Hezekiah Moscow, a Jamaican immigrant whose journey to the East End was driven by dreams far removed from the blood and grime of the boxing ring. Moscow arrived in London with an unlikely ambition: to become a lion tamer. In the dazzling, dangerous world of Victorian music halls and traveling shows, exotic animal trainers were treated as stars, commanding both fear and admiration. For a man from the West Indies, a career among London’s entertainers promised a path to fame and financial stability - a far cry from the backbreaking labor offered to most immigrants.

Moscow’s rise in the ring was meteoric. By 1882, he was a household name - at least in East London - celebrated not only for his prowess as a lightweight boxer but also for his larger-than-life personality.

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