27.—Both combatants seemed distressed. Belcher fell.
28.—Belcher at the end of this round fell, and laughing, fairly pulled his antagonist after him.
29.—Belcher immediately on setting to, put in a blow on the head, and Ryan gave in, not without a supposition of cross play. The fight lasted fifty minutes.
“Lord Craven, Lord Albemarle, General Fitzpatrick, Hon. Berkeley Craven, Mr. Fletcher Reid, Mr. Mellish, Mendoza, Jackson, Bill Warr, and others were present.”
On February the 8th, 1806, Tom was defeated by “the phenomenon,” Dutch Sam (Elias Samuels). See Dutch Sam, Chapter V. of this Period.
In the interval between this and his next contest he disposed of an aspirant (who took the name of “Jack in the Green”) for a ten pound note.
His next was a brave but ineffectual attempt to reverse the verdict in the case of Dutch Sam. Tom, though not quite beaten, fought a draw, July 20, 1807. This led to the final appeal, on August 21, 1807, when Tom’s objections to Sam’s superiority were finally disposed of. See Dutch Sam.
After these reverses, Dogherty, who had twice beaten Cribb’s younger brother, George, now challenged Tom, to fight in a month, and the 5th of April, 1803, was fixed for the tourney (the same day as Dutch Sam and Cropley’s fight was appointed); but it was interrupted by the Bow Street “redbreasts,” and postponed until Thursday, the 14th of April, when it came off near the Rubbing House on Epsom Downs. A roped ring of twenty-one feet was formed on the turf, and about twelve o’clock the combatants entered, Belcher accompanied by Mendoza and Clark, Dogherty by Cropley and Dick Hall. Without loss of time they set-to. Six to four on Belcher.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—More than a minute elapsed before any blows were exchanged, both sparring to obtain the advantage. Belcher stopped his opponent’s attempts with great neatness; a rally took place, when they closed, but broke away. Some trifling hits took place; they again closed, and Dogherty threw Belcher. (The odds six to four were unchanged.)