What were the old bare knuckle strikes that used to kill people?

[greynotsoold]

When I was a kid, I knew this guy that would tell me stories about when he was a fighter. He was 79 then, and this was in 1974, so he was fighting in the early to mid teens of the 20th century. They didn't fight bareknuckle, but they did wrap their hands with packing tape and wear 4oz gloves.
backhands were a serious weapon in those fights, and they could grab and turn each other into them because they were basically wearing mittens. It is a bit suprising that any of them survived. And this guy was real clear headed and sharp, had a 35 year old 'housekeeper', was out every day feeding horses, riding, and drinking with my friend's grandfather.

[IamInuit]

When I was a kid, I knew this guy that would tell me stories about when he was a fighter. He was 79 then, and this was in 1974, so he was fighting in the early to mid teens of the 20th century. They didn't fight bareknuckle, but they did wrap their hands with packing tape and wear 4oz gloves.
backhands were a serious weapon in those fights, and they could grab and turn each other into them because they were basically wearing mittens. It is a bit suprising that any of them survived. And this guy was real clear headed and sharp, had a 35 year old 'housekeeper', was out every day feeding horses, riding, and drinking with my friend's grandfather.

Lol how true.

Imagine a street fight with a ref. Its why I respect that little twerp Jimmy Wilde so much. 90 pounds soaking wet wearing 4 oz gloves most of his career and the tent fighting he no doubt took in nightly long before records were taken. Knocking out and beating up guys twice and at times 3 times his size even if some were half in the bag at times. To survive that and then go on to the career he had with the dominance he displayed will never be equaled. Hardest puncher in history and arguably possessed the best chin also.

Like how I shamelessly propped one of my favourite fighters using the question asked