Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 2 (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, 1719-1740, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863Miles, Henry Downes
History
Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 2 (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, 1719-1740, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
Miles, Henry Downes
Boxing
REMARKS.—Painter displayed great coolness and judgment in this
fight, and having so able a general as Tom Belcher for his second,
was greatly in his favour. Spring never recovered the severity of
the blow on his eye in the first round, but his game was of so
staunch a quality that his fame rose by defeat, and the loss of the
battle was attributed to the chance of war.
Painter now publicly declared that he would not fight any more prize
battles. Indeed, he took his farewell of the ring, with a benefit at the
Fives Court, in a combat with Richmond, on Monday, the 7th of September,
1818. Spring was extremely anxious for another trial; but Painter
positively refused. After spending a few months at Lancaster, and not
finding a house it London to suit him, Painter left the metropolis, and
commenced publican, in Lobster Lane, Norwich, under the most flattering
auspices of the sporting people of the above ancient city. Here Painter
enjoyed a quiet life, till the following circumstance, in November,
1819, put him “on the fret.”
Some aspersions having been made upon the character of his first battle
with Spring, at Mickleham Downs—indeed, an influential amateur having
declared it to have been a cross—Painter indignantly repelled the
accusation. He immediately set off for London, determined to undergo the
most rigid examination by the supporters of the P.R. In the fight in
question, in the second round, Painter received a knock-down blow, and,
in falling, his head not only came in contact with one of the stakes of
the ring, but his shoulder also received a violent contusion. He,
however, continued the battle for one hour and twenty-five minutes; but,
retiring from the contest without much punishment, gave rise to the
report in question. Painter, at the time, procured the assistance of one
of the most eminent surgeons in the kingdom, Mr. Cline, (a gentleman
totally unconnected with the sporting world) to reduce the fracture. On
Thursday, November 5, 1819, an application was made to Mr. Cline as to
the fact, when he immediately wrote a certificate, which stated the
injury Painter had received on the curve of the shoulder bone had
rendered him incapable of using his arm at the time specified. This
document was put into the hands of the members of the P. C., and the
result was satisfactory. Ned’s integrity was declared to be without a
stain.
The following paragraph appeared on November 21, “The amateurs of
Norwich will back Painter for 100 guineas, or more, and also give a
purse of £50, if Spring will contend with Ned at Norwich. The patrons of
the science, also, will give Spring £20 towards his expenses.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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