With
his latest book, The Story of Welsh Boxing: Prize Fighters of
Wales, Lawrence Davies traces the development of pugilism in
Wales back to a time when exhibitions of “prize fighting,” as
opposed to “boxing,” employed cudgels, staffs, and other
implements of warfare in addition to the bare fist. This book is
his third in what might be called a continuing series of
travelogues-in-time which transport readers back through the
entire history of Welsh boxing. His first book, Mountain
Fighters: Lost Tales of Welsh Boxing covers the period of
bare-knuckle boxing from the mid-1800s up to the end of the
bare-knuckle age around 1890. His second book, Jack Scarrott’s
‘Memoirs of A Welsh Boxing Booth Showman’, bridges the
transition from bareknuckles to the beginning of the modern
gloved era as told through the career of the boxing booth
operator who discovered world champions Jem Driscoll, Jimmy
Wilde, and Percy Jones.
Davies’ third book covers roughly the era from 1700 to the end
of Great Britain’s Regency period in 1837. The men profiled in
this volume represent the very first heroes of Welsh boxing.
Although they were never recognized as world or even British
champions, they were the local idols who excited the Welsh
public and nurtured the regional pride which would later produce
the great Welsh boxers of the early 20th Century and beyond.
Prominent among the pugilists rescued from obscurity are the
fearless Thomas (Paddington) Jones, remembered for his game
16-round stand against the legendary Jem Belcher; likable Ned
Turner, first national sports hero of Wales, who was recognized
as the second greatest lightweight in Great Britain after
champion Jack Randall; brash William Charles, of Newport, who
was the first person to promote himself as “the champion of
Wales”; and the ferocious Jack Rasher, the Welsh butcher, who
was nicknamed “Ironface” because of his gameness and courage.
Readers familiar with the history of the London prize ring will
appreciate the author’s deft interjection of tales about such
famous bare-knuckle luminaries as Belcher, Jack Broughton, and
Daniel Mendoza. Rather than just name-dropping, the author
integrates them into the narrative so their appearances flow
naturally from the story. For example, we learn that not only
was Broughton regarded as the greatest bare knuckle boxer in the
first half of the 18th century, but he was known to have
promoted several contests involving Welshmen at his amphitheatre
on Oxford Road, London. We also learn Mendoza was the first
major pugilist to cash in on boxing’s popularity in Wales with
his four-month tour of the country in 1797.
In his coverage of ring action, Davies manages to straddle the
correct side of the line between lively description and
excruciating detail. Despite stylistic differences, his blending
of old-time quotes with modern narrative avoids jarring the
reader. Though the bouts occurred 200 years ago, his
descriptions are fresh and convincing. His respect for the
boxers is evident, but he does not sugarcoat the brutality of
the era. He approaches the issue objectively and allows readers
to make up their own minds.
Davies also discusses the culture of hero worship among the
Fancy, including descriptions of the dinners and presentations
by members of the Daffy Club at the Castle Tavern where peers
and lords mixed freely with leading members of the fistic
fraternity. An entire chapter is devoted to a discussion of
“songs of blood and glory” written by Pierce Egan in his famous
Boxiana.
Since newspapers did not exist in Wales during the early part of
the 19th century, first-hand accounts of many of the events
described in the book were not preserved. As a result, the
author has pieced together fragments of information from other
sources. In those cases where alternative versions of an event
were recorded, he has meticulously cross-checked each version
and noted the differences in footnotes. The book is smartly
illustrated, well researched, and thoroughly documented with a
bibliography and a full complement of footnotes and appendices.
An index would have been a nice feature for researchers, but is
probably not necessary for most readers. The book is a valuable
addition to our knowledge of a neglected piece of boxing history
and should be of considerable interest to those interested in
the sport.
The Story of Welsh Boxing is available from Amazon, Waterstones,
WH Smith, and other bookshops. Read more about the book at Pitch
Publishing
John Ochs is the author of ‘The One is Jack Hurley’, the
acclaimed 3 volume bio-history of the Golden Age of US boxing,
from Jack Dempsey in the 1910’s to George Foreman in 1970, as
filtered through the life of the renowned boxing manager and
promoter Jack Hurley. |