Adolph Wolgast
Encyclopedia
Adolphus Wolgast nicknamed Michigan Wildcat, was a world lightweight boxing
champion.
He turned professional in boxing in 1910 and in 1911 captured the World Lightweight Title with a TKO win over Battling Nelson
. After the California bout, both fighters were arrested and charged with violating the anti-prizefight law. Wolgast would later defend the title against Mexican Joe Rivers
in 1912, a bout that caused controversy. Delivering simultaneous blows, they knocked each other out. Referee Jack Welch counted to ten and the bout was over. However, he awarded the win to Wolgast, claiming that Ad had started to rise before the fatal ten. Rivers' fans let out a roar, believing he had been fouled. To add to the confusion, the timekeeper insisted the round had ended when Welch reached the count of four. But Welch's ruling became the official verdict. Wolgast ultimately defended the belt five times before losing it to Willie Ritchie
in 1912.
Wolgast was declared incompetent in 1917 and a guardianship was established for him. He suffered a nervous breakdown
in 1918 and was placed in a sanitarium. He escaped and was later found living in the "North Woods" of California as a "mountain man." In December 1918 a Los Angeles court found him competent to handle his own affairs, and terminated the guardianship.
In the early 1920s, Jack Doyle, owner of a Vernon, California
boxing venue, took Wolgast "under his wing," and allowed him to train at his boxing gym, promising Wolgast a bout "tomorrow." Tomorrow never came, yet Wolgast continued to train diligently every day for that bout tomorrow.
. He was injured by guards trying to restrain him and he had ribs broken. He died April 14, 1955 in Camarillo, California
of heart complications.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion.
Biography
He was born on 8 February 1888, his siblings were, fellow boxers Johnny Wolgast and Al Wolgast.He turned professional in boxing in 1910 and in 1911 captured the World Lightweight Title with a TKO win over Battling Nelson
Battling Nelson
Oscar Mathæus Nielsen, also known as Battling Nelson, was a Danish boxer who held the world lightweight championship on two separate occasions...
. After the California bout, both fighters were arrested and charged with violating the anti-prizefight law. Wolgast would later defend the title against Mexican Joe Rivers
Mexican Joe Rivers
Mexican Joe Rivers was a lightweight boxer whose ring career lasted from 1910 to 1923.-Biography:He was born Jose Ybarra, in Los Angeles, California on March 19, 1892 to Andrew Ybarra. He was a fourth generation Californian...
in 1912, a bout that caused controversy. Delivering simultaneous blows, they knocked each other out. Referee Jack Welch counted to ten and the bout was over. However, he awarded the win to Wolgast, claiming that Ad had started to rise before the fatal ten. Rivers' fans let out a roar, believing he had been fouled. To add to the confusion, the timekeeper insisted the round had ended when Welch reached the count of four. But Welch's ruling became the official verdict. Wolgast ultimately defended the belt five times before losing it to Willie Ritchie
Willie Ritchie
Willie Ritchie , was the world lightweight boxing champion from 1912 to 1914.-Biography:He was born in San Francisco, California as Gerhardt Anthony Steffen on February 13, 1891...
in 1912.
Wolgast was declared incompetent in 1917 and a guardianship was established for him. He suffered a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
in 1918 and was placed in a sanitarium. He escaped and was later found living in the "North Woods" of California as a "mountain man." In December 1918 a Los Angeles court found him competent to handle his own affairs, and terminated the guardianship.
In the early 1920s, Jack Doyle, owner of a Vernon, California
Vernon, California
Vernon is a city five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, California. The population was 112 at the 2010 United States Census, the smallest of any incorporated city in the state....
boxing venue, took Wolgast "under his wing," and allowed him to train at his boxing gym, promising Wolgast a bout "tomorrow." Tomorrow never came, yet Wolgast continued to train diligently every day for that bout tomorrow.
Death
In 1927 he was committed to Stockton State HospitalStockton State Hospital
Stockton State Hospital or the Stockton Developmental Center was California's first psychiatric hospital. It was built in 1853 in Stockton, California.-History:...
. He was injured by guards trying to restrain him and he had ribs broken. He died April 14, 1955 in Camarillo, California
Camarillo, California
Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at the 2000 census. The Ventura Freeway Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at...
of heart complications.
External links
- Adolph Wolgast at FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
- CBZ page