Herbert Augustus Slade (10 January 1851 – 6 April 1913), also known as "Maori" Slade, the Big Maori, the Maori Mauler or the Australian Giant, was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

descent, who fought

John L. Sullivan John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918), known simply as John L. among his admirers, and dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy" by the press, was an American boxer recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing ...

for the heavyweight championship of the world in 1883. This occurred at

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, New York, on 6 August 1883. Sullivan won in the third round. On 3 July 1896, long after his retirement, Slade was heavily beaten in a ten-round fight with Charley Lange. On other occasions, he reportedly had the better of Sullivan in saloon scuffles. A bare-knuckle fighter, Slade is considered New Zealand’s first international sports personality, and has been inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame. Born at Kaikino, near

Awanui Awanui is an historical river port in the far north of New Zealand, on the banks of the Awanui River just before it flows into Rangaunu Bay. Awanui lies at the south end of the Aupouri Peninsula in the Far North District Council of the Northla ...

in the Northland region of New Zealand, in 1851, he was one of eight children of James Slade, an Irish whaler, and Te Paea Rupu "Sophia" Kopiri, a Māori woman of the

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...

tribe. Given the issues of racial discrimination in the United States, it was unusual for a brown person to be allowed to fight for the championship. Indeed, it was the first such match featuring a non-white contender. Former champion boxer

Jem Mace James "Jem" Mace (8 April 1831 – 30 November 1910) was an English boxing champion, primarily during the bare-knuckle era. He was born at Beeston, Norfolk, Beeston, Norfolk. Although nicknamed "The Gypsy", he denied Romani people, Romani ethn ...

was Slade's discoverer and exhibition partner. Henry J. Rice was Slade's manager. Slade later went on an exhibition tour across the United States with Sullivan. The press called Slade "one of the cleverest sparrers who ever entered a ring." In 1886, Slade gave a sparring exhibition with Duncan McDonald at the Opera House in Salt Lake City, Utah to the benefit of the Olympic Club. Slade and McDonald were also arrested and taken to court for boxing. In 1887, both Slade and McDonald were found guilty of "prize fighting" and sentenced to 30 days in the state penitentiary. But as Slade and McDonald were well-liked citizens, the Governor immediately pardoned and released them. While on a boxing exhibition tour and staying overnight at the Swasey Mansion in Mona, Utah, Slade accepted an engagement as the personal bodyguard of the wealthy rancher and bank owner Rodney Swasey. Slade lived on the Swasey ranch at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Mona, Utah. Slade and a cowboy, John W. Bascom, from the neighboring Bascom Ranch, gave sparring exhibitions in the area. By 1891, Slade had retired from the boxing ring and was manager, director, boxing trainer and in house celebrity of Colonel Ed Kelley's Elks Gymnasium and Bijou Saloon in Salt Lake City. But there were rumors in the press and finally an announcement of Slade coming out of retirement to fight Charley Lange at the Elks gym. In June 1891, Slade gave a sparring exhibition in Provo, Utah with George LaBlanche and then prepared for a ten-round match with Lange in the Electric Light Hall in Salt Lake City. Slade lost to Lange and then announced his retirement back to the ranch. Having second thoughts, Slade challenged Lange for a 25-round rematch in just six weeks. He again entered the ring in a ten-round glove fight in Logan with Jim Williams. Slade later became Williams personal trainer and helped him become the champion of Utah. Slade gave sparring exhibitions at Turner's Hall, the Electric Light Hall and other venues. Slade married his boss's daughter Estelle Armenta Swasey in 1892. Five children came from that union. Slade and his wife lived for a while in Salt Lake City where he opened a boxing school and also the mining town of Eureka, Utah where he was a boxing referee and started an athletic club. Slade was a referee in a boxing match held at the Provo Opera House in 1898. Slade was a part owner of the Last Chance gold mine in Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City. In 1909, Slade was appointed to serve as two-year term as Deputy Sheriff at Knight's Smelter in Tintic, Utah. Also that year, former world champion boxer John L. Sullivan, who had announced his final world tour of boxing, stopped at Slade's Eureka residence to convince him to join the tour. Slade died in Mona, Utah in 1913 and is buried in the Mona Cemetery.

References

*''John L Sullivan & ‘Maori’ Slade'' by C Tobin published 2007. .

External links

*
another site showing Slade's record
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slade, Herbert 1851 births New Zealand Māori sportspeople 1913 deaths People from the Northland Region New Zealand male boxers Ngāpuhi people New Zealand people of Irish descent New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in the United States