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
Shelton; and Donnelly, waited upon by Tom Belcher and Randall, entering
soon afterwards, repeated the token of defiance. Donnelly appeared the
heavier man. Betting, seven to four. The green colour for Ireland was
tied to the stakes over the blue for England, and the battle commenced.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—Donnelly, on stripping, exhibited as fine a picture of the
human frame as can well be imagined; indeed, if a sculptor had
wished a living model to display the action of the muscles, a finer
subject than Donnelly could not have been found. His legs wore firm
and well rounded, his arms slingy and powerful, and his _ensemble_
indicated prodigious strength. The idle stories of his bad training
were silenced on his putting himself into attitude; and his
condition was acknowledged by his friends from Ireland to be far
superior than when he fought with either Hall or Cooper on the
Curragh of Kildare. Smiling confidence appeared to sit on his brow,
his eye was sharp and penetrating, his face clear and animated, and
he commenced the combat quite satisfactorily. Oliver was equally
fine; and, under the training of Clark, who had waited upon him with
the greatest care and attention, displayed flesh as firm as a rock;
in fact, Oliver had never been in so good condition before. Such was
the state of the combatants. Upon the shaking hands, the current
betting was seven to four on Donnelly. The Irish champion was cool
and collected, with nothing hurried in his manner. Upwards of a
minute elapsed in sparring, or rather the pugilists were dodging
each other to get a favourable opportunity. Donnelly made two hits
with his left, which fell short, in consequence of Oliver’s getting
away. Long sparring. Oliver made an offer to hit, but Donnelly, on
the alert, retreated. More sparring, and dodging over the ground,
till they got to the ropes in a corner of the ring, when Donnelly
hit severely with his left. Several sharp exchanges occurred, and
reciprocal fibbing took place, till they both went down in a
desperate struggle for the throw, Oliver undermost. Five minutes had
elapsed. (Loud shouting from the “boys of the sod,” and “Bravo,
Donnelly!”)
2.—Oliver aimed a heavy blow at the body, which Donnelly stopped in
good style. Some sharp work occurred again at the ropes. More
fibbing, and Oliver again undermost in the throw.
3.—Oliver appeared bleeding at the scratch, and exhibited symptoms
of slight distress from the recent struggle. Donnelly made a feeble
hit with his right hand, when Shelton exclaimed, laughing, “That’s
one of Carter’s hits!” Oliver took the lead; some heavy blows were
exchanged, and, when at the ropes, Donnelly was for a short time
seen in the struggle balancing on them, till he extricated himself,
and both went down. (Loud shouting, and “Well done, Oliver.”)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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