ROYALTY AT THE RINGSIDE.

NZ Truth, 6 January 1917, Page 11

ROYALTY AT THE RINGSIDE.

A century ago when the Allied sovereigns were m after the declaration of peace, it was considered by the reception committee, composed of the highest dignitaries of the land, that the most fitting entertainment which could be provided for the pleasure of the country's guests was a display of fist-fighting by the \ prize ring's topnotchers. They were doughty fighters these, men of mighty brawn and muscle, who would take unflinchingly the most severe punishment. The famous battle, between John Gully and Hen Pearce, which" took place m ISOS, v^ras opened up. by Pearce, better known as the Game Chicken, felling Gully twice m succession. During the first! fourteen rounds, one or other combatant was on the grass twelve times. On each occasion of his going down, young Gully rose to his feet determined to win if that were possible. Neither man appeared to gain any advantage for some time. It was not '..until 64 rounds had been fought that Gully acknowledged defeat. The Game Chicken was the only champion of England never: beaten. .•'.-■■

: Gully had a, truly remarkable career. He was barman, butcher, prizefighter, man of wealth, colliery proprietor and member for Ponteflract. They. took him out of the debtoVs prison to fight his first fight. Gully died a grand old English gentleman without a blemish on his character. He was genuinely mourned by thousands, many of whom were among 1 the; gentlest . in the; land.

Another greet hero was; Jack Shaw, the Lifeguardsman, a man possessing enormous strength. He was the idol of his' time^ When, on the outbreak of war, his patrons desired to buy him out of his regiment, he stoutly, objected, and went abroad with it. It was said that before Shaiw fell on. the field ,of Waterloo" lie. killed eleven French Cuirassiers with Nature's weapons, after having used his sword to de-

spatch several others till it foroko,

Amongst the most famous of all fights was that between Jack /Hroushton, who framed the old rules' of the; P.R., and Jack Slack, a butcher, of Norwich. Broughton had been a Thames waterman. He opened an amphitheatre which became the acknowledged headquarters of pugilism.