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
Hinckley Down, where the battle took place, is delightfully picturesque.
A hill at the back of the field formed an amphitheatre, not unlike Epsom
race-course, and upwards of thirty thousand spectators had a fine view
of the fight. The ring, under the superintendence of Mr. Jackson, was
excellent. At one o’clock, Neat, arm-in-arm with his backer, Mr.
Harrison, and Belcher, followed by Harmer, threw up his hat in the ropes
amidst thunders of applause. About ten minutes afterwards Spring, with
his backer, Mr. Sant, and Painter appeared, Cribb waiting for them.
Spring very coolly walked up to the ropes, and dropped his beaver within
them. He then shook hands with Neat, saying, “I hope you are well.” “I
am very well, thank you; I hope you are,” was the reply of Neat. Spring
was rather the favourite on the ground. The colours, an orange-yellow
for Neat, were tied to the stakes by Belcher; the blue, for Spring,
placed over them by Tom Cribb. Before the battle, Mr. Jackson entered
the ring and addressed the spectators:—“Gentlemen, I have to inform you
that no persons but the umpires and referee can be stationed close to
the ropes; I have therefore to request that every gentleman will retire
to some distance from the ring; and also, if necessity requires it, that
you will give me your assistance to keep the ground clear, to prevent
confusion, and to have a fair fight. I have refused to be referee, that
I may walk about and attend to the ring.” (Bravo! and applause.) This
address had the desired effect—the gentlemen retired to their places,
the good consequences of which were that every individual had an
uninterrupted view of the fight, and not the slightest disorder
occurred. Oh, _si sic omnes_!
THE FIGHT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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