6. Boxing: Harry Sharpe vs. Frank Crosby
Anyone who’s ever boxed can tell you just how physically taxing of a sport it is, so it’s amazing to discover that there have been fights that managed to go on for several hours. One of the most notable is a match that took place in 1892 between Harry Sharp and Frank Crosby. At just over 5 hours, this brutal contest is the longest knockout fight to ever be held under modern boxing rules. The match took place in Nameoki, Illinois, and it was said to be a dead even fight, to the point that it wasn’t until the 76
th round that both men finally knocked each other down simultaneously. Crosby supposedly hit his head on the ground hard, and even though he was able to get to his feet, Sharpe knocked him out a few minutes later. At a total time of 5 hours, 3 minutes, 45 seconds, the Crosby/Sharpe fight is one of the longest bouts of all time. It proved to be so long, in fact, that the referee didn’t even last the full duration. Supposedly, the fight’s ref was fighting a cold by taking the occasional pull from a flask of liquor. According to boxing lore, the man passed out in the 65
th round, leaving Sharpe and Crosby to fight their last 12 rounds with no officiating. (Note from editor: unable to locate image of Sharpe and Crosby. Shown: boxer from late 1800s/early 1900s – name unknown.)