First World Champion Crowned
Glasgow, Scotland: More than two thousand men crammed the confines of Glasgow's George Square in front of the Royal Explorers Club building to witness the crowning of the first World Heavyweight Champion under the Glasgow Rules of 1794. Gentleman John Jackson (who abdicated his English Title just the day before) and Big Ben Bryan were in top form and ready by the noon deadline.
The two men came to scratch and took not a second to size one another up before trading blows toe-to-toe. With heads nearly touching, each man let loose with punishment to the other's ribs and chins as the crowd cheered wildly. Jackson got the final lick in as they broke with an upper cut that ripped the skin over Bryan's right eye. It would prove to be his downfall.
Rounds one and two clearly were on Jackson's side of the ledger as he went for more in the third. The English Champ jabbed mercilessly at Big Ben's wound causing the claret to flow in ever-increasing volume. By round's end, both men were bathed in Bryan's blood. Sensing that he had little time to waste, Bryan loaded for bear in the fourth and punished Jackson's midribs while avoiding further damage to what was then a gash running the full length of his right eyebrow.
Jackson regained his upper hand in the fifth and landed several terrific blows square on Bryan's right temple causing near-geysers of blood to lap over both combatants and the referee. Wiping blood from his spectacles, the official had seen enough. The bout was called in Jackson's favor. Bryan, with the immediacy of battle gone, collapsed as the hot sun and blood loss had exacted a mighty toll.
In just under eighteen minutes, the world had its first heavyweight king. A smiling Lord Acton, REC President, sloshed through the blood to award the victorious Jackson his prize.
