Bare-knuckle boxing legally held in United States for first time

Josh Peter | USA TODAY

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Bare-knuckle boxing, last practiced with fanfare on American soil when legendary champion John L. Sullivan was knocking out men in the 1880s, made its official return Saturday night.

Billed as the first legal, sanctioned and state-regulated bare-knuckle event in U.S. history, the 10-card bout got underway at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center in front of a sellout crowd of 2,000. A potentially far bigger audience watched the pay-per-view telecast.

Fighters wearing gauze wrapped around their hands but with knuckles exposed paraded in the “squared circle,” specially designed for the event that prompted threatening phone calls, according to promoter David Feldman.

“One guy said, ‘I’m going to welcome you to Wyoming with a bullet in your head,’ " Feldman, founder of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, told USA TODAY Sports. "Just a lot of junk that came our way.

"I know that most people are just talking, trying to scare me off, and I didn’t want to take it seriously. But you never know what may happen.’’

With a K-9 patrol dog trained to detect explosives on hand, the event went off without a hitch. The fight card included 15 mixed-martial arts fighters, four boxers and one kickboxer — all established professionals, Feldman said.

A co-main event featured two women, MMA fighter Bec Rawlings of Australia and boxer Alma Garcia of Denver. The other co-main event featured Ricco Rodriguez, a former UFC heavyweight champion.

Seven of the 10 fights were decided by knockout or technical knockout, and only three fights went beyond the third round on a bloody night.

In the co-main events, Rawlings won in a second-round TKO and Rodriguez won by decision.

Bryan Pedersen, chairman Wyoming Combat Sports Commission, responded to critics who call bare-knuckle boxing barbaric and objected to Wyoming sanctioning the event. (Feldman, the promoter, said 28 other states refused to do so.)

Noting that bare-knuckle fighters can use only their fists, while MMA fighters and kickboxers can strike an opponent in the head with their elbows, knees and shins, Pedersen said, “That’s something where we can just look at and say, ‘This (bare-knuckle boxing) is going to be a safer sport than the two that we already regulate.' ’’

But precautions were in place for what was expected to be a bloody event. Two ringside doctors, rather than the standard one, were on hand, and two ambulances were parked outside the center.



Feldman said the show cost $500,000 to produce and he expressed confidence that fans would get their money’s worth. Tickets were priced from $50 to $200 and the pay-per-view telecast was available for $29.99 on outlets such as fite.tv.

“Not everybody wanted us here, but now that we’re here they’re welcoming us,’’ Feldman said before the fight. “We’re getting a tremendous response all around the world. It’s just unbelievable.’’