James William "Iron" Hague (6 November 1885 – 18 August 1951) was a boxer born in

Mexborough Mexborough is a town in the City of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Situated between Manvers and Denaby Main, it lies on the River Don close to where it joins the River Dearne, and the A6023 road runs through the town. It is contiguo ...

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

. He was the British heavyweight champion between 1909 and 1911. He fought for the Yorkshire heavyweight title against Dick Parkes at Doncaster on 8 April 1905, winning in the fifth round. He then went on to beat a steady stream of English heavyweights, many by knockouts. He was invited to enter the Heavyweight Novice competition held at the National Sporting Club, London in January 1908. This was a series of fights of three rounds only. He won this with a series of knockouts. After a few more wins he was invited to fight Gunner Jim Moir for the English Heavyweight title on 19 April 1909. He won this in the first round with a knockout, creating a new boxing record for the fastest victory of a title. His homecoming was a splendid affair with thousands lining the streets of his home town. He defended the title once against Bill Chase, knocking him out in the sixth round, but lost it on 24 April 1911 to the up-and-coming Bombardier Billy Wells. This fight was for the first Lonsdale Belt. Shortly after winning the title, "Iron" Hague agreed to fight

Sam Langford Samuel Edgar Langford (March 4, 1886 – January 12, 1956), known as the Boston Tar Baby, Boston Terror and Boston Bonecrusher, was a Black Canadian boxing standout of the early part of the 20th century. Called the "Greatest Fighter Nobody Know ...

, the coloured boxer from Canada. Langford is rated as being in the top 10 fighters of all time. Hague, controversially at the time, did not believe in a 'Colour Bar' for boxing. He was quoted as saying that "unless all men are allowed to freely compete, how can you ever find the true champion?". Langford knocked Hague out in the fourth round. Langford said in later years that in all his time in boxing no one hit him as hard as the punch he took from "Iron" Hague. This huge left from Hague knocked Langford down and he only just managed to rally. Hague had broken his hand with the punch, which marred his performance thereafter. After retiring from boxing, Hague took the

King's shilling The King's shilling, sometimes called the Queen's shilling when the Sovereign is female, is a historical slang term referring to the earnest payment of one shilling given to recruits to the Armed forces of the United Kingdom in the 18th, 19th and ...

in the First World War and joined the Grenadier Guards. On discovering his former boxing glory they had him box once more on behalf of the regiment. He saw military action in several battles such as the Somme and Passchendaele. "Iron" Hague died in his daughter's arms in Mexborough aged 65 on 18 August 1951.''Boxing News Annual 1952'', War Facts Press, p. 8 He is buried in

Cemetery.

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Refer to the book "The Iron Man" by G H Brearley. This biography charts his whole lifestory. English male boxers Foundrymen Heavyweight boxers 1885 births People from Mexborough Sportspeople from Doncaster European Boxing Union champions 1951 deaths {{England-boxing-bio-stub