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
2.—It was seen, in this early stage of the battle, that Langan would
require heavy work to take the fight out of him. Spring was very
cautious, and appeared as if determined not to receive any of
Paddy’s clumsy thumps. A long pause. Langan hit Spring with his left
hand on the body. The latter planted a tremendous facer on the top
of Langan’s nose, that produced the claret; but the Irishman shook
it off. Science displayed on both sides. After a long pause Spring
put down his hands. The English Champion appeared to have made up
his mind not to be hit, but to be liberal in the extreme—to give and
not to take. Langan again displayed skill in stopping. (At this
juncture the left wing of the temporary scaffold erected for the
accommodation of the spectators, gave way with a tremendous crash,
and upwards of one thousand persons, from the height of thirty feet,
were precipitated one upon the other in one confused mass. The
countenance of Spring, whose face was towards the accident,
underwent that sort of sensation which did honour to his feelings
and to his heart—he appeared sick with affliction at the
circumstance, put up his hands, indicating that his mind was
perplexed whether he should quit the ring or proceed with the
battle.) Langan received a heavy blow on his left eye; and both went
down in a close.
3.—Both cautious. Spring put down his hands. Langan tried his left
hand twice; but Spring jumped away. “Take care of your plum-pudding,
boy!” said Josh., “he’s coming.” In closing Langan went down.
4.—The slightest offer on the part of Langan to make a hit never
escaped the wary eye of Spring, and the latter got away with the
utmost dexterity and ease; Langan followed his opponent to the
ropes; but Spring stopped a heavy hit. In closing, at the corner of
the ropes, both went down, but Langan uppermost.
5.—This was a short round. The Irish Champion ran in, hit Spring,
and also bored him down. “You have got the great man down, at all
events,” said Josh.
6.—Langan’s left peeper was nearly closed; but, in struggling for
the throw, Spring went down heavily on his head.
7.—Twenty-five minutes had elapsed, and nothing like mischief to
either combatant had yet taken place. A long pause. Langan made two
good stops, when he run in, and by dint of strength got Spring on
the ropes; a severe struggle took place till both down. The
spectators were now getting close to the ropes; and the whips were
hard at work, to keep the space allotted to the boxers.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account