Heads up for anyone that's interested bare knuckle doc on channel 537 next wednesday on yesterday. Concentrating on victorian bare knuckle fighting will probably feature Tom Cribb from the early 1800's. It's a subject i have read a lot about over the years read a good book about James Figg the first recognised bare knuckle champion in this country from 1719 onwards. He had his own emporium on tottenham court road (for those that know London). Obviously we can only read about these times from reports of the day the one thing we can be sure of there were no premature stoppages.Cribb was especially well known unfortunatly in those days training was geared to drinking & fornicating before fights there was even a story he tested positive for drinking water. Interesting times no doubt shame the bbc didn't cover his title defence against Molynuex a superfight of it's day apparently it clashed with a public execution at Tyburn (Marble Arch).:smooch
No that would have been deemed cheating.Dipping hands in horse manure was more the order of the day. The eye gouge was the one-two of it's day as was holding in the clinch refered to nowadays in technical terms choking until unconcious!:good
