Monte Harrold

From The Great Outdoor Fight

Monte Harrold, winner of the Great Outdoor Fight in 1941, is remembered for achieving victory despite personally eliminating a mere four contestants.

Harrold entered the fight alongside Tanner Pete Garry, his longtime friend (and a future Fight champion). Garry, the "brawn" of the pair, promptly set about gathering an army, while Harrold kept tabs on the other developing armies. By the end of the first day, Tanner Pete Garry's followers numbered roughly 150.

Harrold took command throughout the second day while Garry was dining on turkeys and brandy in the snack tent. He directed his army with amazing precision, avoiding the two larger armies on the Acres while eliminating smaller groups. It is noteworthy that Harrold intimidated a number of smaller armies into joining his own, keeping the army's numbers steady as the day wore on. Harrold himself fought (and soundly defeated) his first opponent in this time.

Tanner Pete Garry resumed command on the third day, and with Harrold's help, he avoided major fights until the three remaining armies were of roughly equal size. Shortly after noon, Garry was eliminated by Thurman Davis. Harrold assumed command of Garry's remaining men with a minimum of fuss (and one beating), and sent two dozen men to overwhelm the exhausted Davis. Davis's leaderless army promptly collapsed into a scrum in the center of the Acres. Harrold then sent his forces into battle with the intention not of winning decisively, but of eliminating as many men as possible from all the armies, including his own. In the end, Harrold and two men from his own army were left. Harrold defeated both, but lost his left eye in the process.