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Spring by name and spring by nature |
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Blood, sweat and tears
In John Hurley’s book: 'Tom Spring: Bare Knuckle Champion of All England', he vividly described the close of the fight which shows what tenacity these fighters must have had: "Langan insanely staggered out for the seventy-sixth (round) like a drunk cadging a nightcap. He was almost asleep on his feet. Spring cut up the Dubliner with his broken hands. The fans roared their approval, their voices thickened with ale. Delving into some primitive reserve, Langan showed he 'was not extinguished' and mauled and mullocked his way through the round.
"Both men were smeared with blood and mud, their bodies feverishly hot in spite of the cold wind blowing up from the river. Spring had never fought such a tigerish opponent and Cribb and Painter (his seconds) deserved great credit for keeping him in the fight".
Challengers
It was the Molyneaux fight that brought Cribb's fighting to an end
© Courtesy of Jon Hurley |
to Spring's title were few and far between, and from 1823 to 1824, with dogged fighting, Spring's title remained safe.
Spring was widely respected for his kindness and gentlemanly manner away from the ring, and was especially revered, as were many English prize fighters, in higher social circles. This was particularly reflected with King George IV’s invitation for 18 top fighters to act as ushers at his coronation in 1820 – one of which was Tom Spring.
Bare knuckle fighting had become a popular spectator sport through the Georgian era and even on into the Victorian. Large amounts of money exchanged hands in wagers, but prize money was never great for the men who put their lives on the line. In the 1820s, it became common for British Champions to be awarded belts as their trophies and for the fighters to wear colours around their waists representing the colours of their sponsors. These colours, of the losing boxer, would be worn by the winner as their personal trophy.
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