Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 1 (of 3): Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863Miles, Henry Downes
History
Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 1 (of 3): Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
Miles, Henry Downes
Boxing
12.—The Chicken went in and rallied furiously,
and it was evident Belcher had fallen off in
strength. He had materially the worst of the
rally. The Chicken closed, and threw him on
the rope, and had a fair opportunity of ending
the fight, for Belcher balanced upon his back,
and had the Chicken given him one of his heavy
blows, might have ended the battle at once.
But just as he raised his hand, the spirit of
a fair fighter rose within him: his foe was
defenceless. He put himself in the attitude for
delivering a blow, to show his advantage, then
looking round the ring, he exclaimed, “No, Jem,
I won’t take advantage of thee! no, lest I hurt
thy other eye!” and raising his hands, went back
to his second. “This honourable step,” says the
reporter drily, “was applauded with shouts from
the spectators.”
13.—Belcher came up slowly. The Chicken went
in for a rally. To the surprise of many, the
men got locked, when Belcher cleverly got
hold of Pearce and sent him over, a severe
cross-buttock.
14.—Tedious sparring. Belcher shy, and bleeding
in the head and body with blows given in the
former round. The Chicken followed him to the
ropes, when he gave him a hard blow under the
blind eye, through his guard, and threw him
easy.
15.—This round left no hopes for Belcher; it
also decided many bets respecting the first
knock-down blow. The Chicken went in very gay,
and gave his opponent two hits; they closed,
and the Chicken hit Belcher a blow underneath,
on the lower rib, which, to use the sporting
phrase, doubled him together, and he fell. The
umpire, for the satisfaction of the sporting
men, declared this to be a knock-down blow.
16.—Belcher hit the Chicken a well-directed
but feeble blow in the face, whilst sparring.
The Chicken smiled, shook his head, and then
went into a rally. Once more he got him on the
ropes, as in the twelfth round, when he repeated
his honourable conduct, and walked away without
hitting him. This round decided the fight,
notwithstanding Belcher fought one more. In
the rally he was first thrown upon one of the
stakes to which the ropes were fastened, and it
was supposed he had broken the lower rib, the
Chicken having hit him in the same place shortly
before. (Ten to one.)
17.—Belcher summoned up all his efforts to put
in a blow, but the Chicken again followed him to
the ropes, and threw him.
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