Pugilistica: The History of British Boxing, Volume 2 (of 3) / Containing Lives of the Most Celebrated Pugilists; Full Reports of Their Battles from Contemporary Newspapers, With Authentic Portraits, Personal Anecdotes, and Sketches of the Principal Patrons of the Prize Ring, Forming a Complete History of the Ring from Fig and Broughton, 1719-1740, to the Last Championship Battle Between King and Heenan, in December 1863

by Henry Downes Miles

4.—Both began at a quick pace. Slight hits were exchanged, when Bob tried for the fall, but got thrown himself, amid cheers from the Streathamites.

5.—Bob came up laughing, and kept his guard well up. Ned, determined on work, went in left and right. Bob slashed away in the weaving style, but without much effect; in the close Baldwin was thrown, Neale upon him.

6.—No serious marks of punishment as yet. Ned planted a right-handed jobber on Baldwin’s frontispiece, and jumped away. Bob stopped the repetition of the compliment with the left, and then hit short with his left. Ned drew back, but coming again quickly, popped in left and right. He then closed, and some in-fighting followed, in which Ned caught it on the ivories, showing blood on the lips. In the close, both down, Bob falling awkwardly.

7.—Ned lost not a moment in going in, delivering right and left. Bob countered with his left, and in a rally which followed, Ned hit up cleverly, and then threw Bob from him. Bob fought wildly, and not at points, and Neale continued the decided favourite.

8.—Bob hit out resolutely, but Neale jumped away. At length Bob planted slightly on Neale’s smeller, and stopped his return neatly. The latter, after parrying a vicious right-hander, stepped in to mill, and got on heavily with his right. Baldwin fell backward, rather from a slip than a blow.

9.—Ned reached Baldwin’s ear with his right; Bob instantly closed, and catching him round the neck, both were down in a scramble, Neale laughing.

10.—Bob tried right and left on the weaving system, but Neale retreated nimbly. Exchanges, but little done. Baldwin was down in the close.

11.—Neale rushed in and hit Bob on the os frontis with little effect, except on his own knuckles. Bob hit out right and left, and closed. Ned pegged him on the back of the head with the left, and both went down.

12.—Bob stopped Neale’s left, and put in his right once more on Ned’s ribs; Ned returned on his nob, and a wild rally followed, in which heavy blows were exchanged, Bob catching it on the leg. Both down.

13.—Ned put in his left with cutting precision on Bob’s cheek, then popped in his right above the eye, cutting his adversary’s eyebrow, which bled profusely. In the close, he threw Bob a cross-buttock. Offers of ten to one on Neale.