John Broughton, the "father of boxing," and James Figg's twin (University of Notre Dame/Rare Books & Special Collections).
It goes without saying that Punch Drunk and Boxing Free: Part 3 is best consumed after reading parts 1 and 2. Unless you’re into guessing context, then this is the challenge for you.
We left off heralding the unassuming-looking but dangerous boxing champion of the early 1700s, James Figg. There are also still next to no rules and zero civility. But that is about to change. Kind of.
One of Figg’s proteges, John Broughton, thought he knew a better way, and he wasn’t wrong. A bare-knuckle expert to the end, Broughton dreamed of a brighter day with rules and structure in the game he loved.
The First Boxing Rules
As a man of action, Broughton would bring about the first set of boxing rules in 1743. They ruled supreme for over 100 years; imagine that NFL, a continuity of rules.
What inspired the bare-knuckle champ known as the “Father of Boxing”? Sore hands. Just kidding. It was actually someone dying of a boxing-related injury.
What were these magical rules?
- Boxers could not grab each other below the waist (although wrestling holds were still allowed).
- A round would be ended if a man went down. The boxer either had to square off a meter or closer after 30 seconds or be declared the loser.
- It should go without saying, but if a man goes down, the other boxer can’t continue to hit him.
- As little as a dropped knee could end a round, and they were not timed like modern boxing. This was an “unmanly” move, though, and wasn’t the norm.
Modern Boxing Woes
The Father of Boxing also brought gloves to center stage. Mufflers. Likely named because it muffled the pain in the boxer’s hands and the opposing boxer’s face.
Was that such a good thing? Probably not. Much like the advent of the plastic helmet in the NFL, the creation of gloves caused more brain damage. A padded hand (or head) can hit the hard part of an opponent with reduced pain.
This allows a boxer (or football player) to connect with the head of their opponent far more. Previously, boxers (and football players) were much more likely to go for other parts of their opponents bodies instead of the head because they felt the impact more and something softer was more preferable.
Progress can be confusing. In one way, boxing became safer with Broughton, but it became more dangerous in other ways. Such as the beginning of the glove in modern boxing. Or rules to make the sport appear safer when it is similar but less outwardly dangerous. Do you want to die after a boxing match, or do you want to die years later of traumatic brain disease (i.e., punch drunkenness)? You choose.
Yet Another Decline
On that incredibly positive note, we will move on to the next bright topic. The decline in interest in boxing has come back. And this time there wasn’t a ban.
Broughton was defeated in 1750 by Jack Slack. For whatever reason, this kicked off the fixed-game epidemic of the mid-18th century. People didn’t love the outcome being predetermined ahead of time, and they showed it by losing interest in the sport.
It wouldn’t be until the end of the 18th century that things would pick back up again when actual talent reigned and smart marketing tactics drew in the English aristocracy. How nice.
