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
The appearance of Stringer was athletic and big, but by no means fresh,
and his cut of countenance was rough and weatherbeaten. He was an ugly
looking customer in more than one sense. Spring looked boyish, not more
than 21 years of age, and in some points he was thought to resemble the
late Jem Belcher, but on a larger scale. The men, it appears, were about
equal in weight—Stringer thirteen stone seven pounds, Spring thirteen
stone two pounds. Both men were about six feet in height, and formidable
fellows. The stakes were forty guineas and a purse given by the P. C.
(Pugilistic Club). Stringer was waited upon by Richmond and Shelton;
Spring was seconded by Tom Owen and Parish, the Waterman. Two to one was
asked upon Spring; but seven to four was the current betting against
Stringer.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—Stringer, on setting-to, placed himself in a better
attitude than was expected. He also made two feints. Some blows were
exchanged; in closing, both down.
2.—In this round the superiority of science was evident on the part
of Spring. In closing he fibbed his opponent severely, and in
struggling for the throw, both went down, Stringer uppermost.
3.—This round was courageously fought. It was curious to observe the
left hand of Stringer pushing, as it were, against his opponent,
with his right close upon it. Yorky did not appear wholly without
judgment, though many of his blows were made at random. Both were
down. The odds had now risen rapidly upon Spring.
4.—Stringer rushed in with all the impetuosity of a bull, seized
hold of his adversary improperly, and sent him down. Loud cries of
“foul,” “fair,” etc. occurred. But the fight was suffered to
proceed, it being attributed more to want of knowledge than to
absolute design.
5.—Strength, activity, and science were now pre-eminent on the part
of Spring, and, at this early stage of the fight, it was almost
certain how it must end. Spring kept hitting his opponent completely
away, but still he returned desperately, till he was at length hit
down.
6.—This was also a desperate round. The men stood up to each other,
and hammered away like a couple of blacksmiths, but Spring had the
best of it. The latter nobly disdained taking an advantage when
Stringer was on the ropes, and let him go down without extra
punishment. Great applause from all parts of the ring.
7.—The determination of Stringer was truly astonishing; he bored in
regardless of the consequences. In passing Spring he got a
tremendous nobber, and was ultimately sent down.
8.—Nothing but milling, till they closed, and both down.
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