EDEN is a proud sponsor of the Gans-Nelson Centennial Celebration, which took place in Goldfield, Nevada to commemorate the September 3, 1906 Gans-Nelson Lightweight Championship of the World bout that went an astounding 42 rounds, recorded as the longest world title fight in history by Queensbury rules in the Guinness Book of World Records. This UNLV vs. UNR boxing event took place on September 16, 2006 and brought together two great boxing teams from the Silver State.

The History:

On September 3, 1906, Goldfield, Nevada hosted the 'Battle of the Century' prizefight for the Lightweight Championship of the World. The fight was between 'Baby' Joe Gans and Oscar 'Battling' Nelson. A boxing match recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest world title fight in history by Queensbury rules. 42 long rounds of hard, gruesome fighting. Thousands flocked to Goldfield to witness this contest of strength and endurance. Tex Rickard promoted the fight, which brought in a record amount of gate receipts. The purse of $33,500 was split $11,000 for Gans and $22,500 for Nelson. The odds were 2-1 Gans. After over 2 hours of actual fighting time the match finally came to an end when a low blow from Nelson resulted in a disqualification. Some believed he did it intentionally to end the fight. Gans retained his championship title and history shows that they went on to meet again.

The Event:

To commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Gans-Nelson fight, Goldfield hosted a series of boxing matches between UNLV and UNR boxing clubs on September 16, 2006. The first match was between UNLV's Nathan Wong and UNR's Ryan Cotey. Nathan Wong won the match. The second match was between UNLV's Jason Crocco and UNR's Jason Case. The fight of the Jason's ended with Jason Crocco taking the victory. The next bout was an exhibition between UNLV's national gold medalist Greg Murrell and UNR's Thomas Gennaro. This was an exciting fight and both fighters proved what great athletes they are. The final fight was between UNLV's DJ Reese and UNR's Francisco Torres. This bout was won by Francisco Torres of UNR. The action packed afternoon resulted in 2 victories for UNLV and 1 for UNR. EDEN expresses it's sincere thanks to both boxing clubs for their participation in this event. We couldn't have done it without them. A special thanks to Coach Mike Martino for setting up the matches, providing a boxing ring, and all the hard work he put forth to get this event together.

Historian Gary Schultz was instrumental in helping organize this event. The boxing gloves, shoes, and photos from the original fight in 1906 were on display. Film from the original 1906 fight was played in Goldfield at the fight, at the Tonopah Historic Mining Park and Museum which hosted an open house that afternoon, and at the Elks Lodge where the Awards Dinner was hosted. Special thanks to Gary for his excitement and enthusiasm in helping bring this together. The State of Nevada sent a proclamation regarding the event signed by Senator Mike McGinness. It will be proudly displayed at the Esmeralda County Courthouse in Goldfield, Nevada.

Economic Development:
You may ask, what does this have to do with economic development. This event helped bring revenue into the towns of Goldfield and Tonopah. The Gans-Nelson Centennial Celebration was a success. Proceeds from the fight will benefit Esmeralda County. Auction proceeds went to the Goldfield Historical Society. Dinner proceeds benefited the Tonopah Elks Lodge. The Goldfield Fire Dept. ran the concessions and will utilize the profits from that. Tonopah hotels, restaurants, and gas stations benefited by the influx of people to the area. And despite all that, a memorable event was brought back to life.

Thanks:
EDEN expresses its thanks to the UNLV and UNR boxing teams and coaches, to the Esmeralda County Commission, the Tonopah Town Board, and Gary Schulz (historian).