Hubert Mortland

From The Great Outdoor Fight

Hubert "Sledgehammer" Mortland, was born in Indianola, Texas, 1863. There, his nickname was "bear paws" because of his large hands, and despite some success in local (illegal) boxing matches, had not planned to enter the Great Outdoor Fight. Instead, the 6'4", lanky Norwegian-American was prepared to settle down in a steady career as a graveyard keeper.

Details on his early life are sketchy, as there are few interviews and no surviving records, most of them having been destroyed in an enormous hurricane- one which not only demolished his hometown and family, but which totally stymied his dream of a steady job in that town. From the scattered rememberences of friends and neighbors, Hubert was described as somewhat reserved, and very single-minded. This single-mindedness, along with his arm strength and reach from his job and height, respectively, would serve him well in the fight.

It is not known what happened between the time the hurricane struck Indianola and the beginning of the Great Outdoor Fight. What is known is that he was there when the gates opened at that years' Great Outdoor Fight, head and shoulders above most of the crowd.

Hubert was one of the most visible and recognizable figures in the fight that year, his preferred method of fighting was to clasp his two large hands together and use his enormous reach and height to swing them down on opponents' heads- often causing moderate spinal damage. His tall stature, distinctive fighting moves and great arm strength from years of manual labor made him a natural rallying point for the less secure fighters. If he was "bear paws" back home, Hubert was "Sledgehammer" to the outdoor fight masses, and they were "Hubert's raildrivers".

As the second day wore on, Hubert displayed a surprising tactical ability and charisma, effectively hamstringing the opposing army ("Clarence's cudgels", after Clarence Withrope, a wealthy New England boxing champion and all-around ne'er do well who had entered the fight to spite his parents) by a combination of double-teaming and public spectacles where he would "duel" a particularly fearsome opponent with his signature arm-swing in full view of the armies. Were it not for the fact that Clarence had forbidden any double-teaming from his army, considering such a tactic underhanded, it is speculated that Hubert would not have made it past the second afternoon this way.

Regardless, the third day dawned with the virtual dicimation of the cudgels and a duel between Clarence and Hubert, both of whom had opted to give their armies the dinner. The duel was short and burtal. Hubert, eschewing his usual hammer-swing, lifted the diminutive Clarence by his lapels (Clarence, a true gentleman, was dressed as for a formal affair), and flung him into the air. Positioning his knee, Hubert broke the back of Clarence as he fell, making what onlookers have variously described as a great cracking, a loud snapping, and "the worst damned thing I've ever seen". He then took off in long strides away from the crowd.

This tactic was a masterstroke- Hubert had been so good at organizing his army that the vast majority of it was still in the fight. They quickly turned on the remainder of Clarence's cudgels, and then on themselves- but all were too afraid to find Hubert. After a few more bloody hours, Hubert's long strides carried him to the last group of three, who were engaged in a pileup, unaware of his presence. He simply stomped on them until they stopped moving.

After the fight, Hubert simply stalked off. Some have speculated he was hurt and chose not to compete again, some say he became a gravedigger somewhere, the pain of the hurricane erased from his memory by the aerial backbreak. Like much of his life before the Fight, this is not known. All that is known is that he did not enter the fight in later years.