# Young Pluto > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Young_Pluto > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Young_Pluto.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Pluto > Source revision: 1340098944 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Australian Boxer}} {{EngvarB|date=October 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} thumbnail|right|Young Pluto, 1903 '''Joseph William Dudley Brown''' (10 July 1872 in [Port Elizabeth](/source/Port_Elizabeth), [Cape Colony](/source/Cape_Colony) – 3 March 1931 at [Mosman Park](/source/Mosman_Park%2C_Western_Australia), Western Australia{{cite news | title = Obit: Joe Pluto | date = 8 March 1931 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58643049 | work = [The Sunday Times](/source/The_Sunday_Times_(Western_Australia)) | page = 12 | access-date = 21 May 2012}}) was a South African-born{{cite news | first = Joe | last = Pluto | title = My six fights with Griffo – Epic of the Australian ring | date = 9 December 1927 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78967962 | work = [The Daily News](/source/Daily_News_(Perth%2C_Western_Australia)) | page = 1 | access-date = 21 May 2012}} [featherweight](/source/featherweight) [boxer](/source/Boxing), better known as '''Young Pluto''', later '''Joe Pluto''', who lived in Australia for most of his life. His career record was 17–9–12. ==Early life== Contemporary sources give Pluto's birth details variously as: *13 Sep 1871, [Saint John, New Brunswick](/source/Saint_John%2C_New_Brunswick) *1870, Port Elizabeth, South Africa *July 1872, Saint John, New Brunswick{{cite news | title = Pluto's performances | date = 18 September 1893 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article77381388 | work = The Daily News | page = 3 | access-date = 21 May 2012}} *1870 (burial record) In a 1927 newspaper article told (though not written) by Pluto, he is described as a "South African colored boxer", and he specifically states that he was born in South Africa. A modern South African source indicates that he was born on 10 July 1872 in [Port Elizabeth, South Africa](/source/Port_Elizabeth%2C_South_Africa). Pluto worked on tug-boats as a boy, and was apprenticed to a racing stable, where he rode winners at a light weight. ==Career== In Port Elizabeth, South Africa, at age 14 Pluto won 2 four rounders against [Young Sultan](/source/Young_Sultan) and [Young Berry](/source/Young_Berry). He stowed away on the ''E J Spence'', a clipper barque bound for [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne), and settled in [Port Melbourne](/source/Port_Melbourne). He found work with [Caulfield](/source/Caulfield%2C_Victoria) racing trainer T. Brown. He attended the Lyceum Athletic Hall in [Fitzroy](/source/Fitzroy%2C_Victoria) and was matched with [South Melbourne](/source/Sydney_Swans) footballer [Dick Doran](/source/Dick_Doran_(footballer)), and with Clancy. His boxing career in NSW got off to a good start when he beat [Young Browne](/source/Young_Browne) in [Newcastle](/source/Newcastle%2C_New_South_Wales), and then had a draw and a win against [Young Scott](/source/Young_Scott). In 1888 and 1889, he fought [Young Griffo](/source/Young_Griffo) to 5 straight draws. One of these fights lasted for seventy rounds. It had been decided beforehand that if both boxers were still standing that it would be declared a draw, however, it was accepted that Young Griffo had been the better boxer during the fight. Pluto moved to [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) in 1893. He worked as a [battery](/source/stamping_battery) attendant and physical trainer at the [Bayley's Reward Gold Mine](/source/Bayley's_Reward_Gold_Mine) at [Coolgardie](/source/Coolgardie).{{cite news | title = Peeps at People | date = 8 March 1931 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58643144 | work = The Sunday Times | page = 7 | access-date = 21 May 2012}} In 1894 he beat [Benny Marks](/source/Benny_Marks) to win the Western Australian lightweight title at Coolgardie's Theatre Royal. In 1898 he left Australia for the [Klondike Gold Rush](/source/Klondike_Gold_Rush) in the [Yukon](/source/Yukon).{{cite news | first = Wally | last = Foreman | title = The Black Orpington of Biff | date = 6 April 1950 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39102161 | work = The Western Mail | page = 49 | access-date = 21 May 2012}} His first bout was against Californian boxer Kid Williams in [Dawson City](/source/Dawson_City), which he won. His next bout was against [George Dixon](/source/George_Dixon_(boxer)) for the [World Featherweight title](/source/World_Featherweight_Champion). He lost to a [knockout](/source/knockout) in the 10th round. He was the first South African to fight for a world title. He went on to lose his next six bouts, in the US and the United Kingdom. ==Retirement== Pluto returned to Western Australia in 1909, where he married and settled down. His last professional bout was in 1911 at [Fremantle](/source/Fremantle), with a knockout win over [Alec Rogers](/source/Alec_Rogers). In retirement he worked as a boxing instructor in public schools, ran a poultry farm in [Redcliffe](/source/Redcliffe%2C_Western_Australia) and worked on local [racecourse](/source/horse_racing) ground staff.{{cite news | title = Death of Joe Pluto | date = 12 March 1931 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38896875 | work = [The Western Mail](/source/Western_Mail_(Western_Australia)) | page = 14 | access-date = 21 May 2012}}{{cite news | title = Boxing | date = 28 December 1913 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57817235 | work = The Sunday Times | page = 19 | access-date = 21 May 2012}}{{cite news | title = Death of Joe Pluto | date = 5 March 1931 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32502473 | work = [The West Australian](/source/The_West_Australian) | page = 13 | access-date = 21 May 2012}} Pluto had three sons and three daughters, including Bill and Cyril Pluto, who became noted [welterweight](/source/welterweight) boxers. Cyril, who also fought as ''Young Pluto'', was welterweight and [middleweight](/source/middleweight) champion of Western Australia.{{cite news | title = Joe Pluto dead | date = 4 March 1931 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article85405871 | work = The Daily News | page = 1 | access-date = 11 June 2012}} He died on 3 March 1931 at Mosman Park, a suburb of [Perth, Western Australia](/source/Perth%2C_Western_Australia), after a long heart-related illness.{{cite web | url = http://www.supersport.com/boxing/blogs/ron-jackson/SAs_forgotten_gladiator | title = SA's forgotten gladiator | access-date = 21 May 2012 | last = Jackson | first = Ron | date = 20 May 2006 | work = Supersport.com | publisher = MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd}}{{cite news | title = Joe Pluto ill | date = 1 February 1931 | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4374312 | work = The Sunday Times| access-date = 21 May 2012}} He was buried at the [Karrakatta Cemetery](/source/Karrakatta_Cemetery).{{cite web | url = http://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/NameSearch/details.php?id=KB00043077 | title = Brown, William Dudley (Joe Pluto) | access-date = 21 May 2012 | work = Summary of Record Information | publisher = Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Western Australia | archive-date = 24 September 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160924040339/http://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/NameSearch/details.php?id=KB00043077 | url-status = dead }} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{boxrec|10713}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Pluto, Young}} Category:1870 births Category:1931 deaths Category:South African male boxers Category:Sportspeople from Gqeberha Category:Boxers from the Eastern Cape Category:Australian male boxers Category:Featherweight boxers Category:Burials at Karrakatta Cemetery Category:Cape Colony emigrants Category:Immigrants to Australia --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Young Pluto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Pluto) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Pluto?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.