The Duke of Cumberland, Broughton's patron at the time was said to have lost £10,000 on the match. Two minutes into the fight, Slack threw a blinding punch, and after 14 minutes Broughton retired from the bout because he was unable to see.

On 11 April 1750, Broughton fought Jack Slack, a Norfolk butcher, following a personal dispute between the men. A boxing match between John Broughton and Jack Slack The Bruiser Bruisd Or, the Knowing Ones Taken-in. Some historians credit Broughton as the inventor of boxing gloves because of his use of mufflers, though their use in professional bouts would not become widespread until the late 19th century.

In 1747, Broughton opened a school in Haymarket where men could learn boxing while wearing an early form of boxing glove called 'mufflers' to protect against injury, possibly making the activity more attractive to wealthy customers. The rules were applied widely in boxing until they were replaced by the London Prize Ring rules in 1838.īroughton was a King's Body Guard of the Yeoman of the Guard and probably accompanied George II to Hanover in 1743 when he took command of the army at the Battle of Dettingen during the War of the Austrian Succession. On 16 August 1743, he drew up the first standard set of rules for the sport, stipulating that a round would last until a fighter went down with a 30-second interval between rounds. Broughton envisaged a venue in which boxing matches as well as fights with weapons such as short swords, quarterstaffs, and cudgels would only take place between skilled combatants, although he also hosted bouts of animal blood sport, including bear-baiting. He fought semi-regular matches with recurring opponents, such as a series of four fights against pipe-maker Thomas Allen between 17 and three matches against coachman George Stephenson starting in 1738, one of which Paul Whitehead satirised in his 1744 mock-epic poem 'The Gymnasiad'.īroughton opened an amphitheatre in Oxford Road and began staging fights on 13 March 1743, when, for an entrance fee of a shilling or less, patrons were able to watch a display of boxing between several competitors. He frequently appeared as a fighter at the amphitheatres of Thomas Sibblis, who had taken over James Figg's venue in 1731, and James Stokes. Broughton's seven rules from 16 August 1743īy 1730, Broughton was competing in professional prizefights advertised in London newspapers.

Jack broughton rules