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Oscar Gardner

January 01, 1970

Oscar Gardner (May 19, 1872 - December 25, 1928) was an American bantamweight and featherweight boxer known as the Omaha Kid.[2][3] He was a top contender for the Featherweight Championship of the World[4] and the Featherweight Champion of America,[5] though he never won any awards or titles; many claim this was due to poor refereeing.[6][2] Gardner was small but unusually strong, tough in the ring but "quiet, affable..., gifted with a winning personality, who made friends easily" when not boxing.[2] During his career, he fought between 537 and 547 battles (sources vary).[7][8][6]

Oscar Gardner
Sketch from The Buffalo Times, 1898
Born
Oscar Desire Gardner

(1872-05-19)May 19, 1872
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
DiedDecember 25, 1928(1928-12-25) (aged 56)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Other namesThe Omaha Kid
Statistics
Weight(s)Bantamweight
Featherweight
Height5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Reach63 in (1.60 m)
Boxing record[1]
Total fights537-547
Wins85
Wins by KO59
Losses18
Draws32
No contests1

Biography edit

Early life edit

Oscar Desire Gardner was born May 19, 1872, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the middle son of Joseph Gardner and his French-Canadian wife Alvina (c. 1852-1917).[9][10][2][11] He grew up on the east side of the city with older brother Joe, younger brother Eddie (also a boxer), and sister Grace.[2][8][12] As a teenager, he and Eddie worked at the Salisbury & Satterlee mattress factory, where many of the workers "engag[ed] in rough and tumble battles... during the lunch hour."[2] Gardner struggled at first and was often used by more practiced boxers to pad their stats, but eventually became a top contender and earned himself the nickname "The Fighting Machine."[13] At 17, he moved to Sioux City, where he worked as a mattress maker and foreman and was active in the local boxing scene.[7] He relocated to Omaha after learning he could earn more money in their pugilistic community, then returned to Minneapolis in 1891.[2]

Career edit

Gardner stood almost 5'4" and weighed anywhere from 115 to 124 pounds during his career.[6] His "one weakness" was his weak hands, which he broke at least 7 separate times.[6][14] Gardner was skilled at the knockout and favored 20-25 round fights, which he sometimes fought only two days or three apart.[2][15] He claimed not to train for matches and both drank and smoked cigars, oftentimes waiting to put out his smoke until right before entering the ring.[16][17][18]

On April 7, 1898, Gardner was fighting George Stout in Columbus, Ohio when Stout tripped, fell, or was pushed down.[19][20] Stout lost consciousness after hitting his head on the unpadded floor, cited by many as the fault of the event promoters, and he died the next morning.[20] Gardner was brought to court, facing charges of manslaughter and prize-fighting, but was quickly acquitted.[19]

In 1898, Gardner was a top contender for the World Featherweight title.[21] In October, he knocked out Sam Kelley after fourteen rounds; earned a TKO against Solly Smith after six rounds the following February; and drew with Martin Flaherty two weeks later.[22][23][24] Despite this success, he never won the championship.[6][2] He lost his third and fourth attempts in 1900 and 1901 to Terry McGovern.[25][26] Gardner retired in 1901 at age 29 and returned to Minneapolis.[2][10]

Among those he fought were George Dixon, Harry Forbes, James J. Corbett, Eddie Santry, Dave Sullivan, Solly Smith, Torpedo Billy Murphy, Terry McGovern, Joe Bernstein, and Austin Rice.[2]

Retirement edit

Gardner spent the first decade of his retirement in Minneapolis, where he owned a saloon called "The Only Omaha Kid."[27][28] In 1912, he moved to Washington with a plan to open a fight club in Vancouver, and by 1914 he owned a boxing school in Portland, Oregon.[29][30][31][32] In 1918, Gardner was reportedly back in Minneapolis, this time as a bar owner with his brother Eddie and, according to writer Jack Grace, as a politician, but was in Pittsburgh by 1924.[33][14][34][2] He worked as a promoter with Tex Rickard for several years and in 1928 was working as a boxing judge and a factory watchman in Brooklyn.[2][35][36] He contracted yellow jaundice in June 1928 but did not respond to treatment and was seriously ill by September.[35] Gardner died on December 25, 1928, in a Minneapolis hospital.[7] He was survived by his wife and his children, Oscar Jr. and Grace, who lived in Portland, Oregon; his two brothers; and his sister.[7] At the time of his death, he had four grandsons and one granddaughter.[2] Oscar Jr. debuted as a boxer on June 3, 1913, against Dick Hewitt.[37]

