James Belcher: Difference between revisions

On 22 December 1800, near Abershaw's gibbet on [[Wimbledon Common]], he defeated Andrew Gamble, the Irish champion, in five rounds, Gamble being utterly confounded by his opponent's quickness. On 25 November 1801 he met Joe Berks of Wem, and defeated him after sixteen rounds of desperate fighting. He fought him again on 20 August 1802, and Berks retired at the end of the 14th round, by which time he could scarcely stand and was shockingly cut about the face. In April 1803 he severely punished John Firby, 'the young ruffian,' in a hastily arranged encounter. Next month he had to appear before [[Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough|Lord Ellenborough]] in the court of king's bench for rioting and fighting, upon which occasion he was defended by Erskine and Francis Const.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNBSupp|wstitle=Belcher, James}}</ref>

 

 

He fought yet again two heroic fights with [[Tom Cribb]] — the first on 8 April 1807 at [[Moulsey Hurst]] in forty-one rounds, when Belcher would have proved the winner but for his confused sight and sprained wrist — the second on 1 Feb. 1809, in answer to a challenge for the belt and two hundred guineas. Belcher was again defeated after a punishing fight in thirty-one rounds,<ref name="MacCabe 78"/> though the best judges were of opinion that, had Belcher possessed his once excellent constitution and eyesight, Cribb must have been the loser.<ref name="DNB"/> This was Belcher's last fight. Virtually ruined by the huge gambling losses he sustained at this fight, he caused a fracas after the bout, for which he spent four weeks in [[prison]].