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
About a quarter before one o’clock, Oliver, dressed in white trousers, a
black waistcoat, and a green great coat, made his appearance, and threw
up his hat, followed by the Champion of England (Cribb) and Belcher. A
clapping of hands took place. Some little time elapsed, and Painter not
making his appearance, Cribb asked one of the Norwich Committee where
Painter was? The question had scarcely escaped the lips of Cribb when
enthusiastic shouts announced the approach of Painter. Upon throwing up
his hat the shouting was universal; the clapping of hands, and the noise
of upwards of thirty thousand persons, was like a roar of artillery.
Painter was without his coat, and on his entering the ring he
immediately and cordially shook hands with Oliver. Spring and Paul
attended upon Painter.
Some demur took place respecting the division of what is termed the
gate-money,[17] Oliver claiming half the cash taken for admissions upon
the stage, and also the money collected in the sixty wagons upon the
ground. This claim was resisted by the Norwich Committee, who insisted
that the stage and wagons were an entire gift to Painter. Here Cribb
offered to bet a guinea that no fight would take place. The articles
were now resorted to, and a gentleman from London, one of the umpires,
decided that, according to the articles, Oliver was not entitled to the
stage or the wagons, although the latter did offer to pay half of the
expenses. This knotty point being settled, the scratch was made, and a
toss-up took place between Cribb and Spring for the shady side of the
ring, which was won by the latter. The combatants then stripped. The
colours, yellow for Painter, and blue for Oliver, were tied to the
stakes; the ceremony of all the parties shaking hands was not forgotten.
The moment so long wished-for had now arrived, and the boxers prepared
to set-to. Five-and-a-half to four were the real odds upon the ground.
THE FIGHT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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