He was inducted into the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ "Boxing record for Oscar Gardner". BoxRec.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Barton, George A. (1928-02-05). "Oscar Gardner Greatest Fighter Ever Produced Here". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. Retrieved 2022-02-06 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ The World Almanac and Encyclopedia. Press Publishing Company. 1902. p. 260.
  4. ^ "Oscar Gardner's Chances". The Buffalo Times. Buffalo, NY. 1900-03-09. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Old gladiators". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, AZ. 1922-01-20. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Oscar Gardner". Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame. n.d. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  7. ^ a b c d Barton, George A. (1928-12-26). "Oscar Gardner, Once Noted Boxer, is Dead". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b "Oscar Gardner, Former Ring Star, Visits Here". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. 1923-09-08. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Deces". The Minneapolis Journal (in French). Minneapolis, MN. 1917-11-09. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b "The "Kid" Comes Back". The Minneapolis Journal. Minneapolis, MN. 1935-04-17. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Oscar Gardner". BoxRec. 2016. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  12. ^ "Count tolled over Eddie Gardner as veteran ringster dies in Rochester; never knocked out in over 300 bouts". The Minneapolis Star. Minneapolis, MN. 1935-04-17. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Oscar Gardner's Perserverance". The Buffalo Times. Buffalo, NY. 1902-03-27. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b Jab, Jim (1918-03-09). "Ring reminiscences". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ McLachlan, Kyle (2019-11-09). "The All-Time Great Bantamweights: No 2: Terry McGovern". The Fight Site. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  16. ^ "Oscar Gardner's Rise". Kenosha News. Kenosha, WI. 1901-03-01. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Saunders, D.J. (1914-08-13). "News and Gossip of the Boxers". The Boston Globe. Boston, MA. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Flaw in his record". The Minneapolis Journal. Minneapolis, MN. 1901-07-02. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b "Gardner acquitted". Buffalo Courier. Buffalo, NY. 1898-12-08. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ a b "Plucky Gardner". The Buffalo Times. Buffalo, NY. 1898-12-05. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Oscar Gardner (the "Omaha Kid")". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia. n.d. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  22. ^ "They fought a draw". The Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn, NY. 1899-02-23. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Wins out in the sixth". Pittsburgh Daily Tribune. Pittsburg, KS. 1899-02-08. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Sam Kelley knocked out". Daily Arkansas Gazette. Little Rock, AK. 1898-10-29. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Sports and Sportsmen". El Paso Herald. El Paso, TX. 1901-05-01. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "They fight next Friday". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, KY. 1900-03-05. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Sports of All Sorts". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, OR. 1908-10-21. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Saloon meeting crowded". The Minneapolis Journal. Minneapolis, MN. 1905-11-11. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Oscar Gardner will open fight club in Vancouver". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. 1912-01-18. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Notes of the Arena". The News Tribune. Tacoma, WA. 1912-01-22. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Pugilist Gardner retires". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, WI. 1912-01-08. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Saunders, Daniel J. (1914-02-26). "Tidings from some of the old-timers". The Boston Globe. Boston, MA. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Oscar Gardner Flays Modern Maulers". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. 1924-10-05. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Oscar Gradner [sic] says "They hate to muss hair"". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. Tacoma, WA. 1924-11-02. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  35. ^ a b "Oscar Gardner, once star featherweight, seriously ill here". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. 1928-09-16. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Oscar Gardner critically ill". The Yonkers Herald. Yonkers, NY. 1928-09-11. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Eyes on Fireman". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland,OR. 1913-06-01. Retrieved 2022-02-26 – via newspapers.com.

