American Club, Paris
One of history’s strangest boxing matches took place in Paris, France, between two Toronto Star writers. American novelist Ernest Hemingway was a foreign correspondent for the Star, as was Toronto-based author Morley Callaghan. The two writers become friends as well as sparring partners. Hemingway, often described as a “macho blowhard,” claimed to be one of the world’s great boxers, but he was no match for Callaghan. Their friend, American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, was asked to serve as timekeeper. Fitzgerald let a round go too long, and Callaghan knocked Hemingway to the mat. Hemingway never forgave Fitzgerald; it was the end of their famous friendship.
