IF Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury ever step into the ring together, it will be too late. It is all too common these days for two fighters who are perfectly matched to step aside from challenging each other until they are both past their peak. Think Amir Khan and Kell Brook, or Mayweather and Pacquiao. A lot of old-timers will claim that this never used to happen in the ‘good old days’ and while this is largely true, there are some exceptions.
In 1906, Pedlar Palmer was 30 years old and, although a little past his prime, he was a match for anyone at featherweight. He had reigned supreme at bantamweight during the late 1890s and had boxed successfully in the States and in South Africa. Having come up short against Ben Jordan and Joe Bowker for the 8st 12lbs championship, he was still a major force in May 1906 when Jim Driscoll beat Joe Bowker to claim the British featherweight title.
Driscoll, who died 100 years ago, was one of the all-time greats of British boxing and is up there with Jimmy Wilde, Freddie Welsh, Tommy Farr and Joe Calzaghe as one of the best Welsh boxers of all time. He was only around four years younger than Palmer and the two would have been well matched as a potential first defence of his newly won title.
Unfortunately, Palmer decided to go and kill someone on a train. A keen racegoer, Pedlar was returning from Epsom Downs after attending a race meeting in April 1907 when he became involved in an altercation with a fellow passenger and, after striking him, the man collapsed and died. As a result, Palmer was sentenced to five years penal servitude after being found guilty of manslaughter.
In the meantime, Driscoll cemented his place by winning the third of the Lonsdale belts to be issued, and he was ready for big-money contests against Freddie Welsh and Jean Poesy. When Palmer was released in April 1911, at 34, he was determined to re-enter the ring. Things did not go well for him, and he lost his first contest by knockout against Darkey Haley of Leyton and then, after four wins, he lost again by knockout, at the hands of Jim Lloyd of South Shields, and that was that.
Driscoll’s career was greatly interrupted by the First World War, but his glory years were probably behind him by 1914. After not having fought for over six years, it was announced that Driscoll would resume his career, surprisingly against none other than Pedlar Palmer, a man who had not fought professionally for nearly seven years. Quite what the London fight fans were to make of this contest is anyone’s guess, but, having been starved of big-time boxing for most of the war years, they would have been happy to watch any contest and especially one between men of the stature of Palmer and Driscoll.
‘Peerless Jim’ was 38 years old, and Palmer, the ‘Box o’ Tricks’, was 42, but the bout was eagerly anticipated. It took place at the Pitfield Street Baths in Hoxton, right in the heart of the East End, for promoter Jack Callaghan BN was enthusiastic, “All the world and his wife will surely roll up, since every man, woman and child in the kingdom who has ever taken any interest at all in the boxing game will want to see how Driscoll is today”.
The two were matched over 10 two-minute rounds and it came as no surprise when Jim, in front of a full house, stopped Palmer in the fourth of these. It is such a shame that the two men met in 1919, rather than in 1905 or 1906, and, but for Palmer’s sentence, a match between the two may have been made 12 years earlier. For Palmer, it was to be his last contest. Driscoll only lived for six more years, and Palmer lived until 1949, spending much of his time, peacefully on the racecourse.
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