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
The next recorded battle of Slack was for 100 guineas with Cornelius
Harris, a collier of Kingswood, near Bristol. It took place on the 13th
of March, 1755. The skill and tactics of Slack were severely tried,
Harris fighting desperately in Slack’s own early style for twenty
minutes, when he gave in.
On October 20th, 1759, Slack is again recorded as victor in a fight for
£50 aside with one Moreton, who had issued a challenge to the champion.
It came off at Acton Wells. Moreton proved himself a courageous, if not
a good boxer; but at the end of thirty-five minutes he acknowledged his
mistake.
Ten years had now elapsed since Slack had vanquished the renowned
Broughton, and held the title of champion—but the honour was dazzling,
and another hero put in his claim for the towering prize. Slack’s fame
was well established; and here royalty once more appeared on the
pugilistic scene; for Broughton’s old patron, the Duke of Cumberland,
stepped forward and backed Slack for £100 against Bill Stevens, the
Nailer, whom the Duke of York took under his patronage. The Haymarket
was the scene of action, and a stage was erected in the Tennis Court,
James Street, on the day of the 17th of June, 1760. Slack entered the
field with all the confidence of a veteran, and was acknowledged to have
the advantage in the first part of the battle; but the Nailer, with an
arm like iron, received the ponderous blows of his antagonist on his
left with ease, while with his right arm he so punished the champion’s
nob, that he knocked off the title, picked it up, and wore it. Thus fell
the hitherto invincible Slack.
This second great mistake of William of Cumberland seems to have
disgusted him with the ring, and we hear no more of him. The Duke of
York here spoken of was one of the uncles of George III., whose father,
Frederick, Prince of Wales, died in George II.’s lifetime.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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