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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

Name: 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
Author: Miles, Henry Downes

Miles, Henry Downes

Boxing

On Monday, November 15th, 1802, a match having been made between
O’Donnell, and one Smith, a boot closer, they met at Wormwood Scrubbs,
to decide the contest, for twenty guineas. Lenox seconded O’Donnell, and
one Anderson picked up Smith.

After some trouble, and by the aid of Caleb Baldwin, who had recently
beaten Jack Lee, at Hurley Bottom, a ring was formed, the combatants
entered, and five minutes after two o’clock set-to.


                               THE FIGHT.

            Round 1.—Much sparring. O’Donnell put in the
            first blow, a straight-forward hit with his
            right hand, and struck his adversary under the
            left eye. Smith aimed a blow at his opponent’s
            head, which O’Donnell caught with his hand,
            and returned it with a blow on the side of the
            head. They closed and fell, O’Donnell having
            the advantage, being uppermost.

            2.—Much sparring. Smith put in two body blows,
            but slight; they closed and fell. Smith under
            again.

            3.—Smith gave his antagonist a severe knock-down
            blow, by which he fell.

            4.—Both shifted. O’Donnell displayed good
            science. When retreating, and followed up by
            Smith, he put in several well planted body
            blows, and brought Smith down; but in falling,
            Smith struck a tremendous blow in the face of
            his opponent.

            5.—Smith struck O’Donnell on the jaw. The round
            was well contested, several severe blows being
            exchanged, by one of which O’Donnell fell.

            6.—Smith being off his guard, O’Donnell put in
            a severe right-handed blow on the head, but
            Smith quickly recovered; they closed and fell.
            O’Donnell beginning to appear weak, odds were
            five to four in Smith’s favour.

            7.—This was a hard round. Smith threw in three
            uncommonly clean blows; O’Donnell closed, and
            both fell, Smith under.

            8.—A great deal of hard fighting, but O’Donnell
            shifted. They closed and fell, O’Donnell under.
            (Bets still remained five to four on Smith.)

            9.—O’Donnell had the best of this round, put in
            most blows. Smith, in striking, slipped and
            fell.

            10.—O’Donnell seemed endeavouring to rally his
            courage and irritate his adversary, by pointing
            and smiling; Smith, however, put in some severe
            blows. They closed, fell, and O’Donnell was
            again under. (Bets now rose two to one in favour
            of Smith.)

            11.—It was some time before any blows were
            struck, both shifting. They closed, and
            O’Donnell gave his antagonist a cross buttock,
            something in the Belcher style.

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