Richard Kyle Fox (August 12, 1846 – November 15, 1922) was an Irish-born American

sports journalist Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in a par ...

, publisher and promoter.

Biography

Fox was born on August 12, 1846, in

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, to James and Mary Fox (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Kyle). His first job was an office boy for a newspaper, later going on to work at ''Belfast News'' for ten years. In September 1874, he immigrated to the United States, getting a job for the ''

The Journal of Commerce ''Journal of Commerce'' is a biweekly magazine published in the United States that focuses on global trade topics. First published in 1827 in New York, it has a circulation of approximately 15,000. It provides editorial content to manage day-to ...

''. He became a manager for the ''

National Police Gazette The ''National Police Gazette'', commonly referred to as simply the ''Police Gazette'', is an American magazine founded in 1845. Under publisher Richard K. Fox, it became the forerunner of the men's magazine, men's lifestyle magazine, the illu ...

'', being granted ownership in late 1876 due to unpaid hours. A pioneer in

yellow journalism In journalism, yellow journalism and the yellow press are American newspapers that use eye-catching headlines and sensationalized exaggerations for increased sales. This term is chiefly used in American English, whereas in the United Kingdom, ...

, he often printed friskily-dressed women on the front page of the paper to attract buyers and published sensationalist stories. He helped increase the paper's circulation from 150,000 to 400,000 a week. Fox famously feuded with

John L. Sullivan John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918), known simply as John L. among his admirers, and dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy" by the press, was an American boxer. He is recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved ...

, which stemmed from a dispute at Harry Hill's saloon. Fox attempted to create a match between Sullivan and

Paddy Ryan Patrick Ryan (15 March 1851 – 14 December 1900) was an Irish American boxer, and became the bare-knuckle American heavyweight champion on 30 May 1880, after he won the title from Joe Goss. He retained the title until losing it to the excep ...

, but backed from the deal due to being unathorized to create a boxing match. The feud culminated in the Sullivan vs. Ryan bare-knuckle match. Fox died on November 15, 1922, aged 72, in

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, from pneumonia. He is buried in

Woodlawn Cemetery Woodlawn Cemetery is the name of several cemeteries, including: Canada * Woodlawn Cemetery (Saskatoon) * Woodlawn Cemetery (Nova Scotia) United States ''(by state then city or town)'' * Woodlawn Cemetery (Ocala, Florida), where Isaac Rice and fa ...

in The Bronx. Two boats, the ''Richard K. Fox'' and ''

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

,'' are named for him. In June 1997, he and

Don King Donald King (born August 20, 1931) is an American boxing promoter, known for his involvement in several historic boxing matchups. King's career highlights include, among multiple other enterprises, promoting "The Rumble in the Jungle" and the ...

were inducted into the

International Boxing Hall of Fame The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, Richard Kyle 1846 births 1922 deaths Writers from Belfast Journalists from the Bronx Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) American sports journalists