Born in Southwark, London, England on February 1, 1802, the 5'6”Curtis came from a fighting family (his brothers John and George were Prize Ring fighters).
Curtis turned pro in 1820 with a 25 minute win over Watson. He went undefeated over the next eight years and recorded wins over Ned Brown, Peter Warren, Dick Hares and George Phillips. On February 27, 1827 he defeated Hall of Famer Barney “The Star of the East” Aaron in 50 minutes.
Often regarded as one of the greatest lightweights of the Prize Ring era, Curtis combined skill and speed to achieve great success. Curtis' lone defeat came at the hands of Jack Perkins on December 30, 1828, when he lost on a foul in his last bout.
“The Pet of the Fancy” died on September 16, 1843 in Southwark.
Born: Feb. 1, 1802
Died: Sept. 16, 1843
Induction: 2007
Dick Curtis
Courtesy of The Ring
