MATTHEWS, MATTY FIGHT WORN GLOVES

Matty Matthews was born in New York on July 13, 1873. He began boxing as a professional in 1894. Matthews was a clever boxer who met most of the top men in his weight class during his career and had an impressive record against this talented opposition; He won the Welterweight Championship of the World in 1898 defeating Mysterious Billy Smith. Matthews defeated such men as "Mysterious" Billy Smith, Eddie Connolly, James "Rube" Ferns, Bobby Dobbs, Austin Gibbons, Mike Leonard, Owen Zeigler, Stanton Abbott, Mike Farragher, "Philadelphia" Tommy Ryan, Frank Garrard, Nick Collins, Tommy Broderick, Paddy Fenton, George "Mystery" Kerwin, Charley "Rough House" Burns, Otto Sieloff, Isadore Strauss, Dan McConnell, Billy Payne, Patsy Sweeney and William "Kid" McPartland. Matthews retired in 1908 and passed away on December 6, 1948 in Brooklyn, New York. Offered here are a pair of fight worn gloves used by Matty Matthews. The gloves originated form the estate of Matty Matthews and have been passed down to William Sloane, Sr. to William Sloane, Jr. to Lew Eskin to Duke Hott to Bill Schutte to Harry Shaffer to JO Sports, Inc. The gloves are too small to be considered training gloves from this era. The gloves come with an incredible chain of provenance with letters of authenticity from William Sloane, Jr., Lew Eskin, Bill Schutte and Harry Shaffer as well as our own.
These gloves are leather, approximately 3- 4 ounce gloves with horsehair interior. Gloves have a Reach of Philadelphia manufacturer's tag on the palm side. Gloves have been tagged inside by Bill Schutte. Some cracking and a few small holes, but still perfectly intact. An extraordinarily rare offering of a 19th century champion's gloves with impeccable provennace dating the gloves back to Matty Matthews and tracing their history to the present day.