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Pugilist illustration of Jack Slack

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana Start Price:175.00 USD Estimated At:350.00 - 700.00 USD
Pugilist illustration of Jack Slack
Jack Slack rose to fame in 1750 when English bare-knuckle champion Jack Broughton came out of retirement to take on this butcher who had hurled insults his way. It did not turn out well for Broughton as Slack won the day. With Slack's win, came a dark period in English boxing. Jack Slack was generally considered to be crooked. He held the English title for 10 years, but it was widely alleged that he “invested” in the fights of others in order to ensure that the number one contenders were not always the best fighters. This factor, combined with Slack’s dirty tactics (he invented the “Rabbit Punch”), ushered in a disreputable period for boxing that would last for decades. Illustration comes from a book entitled Boxiana or Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism, copyright 1829 by George Virtue of London.City: County: State: