A blacksmith by profession, he is as strong as a bull and has hands like a heavyweight. He has appeared in almost every boxing entertainment held in this city during the last two years, and has nearly always won by the knockout route. About a year later, in another article in the Indianapolis News, Bronson’s budding prowess was described in detail:īronson apparently has all the requisites of a successful fighter. Nevertheless, Bronson was on his way to becoming one of the country’s most capable fighters. Bronson had the better of each of the rounds, in which there was hardly an idle moment, and easily won the decision.” A month later he fought Jimmy Casey to a draw, where he was willing to “rough it with his smaller opponent” but couldn’t secure a clear victory. As the Indianapolis News wrote on February 21, 1905, “Young Bronson made a splendid showing in the first preliminary of four rounds. He began his boxing career in 1905, as a seventeen-year-old kid, and racked up wins almost immediately. Within six months on the job, it was said that “there was never a horse too frisky for Ray to shoe.” He belonged to the International Journeymen Horseshoers and served as the Vice-President of its local lodge 24 until 1906. Working as an apprentice to Indianapolis “horsehoer” (or farrier) Dennis Egan, young Bronson learned his craft as well as built up his physique. As an article in the May 1912 issue of Horseshoers’ Magazine wrote, “When Ray was just a little kid he was thrown upon his own resources.” He lived in Indianapolis by 1900, as noted in the Census, and before he was a boxer, he was a horseshoer. Ray Bronson was born on Augin Webster City, Iowa. Bronson circa 1912, in an article from Horseshoer’s Magazine.
Bronson’s name has largely been forgotten by sports aficionados, but his mark on boxing remains. Later in life, he cultivated upstart boxers, acting as their manager, and worked to promote the sport.
His skill in the ring took him all over the world, from Sydney to London, where he was one of the first American boxers to fight abroad. One boxer who did just that was Ray Bronson, known as the “Indianapolis Pugilist.” Starting his boxing career in his teens, Bronson fought in 81 matches, with 48 wins and 22 Knock-Outs. From Jack Johnson and Rocky Marciano to Muhammad Ali, the sport has captivated audiences and broken barriers. Library of Congress.īoxing holds a revered place in the history of American life.
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