“A ring having been formed at two o’clock, the combatants entered; Tom Blake (Tom Tough), and Bill Ryan seconded O’Donnell; Emery was handled by Paddington Jones and Wight.
“On stripping Emery showed such astonishing muscle that he appeared capable of seizing his opponent in his arms and carrying him off. He was not only much taller, but two stone heavier than O’Donnell, and among the crowd two to one was betted in his favour, despite a partisanship for the lesser man.
“At setting-to Emery showed great confidence, and stood up in good style. O’Donnell making a feint with his left hand, put in a severe blow with his right on the mouth; they closed, and both fell. O’Donnell in this round displayed all the advantage arising from skill; this he supported, and at the end of five rounds bets became even. In the ninth round Emery exerted his greatest powers, and some good blows were exchanged, but O’Donnell hitting right and left, brought him down. Odds two to one in favour of O’Donnell. The eleventh round Emery made a false hit, and completely ran from his man, and in the following round fell without a blow. O’Donnell continued to support a decided superiority, and at the end of three quarters of an hour Emery resigned the contest, carrying with him marks sufficient to deter him from again attempting to meet a professional boxer.”
O’Donnell, taught by experience, did not fly at the highest game, and avoided Dutch Sam and such professionals of the first rank. An aspirant of the name of Wasdell, a weaver from Spitalfields, having acquired great renown among the East Enders, his friends offered to back him for twenty guineas a-side against O’Donnell. This was arranged, and Tuesday, June 3rd, 1806, and Wilsden Green, near Hendon, named as the day and place. At twelve the combatants entered the ring; O’Donnell was seconded by John Gully and Bill Ryan; Wasdell by Rhodes and his brother. Seven to four on O’Donnell.
THE FIGHT.
Round 1.—Much sparring. Wasdell extremely awkward, hit short twice; in recovering his position, O’Donnell caught him in the body and knocked him down cleverly. (Three to one on O’Donnell.)
2.—Wasdell made play pluckily, but O’Donnell met him and dropped him again.
3.—Wasdell already was marked about the head. He made a plunging hit, but O’Donnell parried it, feinted, followed him, and hit him completely off his legs, when he set very quietly on his nether end on the grass for a few seconds, till taken to his corner.
4.—Wasdell tried to catch hold of his opponent with his right hand. O’Donnell dropped in two sharp hits, the left at the head, the right at the body, which brought him to grief again.
5.—The men closed. O’Donnell hit up in Wasdell’s face, and he was down again. (Any odds on O’Donnell.)