Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-11
FIRST To
Be RECOGNIZED
AS CHAMP ION
Thames Boxer, Swordsman and
CudgeI WieIder Claimed the
Title in 1919.
tn HE first public champion that
THE ring" boasts of was James

Figg, a native of Thames, in
OXfordshire, England He flourisheo
from 1919 to 1884. Before his day
merry England" boosted of many
other brave boxers, in every shire
but it remained for the pen of Cap
tain Godfrey to tell us that Figg was
the first champion to wear Adams
livery on the greensward and stand
toe to toe for love and bellyful."
Before his time there may have been
as we say, other brave knights OF
the ring, but tigg was the first OF
whom we have any authentic ac-
count, and from whose reign we dats
our champions to the present day.
To Captain Godfrey's spirited and
scare quarto entitled, "A Treatise on
the Useful Science of Defense Is
the writer indebted for the preserva-
ton of names, descriptions of per-
sons and styles of athletes who were
his contemporaries. In the early cen
fury Figg was acknowledged as The
Father of the Ring" but it may be
surprising to know that he was even
more famed and distinguished as a
cudgel and backsword player than
pugilist. Captain Godfrey thus
speaks of F'igg:
II have purchased my knowledge
with many a broken head and bruises
in every part of me. | chose mostly
to go to Figg, as / knew him to be
the ablest master, and OF rugged
temper who would spare no man,
high or low, who took up a stick
against him. I bore his rough treat
ment with determination and pa
thence. and followed him so long that
Figg, at last finding he could not have
the beating of me at so cheap rate
as usual did not show much fondness
for my company. This is well known
by gentlemen of distinguished rank
who used to be pleased in setting us
together" So much for Figg as a
single stick artist.
ut was in 1919 that Figg opened
his academy, which was known as
F'igg's Amphitheater, in Tottenham
Court Road. London. and the place
soon became a favorite and popular
resort, which was continually crowd
ed with patrons of the sport. The
science of pugilism as we now UNI
derstand it was certainly in its in
| fancy then; the system of give or
take was adopted, and, he who could
hit hardest and take punishment
with better grace seems to have been
in highest favor with the amateurs"
| Figg Proves Right to Title.
| Figg defeated all Corners at tho
| fairs, his most prominent opponent
| being Ned Sutton. the pipemaker
| from Gravesend. Three. times did
| they meet with alternate success, and
only in the last meeting did F'igg
| prove his superiority. These con
tests, though ssiven in all of the
acknowledges" and histories" of the
ring, were neither more nor less than
! cudgel matches. I take the follow
| ing verses by DR. John Byron from
'Dodsley's Collection" Vol VI, page
| 312, under the title Of "Extempore
! Verses Upon a Trial of Skill Between
! Those Two Great Masters of De-
| Tense, Messieurs Figg and Sutton
Long was the great Figg by prize
fighting SWANS
| Sole monarch acknowledged of
! Marybone plains.
To towns far and near did his glory
extend,
And swan down the river from
Thames to Gravesend,
Where lived Mr.. Sutton, pipemaker
by trade,
Who, hearing that Figg was thought
such a tough blade,
Resolved to go in for share Of his
fame,
And so sent a challenge to the cham
pion of Thame.
with alternate advantage two trials
had past
When they fought out the rubber on
Wednesday last.
| To see such a contest the house was
quite full
There hardly was room to thrust in
your skull.
With a prelude of cudgels we first
were saluted.
| And two or three shoulders were
handsomely futed.
| Till, weary al last with inferior dis
! asters,
| All the company cried, "the masters,
the masters,'
"Whereupon the bold Sutton first
mounted the stage.
| Made his honors as usual and yearn-
ed to engage,
When F'igg, with a visage so fierce,
yet sedate,
Came and entered the lists with his
fresh shaven pate.
| Their arms were encifcled with arm
igers, too;
With red ribbon Sutton's, and Figg's
with blue.
! Thus advanced the two heroes,
tween shoulder and elbow,
Shook hands and went tot, and the
word it was 'Bilbo.'
Then after the bout they went on
to another,
But the matters must end in some
fashion or other;
So Jove told the gods he had made
decree
That Figg should hit Sutton stroke
on the knee.
| Though Sutton, disabled as soon as
he hit him,
Would still have fought on, strength
would not permit him.
Twas his fate. not his fault, that
constrained him to yield,
And thus the great Ftgg remained
lord of the field"
But, Figgs day came at last. day
when the valiant ones cunning O.
the fence no longer awaited him. In
The Gentleman's Magazine of jan
uary 10, 1894, he received his final
knockout at the hands of grim Death
J Captain Godfrey, in his Characters
of the Masters" (p. 40, ed 1749), says:
strength, resolution and unparal-
leled judgment conspired to make OF
him a matchess master"