3.—Brown went in resolutely; Sampson hit up and tried to fib him, but got down quickly in the close.
4.—Sampson on the defensive, and retreating; Brown forcing the fighting. After one or two short exchanges Brown sent a fair hit with the right straight on Sampson’s left ear, and floored him. (Shouts for Brown, but the Sampson party drowned them by cries of “Two to one,” &c.) First knock-down to Brown.
5.—Sampson got in lightly on Brown’s jaw. Brown caught him on the head with the right, and with the left on the breast. A sharp rally followed, in which hits were exchanged. Sampson fell on one knee, but although open to receive a blow, Brown withheld his arm and walked away, in his anxiety to avoid any appearance of unfair advantage.
6.—Sampson, after some sparring, caught Brown a tremendous smack in the right eye, balancing the favour to the left. Brown bored in, a desperate rally followed, and a close. Sampson hit up well, and put in a sharp hit as they were going down together.
7.—Brown’s eyes were both in mourning, but he was strong and active. Seeing he had the worst of out-fighting he worked his way in, nobbing Sampson with some severity. In the close Brown tried to screw up Sampson for the throw, but he slipped through his arms, hitting up, and got down cleverly.
8.—Sampson exhibited signs of distress. He breathed heavily, while Brown, though most punished, was strong and firm on his legs. Sampson popped in his left, but Brown sent in a heavy one on his nob in return. Counter-hits—Brown on Sampson’s throat, Sampson on Brown’s damaged right eye. Brown closed, and threw Sampson a heavy cross-buttock, falling over him.
9.—Brown still forcing the fighting; Sampson on the defensive. Brown reached Sampson’s head with each hand, but got it in return. In the close at the ropes Sampson got down. (Sampson’s friends were ominously silent as he was taken to his corner.)
10.—Sampson’s forehead exhibited a large bump, the effects of the nobber in the last round. In the exchanges which followed, Sampson was active, and several times planted on Brown. In a ding-dong rally Brown caught Sampson such a back-handed slap as he was going down that a spectator said, “A Shelton hit, by Jupiter!” alluding to the finishing touch in the fight of Brown and Shelton.
11.—Brown pursued Sampson vigorously, who hit up, catching him in the eye; Brown persevered, and finally Sampson went down in the hitting.
12.—Sampson popped in a facer, but it did not show. Brown took to weaving; a close. As Sampson was going down, Holt rolled himself down on the grass, so that his man partially fell on him, and was saved direct contact with the ground. (This was a common trick of seconds in old times, but is unfair. The seconds have no right to quit their corners until the end of the round.)