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 — John Shaqi
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.[3]—In consequence of the breaking in of the ring, the
struggles, and repeated falls of the men, it is impossible for any
reporter to be strictly accurate as to the precise rounds fought.
The battle would have terminated much sooner could Spring have used
his left hand effectively, but after the eighth round he could only
use it defensively, having injured his knuckles by bringing them in
violent contact with Langan’s nut. He has, however, proved himself
one of the safest boxers over known, and as Dusty Bob observes,
“never gives a chance avay. Another circumstance that retarded the
final issue was the destruction of the inner ring; the combatants
were so closely surrounded that they had no room for action, which
was greatly to the disadvantage of Spring, whose fine science was
set at nought in such close quarters. Langan has proved himself a
perfect glutton, and the best big Irishman that ever appeared in the
P.R. He has hitherto been unknown to the London Ring, and the wonder
is, how such a novice could make so long a stand against the best
man in it, and his superior in weight by nearly half a stone.” The
remarks conclude with some observations upon the persons who had
erected stands for the spectators, which, although the charges were
exorbitant, were so insecure as to cause serious injuries to many of
their customers. Not less than twenty persons were seriously
injured, many having broken bones, while an equal number were more
or less bruised. After deducting sufficient to pay the ring-keepers,
out of the money collected for admission to the ring, there remained
£200, which was divided equally between Spring and Langan. At the
conclusion of the fight, Cribb said to Langan, “You are a brave man
indeed.” “I never saw a better,” replied Painter. Even betting
occurred several times in the fight for small sums; and six to four
was offered on Langan in light bets, after the fight had lasted two
hours.
A voluminous paper war followed this fight, stimulated by “the
historian,” who at this period edited a weekly, called _Pierce Egan’s
Life in London_. The “milling correspondence,” as it was termed, became
as verbose and inconsequential as diplomatic circular notes or the
“protocols” on the Schleswig-Holstein question. Langan, Spring, Tom
Reynolds, Josh. Hudson, and Cribb, by their amanuenses, or
self-appointed secretaries, figured in print in what they would have
called in their vernacular, the “’fending and proving” line; but the
great gun was Tom Reynolds, primed and charged by Pierce himself. The
very reading of his letters, and weary reading they are, reminds us of
the Bastard Falconbridge’s description of the magniloquent citizen of
Angiers:—
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