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Rick Jeanneret inducted into the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame


Ogre

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6 hours ago, woods-racer said:

Thanks for that!

http://www.bareknuckleboxinghalloffame.com/id10.html

 The whole story was on the local news. Rob Ray was an honorary inductee in 2009 and urged Rick to contact the guy that does this hall o fame.

 He told the guy “I’ve announced more bare knuckle fights than anyone..”

 Side note: I could listen to Rick tell old hockey stories all friggin day. 

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2014 was the year of the women, so I had to google one.

Elizabeth Wilkinson-Stokes, Boxer

 

In June 1722 Wilkinson challenged Hannah Hyfield of Newgate Market to what may have been the first female prizefight in London.[3] Her advertisement in a London newspaper declared ”I, Elizabeth Wilkinson, of Clerkenwell, having had some words with Hannah Hyfield, and requiring Satisfaction, do invite her to meet me on the Stage and Box me.” They went on to specify that each woman would grasp half a crown in each hand, a rule that prevented the gouging and scratching common in eighteenth-century boxing.[1][2]

She then went on that year to fight a fish-woman named Martha Jones, who she reportedly beat after twenty-two minutes.[3][4]

Wilkinson became a fixture in the boxing venues of James Figg. Though Figg was the most prominent promoter and male boxer of the early eighteenth century, Elizabeth was the more popular and famous boxer at the time.[2]

In October 1726 a fight was announced between Wilkinson and the Irish Mary Welch, to take place at James Stokes’ amphitheatre. A note at the bottom of the advert states “They fight in cloth Jackets, short Petticoats, coming just below the Knee, Holland Drawers, white Stockings, and pumps.”[2] At the time it was more common for women, sometimes prostitutes, to fight topless. By competing fully clothed Wilkinson and her opponents defined themselves as serious athletes.[1] In the newspaper featuring the advert, Welch describes Elizabeth as “the famous Championess of England”. In her response Elizabeth claims to be undefeated, “having never engaged with any of my own Sex but I always came off with Victory and Applause”.[2]

Wilkinson and her husband James Stokes were often challenged as a pair, with her fighting the woman and him the man. The first of these were from her former opponent Mary Welch and her trainer Robert Baker to challenge “Mr. Stokes and his bold Amazonian Virago” in July 1727. Thomas and Sarah Barret gave a similar challenge in December 1728, calling Wilkinson ‘this European Championess”. In their response James Stokes notes that Elizabeth was “thought not to fight in Publick anymore” but “my spouse not doubting but to do the fame and hopes to give a general Satisfaction to all Spectators.”[2]

In addition to being a boxing champion, Wilkinson acted as an instructor.[2]

Wilkinson was a keen self-promoter, and famous for her entertaining trash-talk.[1] In a published acceptance of a challenge from Ann Field, an ass-driver from Stoke Newington, she told readers that “the blows which I shall present her with will be more difficult for her to digest than any she ever gave her .

 

 

Have to love learning something new....

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25 minutes ago, woods-racer said:

[snip]

Wilkinson was a keen self-promoter, and famous for her entertaining trash-talk.[1] In a published acceptance of a challenge from Ann Field, an ass-driver from Stoke Newington, she told readers that “the blows which I shall present her with will be more difficult for her to digest than any she ever gave her .

Trash talk today sucks

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