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.—Not a man on the Hurst but lamented this sad finish of Tom
Oliver, who once aspired to the championship. He was slow as a top,
and nature deserted him. He was still brave in idea, but he did not
possess strength or wind to second his wishes. Oliver treated Abbot
too cheaply; in fact, he gave the battle away from this
circumstance. The smashing of Oliver was all out of the question. He
was no more like that Oliver who fought with Painter at Shepperton,
“the Gas,” and Spring, than “I to Hercules.” It is true that the
partiality of the ring towards an old favourite made them anxious
that he should not lose his once high fame, and be licked by an
outside boxer, and every movement that he made was construed in his
favour. Oliver ought to have won; if he had gone in and fought
first, he could hardly have lost. Abbot gave his head, and several
opportunities occurred, but Tom played with the chance, laughed at
his opponent, and held him too cheap. For the first four rounds
Abbot trembled, and the name of Oliver seemed a terror to him. He,
however, put in some hard hits, and had none of the worst of the
fighting. Oliver was punished about the nob; while, on the contrary,
his blows, although planted on the face of Abbot, did not appear to
make an impression. Still the amateurs were all in favour of Oliver,
as an old one, and thought he could not lose it. Abbot went down
several times, and the word “cur” escaped from the lips of several
of the spectators. This epithet arose more from ill-nature than the
fact. Abbot, however, was frightened at first, or else he could have
won it in a short time, from the bad condition of Oliver. Oliver was
terribly beaten: he was some time before he recovered himself, and
was able to leave the ring. Abbot then shook hands with Oliver.
Sampson immediately threw up his hat in, the ring, and offered to
fight Abbot for £25, £50, or £100.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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