Boxing in the Regency Era

Kaitlyn Nielsen | Sports Editor

Picture description. / Photo by 'username', licensed by Envato.com.

Bridgerton didn’t just have Pall-Mall; the show also featured another popular sport present during the time. Pugilism, or more commonly known as Boxing. The sport was featured heavily in the first season, which is reflective of the time period during which the sport was most popular. 

Unlike Pall-Mall, the game of boxing was enjoyed by royalty and commoners alike. It’s important to note that during these matches, wagering and gambling occurred heavily. So much so that during one particular match, there was around 200 thousand pounds bet. These matches gathered a crowd, and it wasn’t uncommon for there to be hundreds of thousands of individuals watching. 

Boxing wasn’t just a pastime for individuals; it was a sport that many dedicated a large portion of their time to learn. Those who taught this sport were often referred to as the Emperor of Pugilism; those who were being taught were called the Fancy. Boxing was so embedded within the culture during the Regency period that "Celebrity" figures came about due to their natural skill and overall popularity with the people of England. The most popular boxer was “Gentleman” John Jackson. At the young age of 19, John decided that he was going to become a boxer. He made this decision without his parents' approval; however, he stood at 5 '11 and weighed over 190 pounds. 

In the eyes of society, he was perfect; artists would come from around the world to use him as a model. He was well-mannered, dressed in bright colors, and spoke with cultivated tones. All of these characteristics and qualities made him favorable in the ton. However, he wasn’t without flaws. It was noted that he had a droopy forehead and very pronounced ears. Historians have concluded that the artists who used him for modeling used different heads to shape Jackson’s. 

You would think that because he was so adored in England for his boxing skills, he fought in a plethora of matches and won a lot of them. Well, the truth is Jackson only fought professionally three times, and he lost one of those matches. However, the matches he won were against two of the top champions, and beating them earned him his reputation. Another factor that contributed to his reputation was being credited with a style of boxing. He used to teach this style a couple of times a week during the London season. The style of boxing was noted to work in fast footwork alongside a new way to hold your body up. Jackson style favors a slightly bent over posture, while also preaching to his students that fighting boxing with your entire body was redundant when up against a powerful hit. 

Jackson’s style was a unique offering to England during the Regency era, but even rarer was his personal conviction towards the fairness of the game. During this period, individuals offered bets to ensure a match would end in a way they wanted. Jackson took a stance to keep matches honest for those competing. Later, prompting him to create his own club where he was able to control the bets that were made and ensure there was no cheating or unfair behavior occurring. 

Apart from Jackson and his career, boxing itself was vastly different from our current sport of boxing. During this era, practicing boxing was allowed, and people were allowed to have clubs and host weekly practices for anyone to join in. However, holding a match was frowned upon, so much so that oftentimes, matches were held out of town or in fields. The ring was marked by four stakes in the ground, and there were two umpires that were used and they tended to be boxers themselves.

The match consisted of bouts, and within each bout there were multiple rounds. For a round to be considered over, one individual needed to be knocked out or thrown off their feet. However, the number of rounds was unlimited and really only determined by the two boxers; the entire match was over once one person was down for the count.

While Jackson's and the Regency era’s boxing began the popularity and style, it wasn’t until the 19th century that the sport became closer to what we know today. Big improvements like boxing gloves didn’t come until after the Regency era, and thankfully, so did time limits and round limits. However, it leads one to wonder what the world of boxing would look like if our society were still using Regency-era rules.