7 to 9.—In all these rounds the best of the fighting was decidedly on the part of Cooper. Molineaux was hit down every round.
10.—The Black, still determined, rallied Cooper against the ropes, and some hard fighting followed; but Cooper planted so desperate a blow on his opponent’s body, that he went down quite rolled up, his head falling against the stake.
11.—Molineaux, despite his defects and falling off, astonished the ring from the gallant manner he fought this round. Some terrible exchanges of blows were witnessed, when the Black again rallied Cooper to the ropes. In closing, Molineaux was severely fibbed, but broke from his antagonist cleverly, and ultimately floored Cooper by a heavy blow upon his face. From great exertion, however, Molineaux fell exhausted. This rather reduced the odds.
12.—Cooper appeared at the scratch eager to finish the Black, whom he nobbed repeatedly, and completely hit off his legs. The man of colour was sick, and brandy was given him to recruit his declining spirits. (Any odds, but no takers.)
13.—Molineaux was sent down as soon as he toed the scratch.
14 and last.—The Black could scarcely leave the knee of his second, and, upon meeting his man, he was again floored. The battle was thus at an end, twenty minutes only having elapsed.
From the superior style of Cooper in this battle, he rose high in the opinion of the Scotch fancy, and, on this occasion, he entered the ring in good condition. Molineaux trusted principally to his weight and length, neglecting any preparatory care of his health, so that the right-handed body blows of Cooper proved irresistible. The tourney was well conducted, and afforded a high treat to the northern admirers of boxing.
A few months after the above battle, while on a sparring tour in Ireland, a match was made between Cooper and Dan Donnelly, the champion of Ireland, which took place on the Curragh of Kildare, on the 13th December, 1815, as noticed in the memoir of Donnelly. Cooper, after a desperate struggle, was defeated. The advantages of size and weight were much on the side of Donnelly.
In June, 1816, Cooper returned to England, when it was expected a match would have been made between him and Harry Harmer, but, in consequence of not meeting with a customer of any description, he once more directed his steps towards his patrons in Scotland, where he was again well received and liberally patronised. He was at length matched with Robinson (a man of colour) who had gained considerable notoriety from two contests with the Lancashire hero, Carter—particularly the latter one, a match against time (half an hour)—although defeated in both instances. The Caledonian fanciers, like the metropolitan high-bred swells, were all in motion at an early period to witness this black and white game, and an unusually strong muster of amateurs of all pedigrees, from the laird of broad acres to the more humble “bonnie chiel,” were seen “trotting along the road,” so great was the anxiety to view these heroes of the “London ring” exhibit their acquirements in self-defence. Considerable betting took place previous to the fight; but whatever opinions might have been entertained by the patrons of pugilism in Scotland respecting the milling qualities of Robinson, it should seem the more experienced ones in England viewed the match in question as a certainty, and booked it Cooper must win in style. They asserted that Robinson had no peculiar boxing trait to rely upon, nor even a shadow of chance, except from superior strength. Anticipation, in this instance, was justified by the event; for Robinson was beaten off-hand, with the same ease that Cooper disposed of Jay.
On Monday, the 24th of February, 1817, the men entered the ring, at one o’clock, attended by their respective seconds, in a twenty feet ring, at Costerton Houghhead, about fourteen miles from Edinburgh, for a purse of fifty guineas.