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 — John Shaqi
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
“Ringsters” are but too willing to have recourse――namely,
at all events “to win, tie, or wrangle,” a practice to
which every honest man must be opposed. The time
occupied in the contest was exactly four-and-twenty
minutes. In no one of Burke’s former battles was he
more severely punished in the face, not, it is true, in
any vital part, for all Bendigo’s hits, both left and
right, were as straight as a line, going straight from
the shoulder and slap to their destination. There were
no round hits on his part, and the body blows on both
sides were few and far between.
REMARKS.――Perhaps no battle on record offers a stronger
illustration of the consequences of vanity and
headstrong confidence than that which we have just
recorded. Burke, puffed up by his former successes, and
flattered by the good-natured freedom of young men of
fashion, placed himself beyond the pale of instruction
and advice. He was self-willed and obstinate, and
quarrelled with all who presumed to guide him in the
proper course. His repeated acts of imprudence while in
training called forth the strongest remonstrances, but
in vain; and thus he has found, when too late, that “a
man who will be his own adviser” on such occasions “has
a fool for his client.” Nothing but the most decided
want of condition can account for the slowness which he
exhibited; and, when his career from the time he went
to Brighton till the day of the battle is considered,
that state of constitution is sufficiently explained;
and yet those besotted friends who knew all this were
as prejudiced in his favour that they blindly pinned
their faith to his former reputation, believed no man
alive could beat him, and risked their money, as well
as stultified their judgment, on we issue of his
exertions. But then say these wiseacres, opening their
eyes with well-feigned astonishment, “We could not have
erred. It is impossible, seeing all that we have seen,
and knowing what we have known of the Deaf ’un that he
could have made so bad a fight, and be beaten so hollow
by a countryman!” Oh no! this could not be――and what
follows? Why, the old story――the honest Deaf ’un has
all at once turned rogue――he had been bought and fought
a cross!――he has sold his friends, and must be consigned
to degradation. Why, from the third round it was seen
by the merest tyro in the ring that he had not a
chance. He was completely paralysed by the unexpected
quickness of his adversary, who has, as Jem Ward
foretold, proved himself a better man than has for some
years appeared in the ring. This has been Ward’s
constant cry, and had his advice been taken all the
odds that were offered would have been taken. But no;
the Londoners were not to be beaten out of their
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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