Jack Broughton
John "Jack" Broughton, , was an
English bare-knuckle fighter. He was the first person to ever codify a set of rules to be used in such contests; prior to this the "rules" that existed were very loosely defined and tended to vary from contest to contest. His London Prize Ring rules are widely regarded as the foundation stone of the sport that would become
boxing, and were by far the most widely used in pugilistic contests prior to the development of the Marquess of Queensberry rules in the 1860s.
Broughton was of obscure birth, he is variously described as being born in either
London or
Gloucestershire.
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Broughton, , was an
English bare-knuckle fighter. He was the first person to ever codify a set of rules to be used in such contests; prior to this the "rules" that existed were very loosely defined and tended to vary from contest to contest. His London Prize Ring rules are widely regarded as the foundation stone of the sport that would become
boxing, and were by far the most widely used in pugilistic contests prior to the development of the Marquess of Queensberry rules in the 1860s.
Broughton was of obscure birth, he is variously described as being born in either
London or
Gloucestershire. He served his apprenticeship in the
Port of London, initially working as a
lighterman but eventually, in light of his physical prowess , working as a waterman rowing passengers on the
River Thames. In 1730 he won a major annual race on the Thames, Doggett's Coat and Badge race which is contested to this day, against a number of other waterman who had recently finished their apprenticeships.
Throughout the 1730s Broughton fought semi-professionally and earned a sizable reputation. Although records of fights fought in this era are few, there is no evidence that Broughton ever lost a fight. Following his retirement, he certainly claimed to have been undefeated, and this is as well claimed by Captain Godfrey in his treatise on boxing published in the mid-1740s. Broughton's fights often attracted sizable audiences, so much so that on one occasion a spectator was crushed to death. Another of his fights, the epic, and fatal, Broughton v. Stevenson, served as the inspiration for Paul Whitehead's poem
The Gymnasiad.
Broughton was considered the champion of England after he beat George Taylor, James Figg's successor and considered the 2nd champion of England at the heavyweight, in 1734, a title which he held, at least on the books, until 1750. He used the money he earned from fighting, along with help from a number of wealthy patrons, to open his own
amphitheatre in 1743. It was at this time that he developed his code of rules, which he hoped would allow fighters a certain degree of protection . Aside from boxing, Broughton's amphitheatre also hosted such other violent spectacles as
bear-baiting and fights using weapons. Following his retirement from boxing in 1744, Broughton devoted much of his time to running an academy for aspiring fighters.
In 1750 Broughton came out of retirement to settle a dispute with Jack Slack, a Norwich butcher who had allegedly insulted him. Despite being far older than his opponent, Broughton entered the contest as the clear favourite. However, despite a strong start, the fight did not go his way and he suffered an embarrassing loss . Slack was heavily rumored at the time to be the grandson of Broughton's old boxing master, James Figg. The amphitheatre eventually closed in 1754, but Broughton continued to teach young boxers until his death.
Aside from his career in boxing, Broughton also served in the
Yeomen of the Guard , as a member of which he accompanied
George II at the
Battle of Dettingen, the last time a British monarch fought in a battle.
Following his death in 1789, Broughton was interred at
Westminster Abbey. His
headstone did not bear an epitaph for nearly 200 years because the Dean of the Abbey felt that the epitaph that Broughton had requested was inappropriate. It was not until 1988 that Broughton's request was fulfilled and the words "Champion of England" were engraved on the headstone.
His contribution to the Sweet Science is incalculable. Previously conducted with more brawn than brain, and frequently raw slug-fests with very few rules, Broughton developed a system of parrying, "hitting away" , stopping and barring blows, and his defence, according to contemporaries, was so complete as to render him nearly untouchable. His code of 7 rules formed guidelines for the sport until the London Prize Ring Rules . Broughton also was the inventor of the first boxing gloves, called "muffles" in those days, which were used in his boxing academy by his students to "effectually secure them from the inconveniency of black eyes, broken jaws and bloody noses...”
Broughton was one of the original inductees of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, inducted as a pioneer of the sport.
References
- Roberts, James B. & Alexander G. Skutt . Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall of Fame Official Record Book. London, McBooks Press. ISBN 1-59013-020-0.
- Hennell, Reginald . The History of The King's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard. Westminster, Archibald Constable & Co..
- Mee, Bob "Bare Fists" pug. Collins Willow 1998
- Miles, Henry Downes "Puglistica" Pub. John Grant 1906
- Sawyer, Tom "Noble Art" pub. Unwin Hyman, ltd. 1989
- Godfrey, Captain "A Treatise on the Useful Art of Self-Defence", 1740
See also
- List of bare-knuckle boxers
