Final Jeopardy 2/21/24 (19th-Century Americans) & Who Won Wednesday February 21 2024

In the latter part of his life, Wyatt Earp, already a legendary figure due to his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, found himself embroiled in controversy in the world of professional boxing. On December 2, 1896, Earp was appointed as the referee for a heavyweight championship bout between Bob Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey, held in San Francisco. The fight attracted significant attention, with both fighters being top contenders in the heavyweight category. The match concluded in controversy when Earp stopped the fight in the eighth round, awarding the victory to Sharkey on the grounds of a foul he claimed Fitzsimmons had committed. This decision was met with immediate uproar from the crowd and skepticism from the press, as many believed that Fitzsimmons had been dominating the fight and that the foul Earp cited was either unseen or non-existent.

The aftermath of the fight saw Wyatt Earp’s reputation suffer significantly. Accusations of match-fixing emerged, with many speculating that Earp had financial incentives to ensure a Sharkey victory. Fitzsimmons and his supporters vehemently protested the decision, leading to legal battles and a public backlash against Earp. Despite Earp’s defense of his decision, the controversy never fully cleared, and the incident added a complex chapter to his already storied life. While Earp is remembered primarily for his role as a lawman and gunfighter in the American West, the boxing match-fixing scandal of 1896 remains a fascinating footnote, illustrating the broad and sometimes unexpected impact he had on American popular culture and the early sports world.