2.—Sam came up with the claret trickling from his nose, and his left eye swollen and discoloured; he commenced business at once by rushing at his man, slinging out his arms with no sort of precision. He caught Mace on the ribs and back, close to the shoulder, rather heavily with his right, which made the latter look very solemn, and caused him to retreat awhile, stopping right and left, and avoiding close quarters. At length he shook himself together, and again playing round, put in a heavy hit on the left cheek, and then got home with great force on the nose, drawing more blood; this he followed with a straight job in the mouth, drawing the ruby from the giant’s lips. The spectators were astonished at Sam’s inertness. Hurst let go both hands, when Mace with ease stepped between his arms, and delivered both hands with the quickness of lightning, and with tremendous force, upon the nose and eye. Again and again did he do this, and then step away, inflicting fearful punishment, and laughing defiance at Hurst’s ungainly attempts at retaliation. Hunt, who was clearly a mere chopping block to Mace, seemed bewildered by the severity of the hitting, but still persevered, only, however, to be jobbed heavily on the mouth, nose, and left eye, which latter was quickly shut completely up. Still the game fellow persevered, until it seemed perfectly cruel to let him go on. Mace did exactly as he liked without a return, and at length in a close both were down. It was a dog fall (side by side), but it proved that Hurst’s supposed superiority of power was destroyed, probably by the weakness of his leg. Mace was almost scatheless at the end of the round, while Hurst, as may be imagined, was fearfully punished.
3.—Hurst, notwithstanding his injuries, was first to the scratch, his left eye closed, and the whole of the left side of his cheek bruised and cut; his nose too was swollen and bleeding. Mace, with the exception of a slight scratch on his mouth, was little the worse for wear. Hurst, in desperation, immediately rushed at his man, but Jem met him with a stinger from his right on the nose, drawing a fresh stream, and jumped back, covering his head completely. Sam, furious, persevered, but the more he swung out his arms the more did he lay himself open to an attack. He hit round, he sawed the air, he chopped, and, in fact, did everything that a perfect novice would do, but it was only to expose him to more attacks from his artistic foe. At length he succeeded in planting a heavy blow on the jaw, which almost knocked Mace down, but Jem steadied himself, and returned desperately on Goliath’s mouth. Mace got away, stepped quickly in again, and hit Hurst severely in the face, left and right, without a return. Hurst, thoroughly confused, tried another rush, but Mace retreated all round the ring, repeatedly jobbing him with impunity as he lumbered after him. At length Jem caught his foot against a stake, and fell, but was up in an instant, and after a feint or two got home on Sam’s good eye twice in succession. Hurst’s returns were ridiculously short; in fact they were not like blows at all, and never seemed to come from the shoulder. At length he got a little right-hander on the body, but received two heavy left-handed hits in quick succession on the cheek. Sam, in rushing in, here stepped on to Mace’s toe, the spike in his boot entering the flesh, and inflicting a severe wound. Jem drew back his foot in pain, and pointed to it, but Hurst shook his head, as if to say it was unintentional. After Mace had inflicted a little more punishment he slipped down; poor Hurst, who was completely blown by his exertions, panting like an overdriven dray-horse, stood in the middle of the ring. Some influential friends of Hurst’s wished him here to give in, but his principal backer would not bear of it.
4.—Jem merely showed a slight bruise under the left arm, while Hurst was awfully punished about the face, but was still strong. He rushed at his man at once, who laughed, got away, and then, after leading him a dance, turned, and delivered another tremendous hit on the blind eye. Again and again did Hurst follow him, and as repeatedly did Mace hit him with stinging effect in every direction. Mace at last seemed tired of his exertions, and stood for a short time with his arms down. Hurst also rested a little from sheer exhaustion; at length he made another rush, and Jem, in getting away, slipped down. Hunt pointed at him, as much as to say it was deliberate, but Jem was up at once, and offered to resume the round, but Hurst’s seconds took him away. Thirty minutes had now elapsed.
