Joe Coburn In 1862 Coburn claimed the Heavyweight Championship from John C Heenan when Heenan refused to fight him. In 1865, Coburn refused an offer to fight Jimmy Elliott for the Heavyweight championship of America, and instead chose to retire. His championship title was officially vacated the following year, but he soon chose to return to the ring. Coburn came out of retirement in 1871 against Jem Mace to again fight for the heavyweight championship. Many boxing historians now consider the fight was for the world, not just the American championship. The first scheduled title fight between the two, in 1864, did not go ahead as Mace failed to show. Coburn was furious that Mace had prevented him from participating in the lucrative match, which would have drawn a large crowd. In the second fight on November 30, 1871, in Bay St. Louis, Louisiana, Mace injured his hand in the fifth. The fighters agreed to call it a draw after the 12th round, due to Mace's infirmity, though the torrential rain was likely the real cause of the abbreviated match that had required the boxers to fight up to their knees in mud. The CDV is back marked Ashford Brothers and Co., London.