Otto Cribb (Alfred Otto Simpson) boxer

Otto Cribb boxer
bouts
26
won
18
lost
2
draw
2
Status
inactive
Division
welterweight
Debut
1898-12-14
Height
5′ 5½″/166cm
Reach
67″/170cm
Age
23
Born
1878-02-14
Death
1901-07-23
Nationality
New Zealand

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Otto Cribb, born Alfred Otto Simpson, (14 February 1878 – 23 July 1901) was a New Zealand boxer notable for being inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame as a pioneer of the sport in 2014. He only boxed for three years but became the most popular boxer in the colonies due to his grit and determination during his short career.He began his boxing career in New Zealand but moved to Australia after a year where he achieved popularity and became the middleweight champion of Australia after beating Mick Dunn. He then went to America where he suffered his first defeat and returned to Australia, accusing his manager of taking advantage of him financially. Shortly after returning he suffered his second defeat in a rematch with Dunn and died shortly afterwards due to a concussion.Cribb was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1878. His birth name was Alfred Simpson and his father was a tobacconist and hairdresser in Christchurch. He also became a tobacconist and worked for a chemist's shop in New Zealand for a time, and attained a high level of education.Cribb began boxing in New Zealand in 1898 winning several fights that year, and came to Australia in about 1899, ultimately settling in Parramatta, and earned recognition in boxing circles by sparring in a novice tournament at the Alhambra Club in Sydney in May. He joined the novice competition officially and in June 1899 he fought a fellow novice boxer Paddy Martin at the Alhambra Club and won. The fight was regarded as both entertaining and amusing by the crowd, with Otto drawing laughs for reacting to being punched in the nose by wiping it. In September he beat Joe Dunn in a semi-final of the novice competition, and in October he drew against a boxer going by the pseudonym 'The Poet'. In late October he contracted influenza and was bedridden for four days leading him to postpone a match against Jack Tuckwell, who he beat when the match finally took place in late November. In December he acted as a cornerman for the first time during a Colonial Fleet boxing championship.In January 1900 Cribb beat Harry Dawson in five minutes in a fight at the Golden Gate Club attended by 800 spectators, who were disappointed at the noncompetitive fight. After the fight he expressed the wish to box in Melbourne, but in February he boxed in Sydney again against Ned Burden at the Golden Gate club winning quickly in front of a crowd of 1,000. In March he fought Victorian light-weight Tot Higgins in Sydney, and won in thirteen rounds in what was described as his best performance yet in front of a crowd of 2,000. In April he beat Jack Broughton at the Gaiety Theatre in front of 500 people and the match was harshly criticized due to Broughton's lack of competitiveness, and it was suggested it may even kill the Sydney boxing boom.

Date Opponent Last Opponents' Results Place Result
1901-07-22 Mick Dunn LLWWL Gaiety Athletic Hall, Sydney LOST
KO
1901-07-04 John Maloney debut Gaiety Athletic Hall, Sydney NC
1901-03-29 Charles Dutch Thurston WWDWWL Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco LOST
Points
1901-01-18 Charles Dutch Thurston WWWDWW Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco WIN
Points
1900-12-20 Frank McConnell WWWWLL Woodward's Pavilion, San Francisco WIN
KO
1900-10-01 Mick Dunn WLLWW Gaiety Athletic Hall, Sydney WIN
KO
1900-09-01 Tot Higgins WWLWWL Golden Gate A.C., Sydney WIN
KO
1900-07-02 Frank Sturgeon DL Metropolitan AC, Sydney DRAW
Points
1900-04-20 Frank Sturgeon D Metropolitan AC, Sydney WIN
KO
1900-04-09 Jack Broughton DL Gaiety Athletic Hall, Sydney WIN
Technical knockout
1900-03-26 Tot Higgins LWWLWW Metropolitan AC, Sydney WIN
Corner retirement
1900-02-28 Ike Stewart WWLW Golden Gate A.C., Sydney WIN
1900-02-12 Billy Williams DWDLDL Gymnastic Club, Sydney NC
1900-02-10 Ned Burden WWWDL Golden Gate A.C., Sydney WIN
KO
1900-01-13 Harry Dawson WWW Golden Gate A.C., Sydney WIN
KO
1899-11-27 Jack Tuckwell WW Golden Gate A.C., Sydney WIN
Technical knockout
1899-09-30 Billy The Poet McCoy WWLW Golden Gate A.C., Sydney DRAW
Points
1899-09-02 Joe Dunn WL Golden Gate A.C., Sydney WIN
Corner retirement
1899-08-05 Frank Martin WW Golden Gate A.C., Sydney WIN
Corner retirement
1899-07-01 Paddy Martin W Golden Gate A.C., Sydney WIN
Corner retirement
1899-05-31 Jack O'Brien WLLD Alhambra AC,Haymarket, Sydney WIN
KO
1899-05-27 Paddy Harden L Alhambra AC,Haymarket, Sydney WIN
Points
1899-05-20 Jack Wilson WL Alhambra AC,Haymarket, Sydney WIN
Points
1899-05-13 Ike Stewart WWW Alhambra AC,Haymarket, Sydney NC
1898-12-21 Jim Pettengell WWWLLD Zealandia Hall, Invercargill WIN
Technical knockout
1898-12-14 George Musson W Theatre Royal, Christchurch WIN
Technical knockout

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