The Great Barge Fight featured two San Francisco boxers, Gentleman Jim Corbett and The California Terror aka Chrysanthemum, Joe Choynski. The two fighters had had a rivalry since they were kids. Their first fight was arranged by their brothers who worked together and each boasted of their brothers’ prowess. After indecisive bouts haphazardly arranged, Corbett and Choynski finally met in 1889 to determine the better boxer. Choynski challenged Corbett who accepted under the condition that the match would be a “fight to the finish.” (Finish fights were considered brutal and illegal.) Corbett was handsome, charming and well dressed. Some called Corbett the father of modern boxing. He was known for his quick footwork, his left hook and his evasive strategy in the ring. Choynski was a brawler, known for his powerful punch, stamina and eye-catching golden hair (thus Chrysanthemum Joe). The fight began in a barn near Fairfax in Marin County on May 30, 1889. The Sheriff of Marin County interrupted the fight after only four rounds. He said they would have to relocate the illegal bout out of his jurisdiction.

On June 5, 1889, the fight continued in Benicia on a grain barge anchored in Southampton Bay. (The Marin County Sheriff was in attendance). The plan to stage the fight on the water was to thwart the authorities. The fight became known as the Barge Fight. Several fishing boats and tugs brought fight fans out to watch. Corbett won the fight with a 27th round knockout. One newspaper headline read, “Joe Jabbed to Death.” Corbett went on to become the first gloved, heavyweight champion in 1892 by defeating John L. Sullivan. The bay area was the center of boxing in America at the time. The artist’s father and grandfather both had connections with the bay area fight scene. This mural depicts two men boxing on a barge while an audience of men sit ringside and in a dingy. This mural is the second one in this series dedicated to the pugilistic arts.