Here's something to chew on It states it was printed in 1743, but that it was translated from a manusrcipt that was around 37 years old. The dates in the margins for the part I'm presenting gives dates in 1707. Note I usually replace the long s's with regular s, but have left them in in this case, as the OCR was pretty solid. Travels Through Holland, Germany Switzerland and Other Parts of Europe But especially Italy By the late Monsieur De Blainville (translated by George Turnbull LL.d and William Guthrie, Esq)- printed 1743 The Boxing-Matches that are fought by the Caſtellans and the Nicolotti which they do with ſuch mutual Animoſity, that upon thoſe Occaſions they hold one another as mortal Enemies. Even the Nobility become Parties, by their declaring for one or other of theſe Factions; only with this Difference, that the Nobility make a Diverſion of what the others look upon as an Affair of the utmoſt Conſequence, and ſtrongly affecting their Reputation. The Senate, who refines upon the meereſt Trifles, are well enough pleaſed to foment thoſe Diviſions, becauſe ſhould the People form any Conſpiracy againſt the Nobility, they would be ſure of ſpeedy Aſſiſtance from one or other of thoſe Parties: Eſpecially the Caſtellans, who looking upon themſelves as of a Rank ſuperior to their Rivals, appear moſt attached to the Nobility, and moſt loyal to the Government. The Paſfion to be eſteemed a good Boxer runs ſo ſtrong among the Gondoliers and the People, that it requires the Interpoſition of the Council of Ten, who are the Judges of Civil Polity, to prevent Boxing-Matches from being publickly fought every Day at Venice ; and after all, the Cap-tains and their Sbirri have their Hands full to prevent it. Even the little Children in the Street have their Parties and Quarrels; and when they 3. know one another to be of different Sides, they never part without a Bruſh at Boxing. On ſuch Occaſions it is at Venice, juſt as it is at London; People ſtop to ſee the Match, they make a Circle, they animate the Combatants, and have a Pleaſure in ſeeing them all over Blood. The common Theatre for ſet Battles betwixt Man and Man, is the Bridge of St. Barnabas. This Bridge is equally advantageous to both Parties having an equal Number of Steps on each Side, with two Keys, each of which can contain an almoſt equal Number of Boxers; beſides, the Canal being very long and ſtrait, the Houſes on its Sides are extremely convenient for the great Crowds of Spectators who are preſent at thoſe Fights; and the Windows being quite full, the Roofs, the Keys and neighbouring Bridges covered with Spectators, without counting the prodigious Numbers that are in Boats and Gondolas upon the Canal. Two noted Burghers, formerly celebrated Boxers, and frequently victorious, are Judges of the Combat. As ſoon as they come upon the Field of Battle, they throw off their Cloaks, and ſettle the Terms of the Match, which are as follow. “No ſtriking an Antagoniſt when he is down, under Pain of being accounted a Coward. That the Victory ſhall fall to the Party who ſhall draw the firſt Blood of the other, either at Mouth or Noſe. If after three ſeveral Attacks no Blood ſhall be drawn, the Combatants ſhall ſeparate to give place to others, but that they ſhall firſt embrace upon the Field of Battle. That he who ſhall toſs his Enemy into the Canal, ſhall win a double Victory.” And laſtly, “that if any Champion of one Party, ſhall appear too formidable for any of the contrary Party to take him up, the Honour he thereby gains ſhall be as great, as if he had beat ſeveral of his Enemies.” When thoſe Preliminaries are ſettled, the two Judges place themſelves upon the higheſt Part of the Bridge, which is a kind of a Platform of about four or five Feet ſquare, without Rails or Baluſtrades. The Combatants immediately advance to the two oppoſite Angles of the Platform, leaving the two other Angles for the Umpires, that they may be the better able to judge of the Strokes that are exchanged. In a trice they whip off their Shoes, their Waiſtcoats and Shirts, gird up their Loins with Scarfs, tuck their Hair under their Caps, draw a Glove upon their Right-hand, and be gin to box. The Blows they exchange are very ſevere and heard a great way off, eſpecially when they fall directly upon their bare Sides ; and very often a ſingle one is enough to knock a Man down. Sometimes one of the Combatants is ſeen ſuſpended aloft quite over the Bridge, and hanging in the Hair of his Adverſary’s Head, who after fruitleſly doing all he can to diſengage himſelf, is often obliged to leap along with his Foe into the Canal, where their Animoſity inſtantly ends. Others amongſt them are ſo ſtrong, that by the Blows which they inceſſantly dart forward without ever cloſing in with their Antagoniſt, they force him to jump directly into the Canal; the Conqueror then makes uſe of a thouſand antic Tricks to expreſs his Joy for what the Laws of Boxing have determined to be a double Vićtory, and thoſe of his Party ſhew their Satisfaction in a thouſand redoubled Vivats or Huzzas. Theſe two Fellows no ſooner quit the Field, than it is immediately filled with two others, each of whom are powerfully encouraged by their Party to behave manfully. The Noble Venetians animate their ſeveral Champions; they hang over the Windows, shaking their Handkerchiefs, and promiſing them Money as a Reward of their Bravery; for the Combatants fight for no other Prize than the Reputation of being the moſt expert at thoſe knock-down Arguments. So vain are they of this Glory, that they cauſe themſelves to be drawn in the ſame fierce intrepid Poſture they uſe to engage in, with their Name and an Abridgment of the Hiſtory of their gallant Exploits affixed. . In the mean time, they are on both Sides very careful and exact in counting up the Number of their ſeveral Victories, that they may know which Side has the better; but they moſt eſteem thoſe who have driven the greateſt Number of Foes into the Canal. There are two other Sorts of Boxing-Matches; the one called la Frotta, is where ſeveral engage on a Side ; the other la Guerra Ordinata (a pitched Battle) is a general Engagement betwixt the two Parties; but as we ſaw neither of thoſe, I cannot undertake to deſcribe them.
The rules describe give credibility to Godfrey's account of the finish of the battle between Whittaker and the Venetian Gondolier, since these rules give victory either from drawing blood from the face, or from throwing his opponent into the canal, there'd be little place for body blows.
Italians invented soccer (calcio) in the 15th century, and they invented modern boxing as well. Facts. But they didn't invent basket ball. The Aztecs invented that sport, although they ate the losers, and the game revised by a Canadian didn't include that particular rule.
To be fair, Tommy Burns is the first "modern looking" style we ever saw in a heavyweight champ... Corbett has too much footwork and didnt lay down on his punches enough to be called modern esk (sarcasm)