The Olympic Club of New Orleans

Established in 1883, the Olympic Club catered to a variety of pursuits from target shooting to billiards to boxing—the most popular sport in New Orleans, despite legal prohibitions. A revised city ordinance and a vague state statute permitting boxing sponsored by chartered athletic clubs were frequently tested at the Olympic, the epicenter of boxing in America. Between 1890 and 1894, the club’s 10,000–seat arena hosted six world championship and seven national or regional title bouts. The 1892 Fistic Carnival featured three world title fights on three consecutive days, culminating in the World Heavyweight Championship between John L. Sullivan and James J. Corbett.

Best known as a baseball writer and historian, S. Derby Gisclair has written three books and more than 80 articles on non-baseball sports personalities and events. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

S. Derby Gisclair

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 217
Bibliographic Info: 46 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7445-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3305-3
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
Introduction 3
One—1883 to 1889 21
Two—1890 39
Three—1891 54
Four—1892 77
Five—1893 111
Six—1894 147
Seven—1895 to 1897 168
Epilogue 184
Appendix: The Olympic Club Fight Record 189
Chapter Notes 192
Bibliography 199
Index 203