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
Smallwood, after the closing of Taylor’s Booth in 1744, does not appear
to have belonged to Broughton’s company, for we find him fighting one
King, a butcher, at Stanton Green, who beat him, in January, 1746. The
particulars of this battle are not recorded, but King is said to have
also “fought several good battles at the Booth.” There is something
obscure about this battle, as Captain Godfrey, writing in 1747, a
constant visitor at Broughton’s, and _au courant_ with every man in the
fistic world, says, “If I was to choose a boxer for my money, and could
but purchase him strength equal to his resolution, Smallwood should be
the man.”
The most remarkable of Smallwood’s triumphs was his victory over
Broughton’s favourite pupil and _protegé_, Edward Hunt, whose defeat of
Hawksley, the Life-guardsman, had made him the talk of the town. The
battle had been long talked of, and was fought on a stage at Hounslow,
July 14, 1757. The stake was 150 guineas. For thirty minutes the combat
was carried on with equal resolution, and without any leading advantage.
“For the first 35 minutes the odds were alternately on each man. After
this time, Tom, who was the heavier man, closed with Hunt more
frequently, and by superior strength followed it up with such advantage,
that in 50 minutes the battle was decided in his favour.” Hunt is said
to have weighed but nine stone. Smallwood was seconded by “Old George
Taylor,” and Hunt by the champion, Jack Slack.
Smallwood, who had now been at least seventeen years before the public,
seems to have retired a conqueror, as we have no further mention of his
name.
EDWARD HUNT—1746‒1758.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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