5.—Sam, whose face was coloured all over, made another rush and got slightly home on the body, when Jem again slipped down. Once more he jumped up to renew the round, but Sam walked away to his corner at the call of his seconds.
6.—Jem made the fighting, and planted heavily on the cheek and nose, getting quickly and easily away. Again did he do this, and then again, hitting Hurst with stunning force in the middle of the head with both hands, until the poor fellow turned away completely bewildered. Nevertheless, he quickly rallied, and again tried his rush, but only to get into more difficulties, until everybody round the ring cried “Take him away!” (Hodgkiss here appealed to his backers to be allowed to throw up the sponge; they refused, indeed, it was evident that Sam himself would not yet consent to own that he was licked.) Sam made another rush, and after slight exchanges, closed; a brief struggle took place, when both fell, Hurst undermost. It was claimed by Mace’s friends as a cross-buttock, but it scarcely amounted to that, although Jem certainly had the advantage in the fall.
7.—Bob Brettle now appealed to Sam’s backers to give in, but in vain. Bob tried to get into the ring, and did throw up his hat, but was forced away by Sam’s backers. Mace offered to shake hands, and seemed unwilling to inflict more punishment, feeling that it was useless cruelty. Sam would not hear of surrender, but made his rush, and succeeded in getting home his right on the body, when Jem fell.
8th and last.—Hurst came up staggering, his face much disfigured; Mace also seemed rather tired. Sam made a final effort, letting go both hands, but was short, and received two more very straight hits on the cheek and nose, drawing claret in fresh profusion. Sam blundered in almost blind, and Mace pushed, rather than hit him, several times in the head, looking at him steadily and stepping back after each delivery. The “big ’un” was evidently powerless, and Jem was commendably forbearing. Another attempt was made by Brettle to throw up the sponge, and the referee stepped into the ring to remonstrate with Sam’s principal backer, but neither he nor Hurst would listen to reason. The consequence was that Jem was reluctantly compelled to hit him again, which he did with perfect impunity; and finally Jem Hodgkiss, finding it useless to reason with either Sam or his backer, took the responsibility upon himself, and threw up the sponge, forcing the unwilling giant to his corner, where Mace went up to him, and shook hands, although sorely against Hurst’s will, who could not even now reconcile to himself his defeat by one upon whom he looked with contempt. Mace was then proclaimed the victor, after fighting for fifty minutes. He bore his honours modestly, and as soon as possible went round with the hat, and collected the sum of £35 for his unsuccessful antagonist.
Scarcely was this done, when the police made their appearance, fortunately too late to prevent a satisfactory conclusion.
Remarks.—Volumes could not prove more demonstratively the value of skill in the art of boxing as turning the scale against mere weight and strength, than this one-sided contest of Mace and Hurst. Poor Hurst, who had been trained by Turkish Baths, instead of hard work, ought not to have fought this battle. Apart from his want of condition, however, it was quite manifest he was not cut out for a fighting man. He had little knowledge of the art of self-defence, could not hit straight from the shoulder, and it was obvious that a man of his build and gait—even when endowed with the uncommon powers he displayed as a receiver—cannot hope to contend with success against extraordinary cleverness and activity, even though possessed by a man of far lighter calibre than himself. The unfortunate Sam was, however, a remarkably straightforward fellow, and from the first it was clear he had the interests of his friends more at heart than his own, and the greatest credit is due to him for his manly perseverance. No credit, however, is due to those who allowed him to go up after every possible chance of success had vanished.
As to Mace, his fighting was faultless; he was not called upon to display any great amount of gameness, though the mere facing such a giant and exchanging shots at close quarters involves a confidence and coolness that shows no small amount of personal courage. As to Mace’s attack and defence, they were in every respect indicative of the master. It redounds to his praise that he abstained from making a more rapid finish, as he certainly might have done, unless restrained by a desire to spare his almost helpless antagonist. This battle elevated to the Championship of England one of the most finished boxers who had ever gained the title.