The Attraction of ‘Fisti-Cuffs’

This chapter includes a brief history of prize-fighting in Britain and—later—the USA, from the days of James Figg, through Jack Broughton, Daniel Mendoza and Richard Humphries to ‘Bendigo’, Tom Sayers and Jack Heenan. Throughout this period, The Times and the judiciary campaigned for the abolition of prize-fighting, whilst at the same time the best fighters were sponsored by the aristocracy and the biggest fights attracted both Royalty and tens of thousands of spectators, despite also being the target of the legal authorities. Prize-fights were often organised by an ephemeral group known as ‘The Fancy’, who even invented their own language, but the fight-game’s popularity fell with the increasing influence of criminal gangs.