7.—Johnson only came up to take, and one, two, and three, were put in so terribly upon his already damaged mug, that he reeled in all directions. He was also punished round the ring, and Martin lost his balance in hitting Johnson as they were both going down. Loud cries of “Foul” and “Fair” took place; but this attempt to create a diversion would not do, and the fight proceeded.
8.—Martin missed several hits, although he nobbed his opponent grievously; Johnson, from a desperate effort, got Martin down. Hats were now thrown up, “Well done, Johnson; now you’ll see him go to work,” etc., and loud applause followed.
9.—This was but a momentary triumph for poor Johnson, who commenced the round with much spirit, and fought away like a truly game man. Martin, however, cautious and collected, put in one, two, straight shoulder-hits upon Johnson’s distracted upper works that must have operated stunningly upon his senses. The Baker broke away from his opponent with surprising agility, and ultimately gave Johnson so tremendous a nobber, that he went down as if shot, and rolled over upon his face. (Twenty to one, but scarcely any person would take it.)
10.—It was all up with Johnson, and he again received so much nobbing that he laid himself down.
11.—Martin, eager to finish the contest, gave Johnson no chance of recovering from his puzzled state, but ran in to him, and floored him sans ceremonie.
12.—Johnson, who had hitherto been cheered with the smiles of conquest, still endeavoured to protract the contest. Martin again nobbed him with scarcely any return, and Johnson went down.
13th and last.—It was expected Johnson would not again show at the scratch; but it appeared that while he could lift up his hands he was determined to fight. He was, however, soon milled down; and, upon being placed upon his second’s knee, it was communicated to Martin he had no longer any foe to contend against. Johnson, with true manliness, shook hands with Martin; when he became so exhausted that he was carried out of the ring, and put into a coach. Martin immediately ran and got into a postchaise, and drove off the ground. It was over in thirty minutes.
Remarks.—No pugilist ever left the ring less punished than did Martin; and, except a trifling mark on the side of his head, there was not the slightest trace that he had been engaged in a prize contest. He won the battle with ease, science, and execution, equal to any boxer upon the list. Johnson had not a shadow of chance with Martin; and, however the admirers of the former may urge that his constitution was broken up, yet in his prime he could never have defeated the baker. It is two to one against any puddling fighter, however game he may be, when opposed to a real scientific two-handed boxer. To judge impartially of Martin’s talents, it was thought that he must be tried with a real good one, where science is opposed to skill, wariness contrasted with caution, and when in the pinch of the game bottom is exhibited to make up the grand climax. The attitude of Martin, in one or two instances, resembled Spring’s; he leant his body too much upon his loins.
The above contest and two others proved a rare day’s sport, and, notwithstanding the torrents of rain, which never ceased during the fights, the amateurs proved themselves game as pebbles, and kept their ground with indifference. Some funning took place amongst a few swell pedestrians, who were induced to marrow bone it, in consequence of the fineness of the weather, chaffing that they were transformed into clodhoppers from the heavy pieces of clay clinging to their feet.
As Martin, it appears, could not get any immediate employment for his fists, he felt determined that his legs should not stand idle, and therefore backed himself in a pugilistic foot race, a few days after this battle. On Monday, September 28, 1818, in Hyde Park, at eight o’clock in the morning, a muster of amateurs assembled to witness a race for a rump and a dozen, between Spring, Ben Burn, Martin, and a novice. The distance 200 yards. The latter declined previous to the time of starting. The race was spiritedly contested, but Martin took the lead, kept it, and came in first. Spring was second at the winning post; Ben Burn, though last, ran in good style, and was but a little distance behind Spring. The 200 yards were run in 25 seconds.