Hide Article Text (OCR)
BOXING. *The method of Boxing, that is now become I in vogue, is by no means neVv. It was frequent-1 hi ly displayed on Broughton’s Stage, by the IT bye-battle-men, and called, in contempt, street- ITfighting. _ . I.Of the other class', who were called main- I is battle-men, the principal were, Broughton, Steven- I b son, Taylor, Allen, Boswell, Smallwood, James, I Slack, and Hunt.—Hunt, who weighed no more I g than nine stone, six pounds, was unable tolp stand against any of the other main-fighttrs, I but he has frequently beaten bye-fighters, who In weighed sixteen and seventeen stone. I tiThe main-fighters derived much of their supe- | tl riority from being able to use bot^ hands with I n equal facility, either to stop, or strike straight. I They also stood on a very short guard, their feet I S being seldom half a yard asunder-—and as the I distance at which a blow can be put in, is always 11 determined by the hind foot, an antagonist, who I stood wide, was frequently within their reach, C ivhile they were out of his. Mr. St. Ge6rge, ID is said to derive much advantage in fencing, from I a short guard. IaBroughton is the only remaining champion Ig of the Old School. “ Though past the service, I a he can the young ones teach”—and adtually does I teach them, without standing up to them, at I his house in Lambeth. His price is five shillings Ia lesson. cBesides Broughton, the only scientific pugilists, I r are Humphries, and Mendoza—to whom we may 1r perhaps add Ward of Bristol—though, like the rest of the Bristolians, he is somewhat wild andeccentric in his manner. LHumphries is the model, and has been the in -1 struftor, of most of the young men of fashion, 11 who have learnt to box. He is acknowledged to I £ be the best in England of his weight and inches, I v though now Mendoza seems disposed to step for- I ward as his rival. His price is a guinea for six Ilessons, . IMendoza has a school in Houndsditch. His I manner does not differ much from that ofjc Humphries. Like him', he uses his left arm h principally for the guard, and stands wide, like It the bye-battle-men. Mendoza, . however, uses 11 other guards occasionally—but Humphries never. I i They also differ in this, that Humphries stops I ( most of his antagonist’s blows—while Mendoza I j gets away from them. Humphries stops chiefly I a with his elbow, by which means he breaks his I v adversary’s knuckles—Mendoza with the flat part I rof the arm. ... PA fight is talked of between these two pugilists I s —and, if it takes place, it will certainly be one I r of the most interesting and best contested that | v has ever been exhibited upon a stage. IWard also teaches in Bristol. He is allowed I c by some gentlemen of that town, sixteen shillings! a a-week, on condition that he fights no one! t without their concurrence. IOf the others, who have fought m public,! Ben, the coal-heaver, commonly called Big Ben, f stands first. His consequence, as a boxer, he j a derives only from his size and great strength. I c Johnson, who is a corn-porter, has alsodis-lt tinguished himself for his athletic person, a Though a praftitioner, he is no great proficient 1.1in the art of boxing. I(Tring, the chairman of Mr. Bradyl, should I i be mentioned next. He fought Ben, and was I s beat by him—yet Mr. Bradyl, who is a con-1 noisseur, says that he shall stand up to any Iman in England. JIn addition to these, we may name Martin, | ‘ whose laurels were cropped by Mendoza, Bentley, I and Death, who are past their time,—besides Fry, Doyle, Smith, Cox, and others, whose merit I principally consists in taking a severe drubbing, ^ and giving occasionally a hard blow. I _Among the Gentlemen Boxei*s, Captain I, Lloyd holds the first place. He was taught I by Broughton ; and Humphries has acquired _ no I small part of his skill by sparring with him. Mr. William LlOyd, that gentleman’s bro-1 ther, is also an excellent Boxer.Mr. Bradyl was mentioned as a connoisseur. I It was he that first brought Humphries intol notice. He is also the patron of Tring. IMajor Hanger is very expert. He backed the Bath butcher, and approves of the shifting method, practiced by that unfortunate hero. ISir Richard Simmons, Colonel Glovet, I Sir Thomas Apreece, and Captain Aston I of the Guards, are likewise great amateurs of this science.Wp^np^av the Coroner’s Inquest sat on the
Newspaper Details
London World Fashionable Advertiser
London, Middlesex, GB
Fri, Sep 21, 1787
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
David L.
WI, USA 19 Jun 2017
Other Publications Near London, Middlesex
Bingleys Journal
Arminian Magazine
London Daily Mail
London Stars and Stripes
London Daily Universal Register
