yorke" Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Jul 6 a local amateur Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Jul 13 the "English Boxer" Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Jul 20 the "California Champion" Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Aug 10 A. Byrnes Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Sep 14 Sandy Ross Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Oct 12 Sandy Ross Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Oct 19 Mike Madden Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 Nov 30 Jem Mace Melbourne, Vic, Aus EX 3 Dec 2 Peter Newton Melbourne, Vic, Aus D 47 -Some sources report this bout held during Mar 1878; Police intervened; Some sources report "D 16" Dec 3 Mick Nathan Melbourne, Vic, Aus D -This was a "private" bare-knuckle fight; Police intervened Dec 31 the "Professor" Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 1879 Mar 20 Abe Hicken near Echuca, NSW, Aus KO 16 -Bare-Knuckle Heavyweight Championship of Australia; Some sources report "Murrumbidgee Reef, NSW, Aus" Apr 19 Jem Mace Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 May 26 an unnamed opponent Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Brummy Harry Redfern, NSW, Aus KO 1 Harry Sellers Redfern, NSW, Aus KO 3 1877-1882 -Foley and Jem Mace opened a School of Boxing and toured Australia and New Zealand 1882 -Bill Farnan went to Sydney to arrange a fight with Foley but no arrangements were agreed upon-Foley was challenged by Bill Farnan to a fight; Foley refused Bill Farnan Melbourne, Vic, Aus SCH -Heavyweight Championship of Australia; This bout was scheduled but not held; Foley and Farnan disagreed over conditions -Foley was again challenged by Bill Farnan to a fight; Foley refused 1883 May 28 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus D 40 -Heavyweight Championship of Australia; Spectators rushed into the ring to save their ageing idol from defeat and a brawl amongst the spectators brought police upon the scene; The contest was declared a draw; The next day, Foley conceded defeat and the stake of 500 pounds was awarded to Miller 1884 Jan 28 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Jan 29 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Jan 30 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Jan 31 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Feb 1 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Feb 2 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Mar 1 William Miller Melbourne, Vic, Aus EX 3 Mar 3 Charlie "Darkie" Richardson Melbourne, Vic, Aus EX 3 Mar 3 William Miller Melbourne, Vic, Aus EX 3 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Mar 4 Abe Hicken Melbourne, Vic, Aus EX 3 Mar 4 William Miller Melbourne, Vic, Aus EX 3 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Mar 5 Abe Hicken Melbourne, Vic, Aus EX 3 Mar 5 William Miller Melbourne, Vic, Aus EX 3 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date Oct 2 Bill Farnan Melbourne, Vic, Aus SCH -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known Nov 27 G.H. D'Harcourt Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 1885 Apr 30 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 May 1 Peter Jackson Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 May 1 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date May 2 William Miller Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 Jun 30 Bill Farnan Sydney, NSW, Aus SCH -This bout was scheduled; The outcome is not known Dec 12 Bob Fitzsimmons Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 Dec 12 Jack Lynch Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 -The previous 2 bouts were reportedly held the same date Dec 26 Jack Thompson Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 1886 Jan 16 a local amateur Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 3 -Some sources report 1/18/86 Feb 27 H.M. Cansdell Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 Mar 3 a local amateur Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 3 Mar 6 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 -Some sources report "EX 3" Mar 20 an unnamed opponent Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 Jul 12 Peter Newton Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 Jul 14 Tom Lees Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 -This bout was not held 7/10/86 Jul 17 Peter Newton Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 Jul 31 an unnamed opponent Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 Aug 7 George Seale Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 3 Aug 21 Jack Molloy Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 Sep 18 Abe Hicken Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 1887 Jan 26 Jim Pettengell Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 Jul 30 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 3 1888 Jan 23 Jack Burke Sydney, NSW, Aus D 6 Apr 17 Peter Jackson Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 1889 Sep 25 Jack Burke Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 3 1894 Jan 20 Harry Laing Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 4 -Some sources report "EX 4" on 1/19/94 Mar 5 Abe Hicken Melbourne, Vic, Aus ND 3 1895 Dec 2 Jack Valentine Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 3 Dec 2 Mick Dooley Sydney, NSW, Aus ND 3 -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date 1906 Apr 19 Harry Beckett Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 3 1907 Feb 4 Jack Johnson Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 31908 Dec 22 Jack Johnson Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 4 1910 May 2 Tommy Burns Sydney, NSW, Aus EX 6
Record courtesy of Tracy Callis and Mike Attree,
Historians, International Boxing Research Organization
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