January 01, 1970
oscar, gardner, 1872, december, 1928, american, bantamweight, featherweight, boxer, known, omaha, contender, featherweight, championship, world, featherweight, champion, america, though, never, awards, titles, many, claim, this, poor, refereeing, gardner, smal. Oscar Gardner May 19 1872 December 25 1928 was an American bantamweight and featherweight boxer known as the Omaha Kid 2 3 He was a top contender for the Featherweight Championship of the World 4 and the Featherweight Champion of America 5 though he never won any awards or titles many claim this was due to poor refereeing 6 2 Gardner was small but unusually strong tough in the ring but quiet affable gifted with a winning personality who made friends easily when not boxing 2 During his career he fought between 537 and 547 battles sources vary 7 8 6 Oscar GardnerSketch from The Buffalo Times 1898BornOscar Desire Gardner 1872 05 19 May 19 1872Minneapolis Minnesota USADiedDecember 25 1928 1928 12 25 aged 56 Minneapolis Minnesota USAOther namesThe Omaha KidStatisticsWeight s BantamweightFeatherweightHeight5 ft 3 in 1 60 m Reach63 in 1 60 m Boxing record 1 Total fights537 547Wins85Wins by KO59Losses18Draws32No contests1 Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life 1 2 Career 1 3 Retirement 2 ReferencesBiography editEarly life edit Oscar Desire Gardner was born May 19 1872 in Minneapolis Minnesota the middle son of Joseph Gardner and his French Canadian wife Alvina c 1852 1917 9 10 2 11 He grew up on the east side of the city with older brother Joe younger brother Eddie also a boxer and sister Grace 2 8 12 As a teenager he and Eddie worked at the Salisbury amp Satterlee mattress factory where many of the workers engag ed in rough and tumble battles during the lunch hour 2 Gardner struggled at first and was often used by more practiced boxers to pad their stats but eventually became a top contender and earned himself the nickname The Fighting Machine 13 At 17 he moved to Sioux City where he worked as a mattress maker and foreman and was active in the local boxing scene 7 He relocated to Omaha after learning he could earn more money in their pugilistic community then returned to Minneapolis in 1891 2 Career edit Gardner stood almost 5 4 and weighed anywhere from 115 to 124 pounds during his career 6 His one weakness was his weak hands which he broke at least 7 separate times 6 14 Gardner was skilled at the knockout and favored 20 25 round fights which he sometimes fought only two days or three apart 2 15 He claimed not to train for matches and both drank and smoked cigars oftentimes waiting to put out his smoke until right before entering the ring 16 17 18 On April 7 1898 Gardner was fighting George Stout in Columbus Ohio when Stout tripped fell or was pushed down 19 20 Stout lost consciousness after hitting his head on the unpadded floor cited by many as the fault of the event promoters and he died the next morning 20 Gardner was brought to court facing charges of manslaughter and prize fighting but was quickly acquitted 19 In 1898 Gardner was a top contender for the World Featherweight title 21 In October he knocked out Sam Kelley after fourteen rounds earned a TKO against Solly Smith after six rounds the following February and drew with Martin Flaherty two weeks later 22 23 24 Despite this success he never won the championship 6 2 He lost his third and fourth attempts in 1900 and 1901 to Terry McGovern 25 26 Gardner retired in 1901 at age 29 and returned to Minneapolis 2 10 Among those he fought were George Dixon Harry Forbes James J Corbett Eddie Santry Dave Sullivan Solly Smith Torpedo Billy Murphy Terry McGovern Joe Bernstein and Austin Rice 2 Retirement edit Gardner spent the first decade of his retirement in Minneapolis where he owned a saloon called The Only Omaha Kid 27 28 In 1912 he moved to Washington with a plan to open a fight club in Vancouver and by 1914 he owned a boxing school in Portland Oregon 29 30 31 32 In 1918 Gardner was reportedly back in Minneapolis this time as a bar owner with his brother Eddie and according to writer Jack Grace as a politician but was in Pittsburgh by 1924 33 14 34 2 He worked as a promoter with Tex Rickard for several years and in 1928 was working as a boxing judge and a factory watchman in Brooklyn 2 35 36 He contracted yellow jaundice in June 1928 but did not respond to treatment and was seriously ill by September 35 Gardner died on December 25 1928 in a Minneapolis hospital 7 He was survived by his wife and his children Oscar Jr and Grace who lived in Portland Oregon his two brothers and his sister 7 At the time of his death he had four grandsons and one granddaughter 2 Oscar Jr debuted as a boxer on June 3 1913 against Dick Hewitt 37 He was inducted into