▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁sevent een ▁and ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁div inity ▁student . ▁His ▁decision ▁to ▁purs ue ▁box ing ▁as ▁a ▁career ▁was ▁not ▁met ▁with ▁appro val ▁by ▁his ▁father . ▁ ▁He ▁fought ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁exhib itions ▁around ▁London ▁prior ▁to ▁his ▁comple ting ▁his ▁University ▁education ▁which ▁caused ▁a ▁further ▁r ift ▁from ▁his ▁strict ▁father , ▁and ▁likely ▁inter fer ed ▁with ▁his ▁comple ting ▁his ▁University ▁studies . ▁ ▁He ▁started ▁his ▁better ▁public ized ▁professional ▁box ing ▁career ▁around ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twenty - one ▁by ▁winning ▁three ▁short ▁pre lim inary ▁f ights ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Sport ing ▁Club ▁in ▁Con vent ▁Garden ▁London ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁January ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁against ▁Jack ▁Gray , ▁Sid ▁Phill ips , ▁and ▁Jim ▁Wh el an . ▁ ▁T aking ▁the ▁British ▁Fe ather weight ▁Title ▁in ▁London ▁Jordan ▁first ▁challeng ed ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁Fe ather weight ▁Title ▁against ▁American ▁Tommy ▁White ▁of ▁Chicago ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁November ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Sport ing ▁Club ▁in ▁London , ▁England , ▁winning ▁in ▁an ▁eigh teenth ▁round ▁dis qual ification . ▁It ▁was ▁White ' s ▁first ▁appearance ▁in ▁England . ▁ ▁They ▁fought ▁for ▁a ▁pur se ▁of ▁ 7 0 0 ▁pounds ▁or ▁$ 3 5 0 0 ▁with ▁a ▁side ▁bet ▁of ▁roughly ▁$ 1 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Jordan ▁met ▁British ▁box er ▁Edd ie