Shepperton Range, England: Faced with a mandate to risk his belt with Gentleman John Jackson again or meet two lesser opponents in 1798, Benjamin Bryan opted for the stiffer challenge. The two heavyweights had squared off four times dating back to 1792; once with the English title on the line and most recently successive World title tilts. With the series tied at two apiece, anticipation of the April 29th bout was at an all-time high.
The old foes came to scratch at noon sharp in the expanse of Shepperton Range with thousands of witnesses on hand. Slow in the making, the match began to take form in the sixth round when former World and English ring king Jackson laid Bryan low with a ferocious uppercut. Shaken but not deterred, Ben pushed himself up and tussled hard to the bell. The claret began to flow from Jackson's mouth and nostrils by the eighth following a two-round beating administered by Bryan but Jackson awed the crowd once more in the tenth depositing Bryan on his backside for a near ten count. The champ looked ready to go down a second time as the bell sounded but Jackson was showing signs of fatigue himself.
The final rounds found two warriors, faces grotesquely swollen, swinging wildly in an attempt to end the matter on their own terms. When the final bell sounded, a thousand voices were raised in appreciation of the effort from both camps. The final decision, widely seen as just, read six rounds for Bryan, six for Jackson with three even. Bryan maintains his crown but the historic series between these men remains a push.
Other Doings:
Middleweight Bob Watson took his curtain call this past February. Watson has been a fine prizefighter and will be sorely missed around London. The same cannot be said of French middleweight Beef A-La-Mode who mercifully drew his brutal career to an end last month. The Picayune says farewell and good riddance respectively.
