Dutch Sam

Samuel Elias, better known as Dutch Sam (4 April 1775 in Petticoat Lane, London – 3 July 1816), was a professional boxing pioneer and was active between the years 1801 and 1814. Known as the hardest hitter of his era, he earned the nickname "The Man with the Iron Hand". He was also known as "The Terrible Jew" referencing his Jewish ancestry.

Early life Dutch Sam was born in Whitechapel, East London on 4 April 1775 to a family of Jewish emigres from Holland. An essential element of the modern boxer's arsenal, it is one of the two main punches that count in statistics as power punches. Sam's downfall was his habitual reliance on alcohol. He bragged of downing as much as three glasses of gin three times a day, and whether his drinking was this frequent or not, it gradually robbed him of his strength and stamina.

Sam's second and less well-publicized fight was against a Shipley, known as the "Champion of the Broadway", and though he won against the heavier 196 pound boxer, he received less for the fight. Sam's strength, stamina, and endurance prevailed in the later stages of the bout, and Belcher had to yield in the 57th round. Belcher, an accomplished boxer, was the brother of Jem Belcher, a London heavyweight champion. In a second bout with Belcher on 28 July 1807, at Mouley Hurst, the match was declared a draw when Belcher's seconds declared a foul in the 34th round, though no decision was made. The London Morning Chronicle wrote that Sam appeared to increase in strength in the later rounds. Apparently Sam had accidentally hit Belcher in the face as he was falling over with a hand just touching the ring, a violation of the London Prize Rules. In their third and last fight, on 21 August 1807, at Crawley Common, Sam was seconded by Daniel Mendoza, as he had been in the first two fights. The match lasted 36 rounds and Sam's superior punching power and endurance led to Belcher's defeat. In the cruel, unregulated rules of the London Prize Ring, in the eighteenth round, Sam punched Belcher in the head while holding him by the neck, causing him to drop to the ground. The tactic, then known as fibbing, is illegal in modern boxing rules. Sam used his right expertly and with strength according to the London Times, but his left was used primarily for stopping his opponent and feinting. While Belcher left the ring nearly unconscious, Sam's most notable injury was a black eye. Sam then defeated Ben Medley for a purse of 200 Guineas on 31 May 1810 in 39 rounds at Moulsey Hurst near Hampton in the London borough of Richmond.

On 21–23 December 1812, Sam performed in a sparring exhibition, with the boxer Bill Cropley and two others in the Theatre Royal Pavilion on Newcastle Street.

Last match with Nosworthy and death After a four year retirement from the ring, Sam attempted an ill-advised last fight on 8 December 1814 against Devonshire baker William Knowlesworthy, a name written as Nosworthy in current historical records. Knowlesworthy was a younger boxer around 28, to Sam's advancing and hard-fought 39 years. As a result of age and inadequate training, he lost to Knowlesworthy after 40 total rounds, though he showed signs of fatigue as early as the fourth when he was knocked to the mat by his younger opponent. His East London Jewish backers grieved the loss of their champion, particularly since many had placed heavy wagers on Sam, a pre-fight 4-1 favorite.

In his obituary in Bells Weekly, a London newspaper, a reporter observed "as a fighter he had no equal. He was the greatest exponent of science and terrific hitting the ring has ever seen. Had he taken proper care of himself, he might have lived to a good, ripe old age and held the championship for many years..."

Renowned twentieth century boxing historian Nat Fleischer believed that during his career, Sam was "feared as the deadliest puncher of the London Prize Ring"

The Boxing Register, publication of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, consider Dutch Sam and Daniel Mendoza the two greatest Jewish boxers of the Pioneer era of boxing. Moulsey Hurst, England 49 rounds ------ Loss Bill Nosworthy 8 Dec 1814 Moulsey Hurst, England 9 rounds Sam not in condition after 4 year layoff