the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012 6 References edit Boxing record for Oscar Gardner BoxRec a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Barton George A 1928 02 05 Oscar Gardner Greatest Fighter Ever Produced Here Star Tribune Minneapolis MN Retrieved 2022 02 06 via newspapers com The World Almanac and Encyclopedia Press Publishing Company 1902 p 260 Oscar Gardner s Chances The Buffalo Times Buffalo NY 1900 03 09 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Old gladiators Arizona Republic Phoenix AZ 1922 01 20 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com a b c d e f Oscar Gardner Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame n d Retrieved 2022 02 26 a b c d Barton George A 1928 12 26 Oscar Gardner Once Noted Boxer is Dead Star Tribune Minneapolis MN Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com a b Oscar Gardner Former Ring Star Visits Here Star Tribune Minneapolis MN 1923 09 08 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Deces The Minneapolis Journal in French Minneapolis MN 1917 11 09 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com a b The Kid Comes Back The Minneapolis Journal Minneapolis MN 1935 04 17 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Oscar Gardner BoxRec 2016 Retrieved 2022 02 26 Count tolled over Eddie Gardner as veteran ringster dies in Rochester never knocked out in over 300 bouts The Minneapolis Star Minneapolis MN 1935 04 17 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Oscar Gardner s Perserverance The Buffalo Times Buffalo NY 1902 03 27 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com a b Jab Jim 1918 03 09 Ring reminiscences The Pittsburgh Press Pittsburgh PA Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com McLachlan Kyle 2019 11 09 The All Time Great Bantamweights No 2 Terry McGovern The Fight Site Retrieved 2022 02 26 Oscar Gardner s Rise Kenosha News Kenosha WI 1901 03 01 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Saunders D J 1914 08 13 News and Gossip of the Boxers The Boston Globe Boston MA Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Flaw in his record The Minneapolis Journal Minneapolis MN 1901 07 02 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com a b Gardner acquitted Buffalo Courier Buffalo NY 1898 12 08 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com a b Plucky Gardner The Buffalo Times Buffalo NY 1898 12 05 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Oscar Gardner the Omaha Kid The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia n d Retrieved 2022 02 26 They fought a draw The Brooklyn Citizen Brooklyn NY 1899 02 23 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Wins out in the sixth Pittsburgh Daily Tribune Pittsburg KS 1899 02 08 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Sam Kelley knocked out Daily Arkansas Gazette Little Rock AK 1898 10 29 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Sports and Sportsmen El Paso Herald El Paso TX 1901 05 01 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com They fight next Friday The Courier Journal Louisville KY 1900 03 05 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Sports of All Sorts The Oregon Daily Journal Portland OR 1908 10 21 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Saloon meeting crowded The Minneapolis Journal Minneapolis MN 1905 11 11 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Oscar Gardner will open fight club in Vancouver Star Tribune Minneapolis MN 1912 01 18 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Notes of the Arena The News Tribune Tacoma WA 1912 01 22 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Pugilist Gardner retires The Sheboygan Press Sheboygan WI 1912 01 08 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Saunders Daniel J 1914 02 26 Tidings from some of the old timers The Boston Globe Boston MA Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Oscar Gardner Flays Modern Maulers Star Tribune Minneapolis MN 1924 10 05 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Oscar Gradner sic says They hate to muss hair The Tacoma Daily Ledger Tacoma WA 1924 11 02 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com a b Oscar Gardner once star featherweight seriously ill here Star Tribune Minneapolis MN 1928 09 16 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Oscar Gardner critically ill The Yonkers Herald Yonkers NY 1928 09 11 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Eyes on Fireman The Oregon Daily Journal Portland OR 1913 06 01 Retrieved 2022 02 26 via newspapers com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oscar Gardner amp oldid 1160777791, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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