Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 3 (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, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863Miles, Henry Downes
History
Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 3 (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, 1719-40, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863
Miles, Henry Downes
Boxing
exhibited a determined display of manly milling; both
hit away with resolution, and the men were alternately
uppermost. At last, in the 93rd round, Byrne exhibited
such symptoms of exhaustion that the shouts of the
friends of Burke cheered him to fresh exertion, and,
rushing in wildly, he hit Byrne down, and fell over
him. This made such a decided change for the worse in
Simon, and for the six following rounds he came up so
groggy, that he was scarcely able to stand, and rolled
before the Deaf’un like a ship in a storm. Bad as he
was, he continued to meet the Deaf’un with his left,
and to do all that nature would permit. Burke, however,
proved himself to have the better constitution, and
continued to pepper away till the last round, when
Byrne fell senseless, and was incapable of being again
lifted on his legs. Burke, who was also in the last
stage of exhaustion, was immediately hailed as the
conqueror, amidst the reiterated cheers of his friends.
The fight lasted exactly 3 hours and 16 minutes and at
its conclusion, Gaynor proclaimed that Burke was
“Champion of England.” Ward, who was in the ring
attending to Byrne, exclaimed “Walker,” but whether he
means to dispute Burke’s claim to that distinction
remains to be seen. Byrne was carried to his vehicle,
while Burke, with difficulty, was able to walk from the
ring. The scene that prevailed in the ring for the last
hour was disgraceful, and shut out from the spectators
a view of the most part of the fight. It would be
difficult to say which side was most to blame, for in
fact each man had his party, who were equally busy in
their interference. It is but justice, however, to say
that the men themselves received fair play, and that
there was nothing done towards them which called for
censure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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