The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-01-28
MODERN BOXING GLOVES HAVE
BEEN IN USE 1es YEARS.

Although 1t was only little over
a quarter of a century ago that John
L. Sullivan and Jake Ki1rain engag-
ed in the last championship battle
with the meat hands under Lon
don prize ring rules, and it was not
until 1892 that big gloves were first
used in a heavyweight championship
contest. boxing gloves are far from
being a modern invention. 1t was
168 years ago today. on Jan. %. 1747,
that gloves were first used in pub
lie. The man who introduced them
and the supposed inventor, was Jack
Broghton, the father of scientific box
ing and the originator of the first
code of rules to govern the game.
Laughter and derision from the
noble and commoner fol1oWers Of the
game greeted the first boxers to wear
gloves. The occasion was an exhibit
ton of the noble art of self-de-
fence at Broughton's anpitheatre in
London Several thdr1-rate boxers en-
gagged in set-tos with the gloves,
which were about the size of pillow
cases, and were made of soft hair
covered with cloth. Until recent
times gloves were used only in spar
ring bouts and by boxing Instructors,
and their use by champions in i'm
portant battles would have been con-
sfdefed efferninate and unmanly
Broughton had q private boxing
school in the Haymarket, London,
where he instructed young blades Of
rich and noble families in the art in
which he excened. While these gay
sports were inclined to jeer at pro
fessiona1s who used gloves, they
were more than willing that Brough-
ton and his assistants should wear
them whfle giving their lessons. 1t
was the use of gloves which enabled
prof. Broughton'' to make good on
his advertised promise to give" proper
toe
of boxing withoute1oss of eye or limb
to the students"
.Broughton referred to his gloves as
.smufflers'' and, at the risk of arous-
ing the wrath of the advertising man
ager. one of his ads. published in
the London Daily Advertiser, is re-
produced:
t.Mr. Broughton proposes, with
proper assistance. to open an acad-
envy, at his house in the Haymarket,
for the instruction. of those willing to
be instructed in the mystery of box
Ing, where the whole theory and prac-
tice of that truly British art, with all
the various stops. blows, cross-but-
tocks, etc, incident to combatants,
will be fully taught and explained;
and that persons of quality and dis
Hnction may not be- debarred from
entering into q course of these lee
lures; they will be given with the ut
most tenderness and regard to the
deHcacy of the frame and constitu-
ton of the pupil; for which reason
muffIers are provided, they will ef-
fectually secure them FROM the in
convenience of black eyes, broken
jaws and bloody noses
George Taylor, who ran rival es-
adjustment, declared that he was the
inventor of the t'rnufflers," but pugi-
1istic historians usually give the
credit to Broughton. The idea was
not entirely originals however, for
the ancient Greek boxers used gloves
of a sort. The caestus, as they called
their style of glove, was made Of
hides, but metal, instead of hair, was
used for "fl1ing.'' Most of their
pugilistic encounters we're to the
death, but occasionally magnani-
nous victor let his Vanquished fcS OF
with caved-in countenance, or a few
broken ribs. Such was the case in
the famous battle recorded by Virgil,
next to Homer the greatest of an
cient sport writer's, between Entullus,
the champion. and Dares. Old K. O..
Entullus, after licking Kid Dares, an
nounced his retirement, declaring:
"Henceforth I lay aside my gauntlet
and my art until the gods make ready
for me the path to that bright coun-
try beyond this life Some orator,
was John l. Entu1l,-e,