41–53.—Gaynor, though contesting every round, did not seem to hit effectively, while Sharpe’s frequent misses and short blows at the body were equally indecisive. Each round ended in a scramble but the slippery mud, for such it was, foiled their efforts. In the 53rd round Sharpe, by the advice of old Tom Owen, changed his tactics, and commenced fighting at Gaynor’s upper works with his left. He soon after succeeded in putting in a chattering hit on Tom’s ivories, closed, and threw him out of the ropes.
54.—Gaynor came slowly from his second’s knee at the call of “time.” In a rally the Bishop hit him down. (A pigeon was here let off for town, announcing the winning of the fight by Sharpe, in 54 rounds. To the general surprise, Gaynor jumped up briskly at the call of “time.”)
55.—Gaynor rallied all his energies. He let go his left, catching Sharpe lightly on the nose; a good rally followed; Sharpe slipped in delivering a blow, and fell. (Cries of “Gaynor’s not beaten yet!”)
56.—Another good fighting round on the part of Gaynor; some good exchanges; Gaynor got Sharpe down and fell on him.
57.—Gaynor made several lunges at Sharpe’s nob, but missed; in the close Sharpe’s superior strength was shown in the style in which he lifted and threw Gaynor.
58–72.—Gaynor, willing but weak, came up in all these rounds with less and less chance of pulling through. In the 68th round Sharpe again hit Gaynor down by a blow on the throat. (In the 72nd round a quarrel took place between Harry Holt and Tom Owen, in consequence of some over-zeal of Harry towards his principal. Owen pushed Harry, who in return sportively knocked off Owen’s stupendous Jolliffe hat. This indignity to the “Sage of the East” was “most intolerable, and not to be endured,” so he administered a backhander to the irreverent Orator, whereupon a merry skirmish followed. Josh Hudson, however, interposed, stopped the bye-battle, and the belligerents went back to their men, who had fought out the round during this supplementary set-to.)
73–78.—In all these rounds poor Gaynor received the larger share of the punishment, but would not say “no,” though advised to give in by his seconds. In the 78th round Sharpe caught Gaynor a flush hit in the mouth, and he dropped. This was the finisher, and poor Tom was alike deaf to the call of “time” and the cheering of the victorious Bishop’s partisans. Sharpe walked firmly across the ring and possessed himself of the colours, placing them round his neck with evident satisfaction. Gaynor remained for a short time in a sort of stupor, but soon recovered himself, and returned to town the same night.
Remarks.—That the fighting was fast, may be told from the fact that seventy-eight rounds were got through in one hour and ten minutes. They were, however, in almost every instance terminated by a close. Indeed, there was as much wrestling as fighting. The men were both undoubtedly game and unflinching; but Gaynor did not seem to take advantage of his opportunities, and threw away his superior length by allowing his shorter-reached and sturdier adversary to get in on his body, and then accepting the struggle, in which, as the battle went on, he got the worst. It is true Sharpe’s peculiar method of setting-to with his right foot foremost puzzled Gaynor a little, but this does not account for Tom’s bad tactics throughout. As to Bishop Sharpe, he deserved every praise. His daring mode of going in, and chancing consequences, combined with his powers of hitting, made him exceedingly dangerous to any but a first-rate boxer of the Spring, Ward, or Young Dutch Sam school. Gaynor could not defend his body against his rushes, nor keep him at a distance for out-fighting, and hence the Bold Smuggler’s yard-arm to yard-arm tactics were triumphant.
Both men showed at Gaynor’s benefit at the Tennis Court on the Thursday. Sharpe displayed few marks of heavy punishment, and Gaynor’s chief injuries were from body blows and the failure of his left hand. The battle-money was paid over to Sharpe at Josh Hudson’s on the Friday.
Early in 1827, after a failure in making a renewed match with his old opponent Alec Reid, at a sporting dinner which took place at jolly Josh’s, “Half Moon,” Leadenhall Market, on the 1st of August, 1827, a proposal was made for a meeting for a cool hundred between Young Dutch Sam, then rising into fame, and Bishop Sharpe. Ten pounds were deposited, and the day named the 2nd of October, to meet in the same ring as Ned Neale and Jem Burn. The matter, however, ended in a withdrawal of stakes and a forfeit by Sam. A month afterwards a new match was made for £100 a-side, and the 25th of October appointed. As the successive deposits were made good, the odds in betting on the Bishop rose from five to six to four; but at the final deposit at the “Sol’s Arms,” Wych Street, Sam, who showed up in excellent condition, despite sinister rumours as to his health, brought the betting down to even. Of the farce which followed on the Tuesday, and Sam’s mysterious arrest, we have already written. Tom Belcher, who held the stakes, after some indignant comments, resolved to give them up to Sharpe, leaving “Sam’s backers, who had served him with legal notice, to take such steps as they might think proper for their recovery.” Sharpe was complimented for his prompt and ready appearance in the ring, and pocketed the hundred pounds amidst the congratulations of his friends. Sam’s match with our hero having thus fallen through, Tom Gaynor again offered himself to the Bishop’s notice, for £100 a-side, money ready at Harry Holt’s. This, however, came to nothing, owing to Gaynor’s match with Gybletts. (See Life of Gaynor, ante.)