15.—Dick was desperately endeavouring to effect a change in his favour: he hit Randall on the face, put in a hard blow on his shoulder, and had the best of this round. (Both down.)
16 to 20.—Randall seemed rather blown in these rounds, and at times got away from Dick’s right hand. In fact he had not been idle for a moment, and the face of his opponent gave a strong specimen of his capabilities; he was fibbed down upon every set-to. (Five to one.)
21.—A good deal of sparring occurred before a blow was exchanged, when Randall put in four facers without any return. Both down. (Any odds.)
22.—The arm of Randall appeared to have the activity of a fiddler playing a country dance; his hand was never out of his opponent’s face.
23.—This round claimed much attention from its singularity. Dick put in two severe body hits, but in closing Randall fibbed him severely with his left hand, then changed it with the most apparent ease, and punished Dick down. (Great applause.)
24 to 27.—In these rounds the spectators were surprised to see the successful manner that Randall held up Dick with one arm, and punished him with the other. His head was now completely in chancery, his left eye quite puffed up, and he had been down so often, as to get the appellation of “Tumble-down Dick.”
28.—The battle was fast drawing to a close; the excellence of Randall was now acknowledged by all. Dick endeavoured to make some desperate hits; but Randall nobbed him at arm’s length with the utmost coolness, and in closing did as he liked with him.
29 and last.—On setting-to, Randall, with much severity, put in a blow on the breadbasket, that not only puffed the wind out of Dick, but he went down and instantly rolled up like a bale of cloth. Such a blow is rarely witnessed. Time was called, and upon Dick’s getting up to come to the scratch, he shook hands with Randall, and resigned the contest. Time thirty-three minutes and a half.
Randall, in the above contest, proved himself a good two-handed hitter, but was unusually successful with his left hand. Dick had not the slightest chance. Randall left the ring without a scratch upon his face.
The scientific qualities displayed by Harry Holt (See Holt, in Appendix), in a battle of an hour and a half’s duration with Parish, the waterman, and in his more recent conquest of O’Donnell, at Arlington Corner, had much prepossessed the amateurs in his favour; and, notwithstanding the excellence of Randall, it was generally thought that Holt would turn out a worthy competitor. In consequence of this opinion, a match for twenty-five guineas a-side was made between the above pugilists. Considerable interest was felt by the sporting world respecting its decision, which took place at Coombe Warren, on Tuesday, May 20, 1817, in a twenty-four feet roped ring.