Tom Molineaux

Tom Molineaux was an African American bare-knuckle boxer, probably born into slavery in Virginia, who travelled to Britain to pursue the heavyweight championship. His closely contested fights with Tom Cribb in 1810 and 1811 made him internationally famous despite racism, hostile crowds and disputed officiating.

Tom Molineaux was born in Virginia and died in Dublin. Molineaux’s first bout with the English champion Tom Cribb in 1810 ended amid controversy, and the rematch in 1811 drew enormous attention; although defeated, Molineaux became one of the earliest Black international sporting celebrities.

In George MacDonald Fraser’s Black Ajax, Tom Molineaux is born enslaved in Virginia and wins his freedom through fighting before travelling to Britain, where the Black boxer and former champion Bill Richmond trains him for the brutal world of Regency prizefighting.