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1790 Rare Boxing Water colour by Charles Reuben Ryley Boxing Match Between Danie

1790 Rare Boxing Water colour by Charles Reuben Ryley Boxing Match Between Daniel Mendoza and Richard Humphreys, 29th September 1790 at Doncaster Park. Framed piece 80 x 70 cm, this is a stunning image of one of the most famous boxing bear knuckle fights. Called the Decider Humphreys - whose previous defeat had cost his backers dear - was soon writing to the papers to blame his defeat on temporary rheumatism. Again he challenged Mendoza - who by then was appearing at a theatre in Manchester at 25 guineas a night. After another unedifying public correspondence, the deciding battle was fought at Doncaster on 29 September 1790, in a large inn-yard, enclosed by houses, the River Don and a strong fence. Five hundred tickets were sold at half a guinea each. Hundreds more gate-crashed or watched from the rigging of ships. Mendoza had gained bulk and, at 160 lbs, looked hugely muscular. Humphreys had trimmed down for speed. At first, Humphreys attacked pell-mell - though to little effect: The combatants, aware of each other's excellence, began to think a little of what they were about [recounts Egan]. It was stop for stop, blow for hit, for some time, when an opportunity offering, Mendoza concluded the third round by knocking down Humphreys. In the 5th round, Humphreys ventured a tremendous stomacher. Mendoza stopped it, returning a crushing facer - and Humphreys began to fall apart. Mendoza hit him almost at will. To underline his superiority, Mendoza dragged out the affair. Three times, he had Humphreys completely helpless, only to lower him gently to the deck. Humphreys gamely struggled on, despite a ripped nose, closed eye, cut forehead and split upper lip. After 72 rounds and an hour and 13 minutes, his friends finally carried the spent Humphreys away for medical assistance. Before Humphreys left, though, Mendoza - himself far from unscathed - shook his hand. Blood and sweat had washed away their resentments. By the end of the decade, Mendoza's great rival was dead of consumption. In 1806, Mendoza wrote of him: His general conduct and demeanour . . reflected great credit on him, and deservedly gained him the esteem of the public . . I feel a satisfaction in rendering this justice to the memory of a powerful though unsuccessful opponent. Richard Humphreys, the celebrated boxer who never was conquered, who beat Bentley, Martyn, &c &c and Mendoza the Jew 9th Jan. 1788 (after J. Hoppner) , 1788 Richard Humphreys died of injuries sustained during a bout September 1829 with Thomas Price at Radnorshire, Wales. DANIEL MENDOZA Born: July 5, 1764 in Aldgate, London, England Died: September 3, 1836 Daniel Mendoza was the first Jewish prize-fighter to become a champion. Though he stood only 5'7" and weighed 160 pounds, Mendoza was England's sixteenth Heavyweight Champion from 1792 to 1795. Always proud of his heritage, he billed himself as Mendoza the Jew. He is the father of scientific boxing. At a time when the sport of boxing consisted primarily of barehanded slugging, Mendoza introduced the concept of defence. He developed the guard, the straight left, and made use of side*stepping tactics. This new strategy, the Mendoza School, also referred to as the Jewish School, was criticized in some circles as cowardly. But it permitted Mendoza to fully capitalize on his small stature, speed, and punching power. His first recorded prize-fight was a knockout of an opponent, known as Harry the Coalheaver, whom he dispatched in 40 rounds. A victory in his first professional fight in 1787 won him the patronage of the Prince of Wales (later George IV), the first boxer to earn this honor. His acceptance by British royalty (he was the first Jew ever to speak to England's King George III) helped elevate the position of the Jew in English society and stem a vicious tide of anti-Semitism that many Englishmen read into Shakespeare's characterization of Shylock in his play The Merchant of Venice. Mendoza had a series of stor