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
REMARKS.――This was altogether an unsatisfactory
contest. The match was unequal, and the difference in
the size of the men, Freeman having already shown no
lack of personal bravery, left no room for speculation
on the issue. Everybody foresaw that the Giant must be
triumphant, notwithstanding he fought badly. In fact he
did not hit at points, and missed most of his
well-intentioned but ill-directed blows from the shifty
character of his opponent, as well as from his own wild
and uncertain mode of delivery. He hits round with his
right, as the Slasher’s ear testified, and his
left-handed deliveries are more like pokes than
punishing hits. That he is a game man we have no doubt,
but he is unwieldy, and possesses too much of “the milk
of human kindness” ever to become a “star” in the Ring,
even if his equal could be found. We are inclined to
think, however, that this will have been his last
appearance in the P.R., and should recommend him to
choose some more suitable occupation――although as a
sparrer, from his great size, he will always be an
object of curiosity. The Slasher is a mere rough, who
must be beaten by a well-scienced man. That he would
have shown to more advantage with a man of his own
pretensions and size we have no doubt; but with Freeman
he felt he could not hope to win, and therefore became
reckless and careless――seeking only how to escape those
visitations which, had he made a “fair stand-up fight,”
must have ended in more serious punishment. As it was,
both escaped with comparatively trifling injuries, and
remained to witness the subsequent fight. The
contusions on the Slasher’s ear were reduced by a
surgeon who was on board the steamer, and after a
little ablution he was himself again, repeating that
his going down without a blow was the effect of
accident, and not of design――an assertion the truth of
which few who saw the performance were disposed to
admit.
The ring being cleared, and M’Ginty, the Scotchman, having defeated
Bungaree (John Gorrick), the Australian, after a game battle of one
hour and forty-seven minutes, the voyagers possessed of “return
tickets” re-embarked on “Father Thames;” οι πολλος [oi pollos]
betaking themselves to their tugs, row-boats, and ten toes, as
necessity might compel. Although it was dark ere the boat passed
Blackwall, all were safely landed by seven p.m. at “Old Swan,” highly
gratified with the good order preserved by the ring-constables, and
the perfect arrangements of the managers for this great day’s
“outing.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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