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There was this fella named Jem Ward who was scared of losing his title to a fella names James Burke.
Early in Jem's career he was matched by the Pugilistic Club against a man named Abbott. Abbott was winning and most folks were fine with it until they heard Jem tell Abbott to hit him and he'll go down easy. This got Jem kicked out of the Pugilistic Club.
Kicked out of the real scene Jem rebuilt his brand by touring in a tent boxing show. He got back into the good graces of the club and fought the champion in a dubious ten minute fight.
After getting the title Jem sat on ass and spent his money until he had none. He fought a contender named Crawley and lost. Crawley retired after the match.
Jem spent the money from the Crawley fight and was looking to regain his title a few years later. The Irish champion Simon Byrne gave Jem a fight. Back then when you fought for a vacant title it was usually against another area's champion.
Simon took a dive and allowed Ward his title back.
This is where Jem Ward gets all sorts of ***** that even AJ would be like....damn....
A challenger makes his way up the ranks, a real scary man by the name of James Burke often called Deaf'un or Dumb.
Rather than fight Burke for the title Jem pulls a Figg and wants to be the house (venue, promoter, manager, the works) for the vacant title fight. Back then the champ chose who was worthy and Jem chose his new challenger against his last Byrne.
Burke fought Byrne like Byrne had earned the spot even though Byrne was really not up to snuff for the caliber Burke fighter was. Deaf Burke killed Simon Byrne in the ring.
Ward refused to give up his title to Burke claiming the champion must possess English qualities and while James Burke was as much an Englishman by birth as any he did not possess proper Englishman qualities. Jem Ward is still regarded as the champion.
Burke is chased out of his country while Ward is exalted for upholding Englishness.
Burke continues his career in the US and before long the push to fight him is too much for Ward to ignore.
Ward tells Burke to raise an absurd purse for the day, one no one believed James could raise. Burke raised the funds by performing odd jobs, sent the funds, and was refused the fight yet again.
Jem Ward would take Deaf Burke's money and promptly retire with it.
Even now the English are unwilling to turn on Ward. He is still the champion and he has to elect the men worthy of fighting for his title. Under pressure of course he selects Burke. The other man who'd fight Burke for Jem Ward's title was Nat Ward, Jem's own baby brother.
Of course Nat was no bother for Deaf'un and of course when Burke won Jem announced that fight was not good enough and he, Jem, must not retire for the good of the title. He refused to relinquish the title to Burke yet again.
America had enough of Jem's **** and decided if Burke beat up the new Irish champion Sam O'Rourke then America would crown his champion and ignore Jem and the English.
That's how Burke won his title.
At no point did the ***** Jem Ward ever fight the man James Burke. Today Jem is an inducted member of the IBHOF....their historians must be very proud of that....
Burke would go back to England and lose his title in the first title fight to feature London Prize Ring Rules. Burke lost by DQ.
A few years later James Burke died of TB penniless and alone.
As much as Joshua pisses me off he is not the biggest tinkerbell boxing has seen. Not yet anyway. All he did was duck and refuse a purse he called for. Jem ducked, stole the purse, got a man killed, his own blood whooped, and was never man enough to suck up his own pride and crown the true king of the era.
To this very day when Jem Ward's reign actually ended and Burke's began is a subject of debate amongst historians.
Early in Jem's career he was matched by the Pugilistic Club against a man named Abbott. Abbott was winning and most folks were fine with it until they heard Jem tell Abbott to hit him and he'll go down easy. This got Jem kicked out of the Pugilistic Club.
Kicked out of the real scene Jem rebuilt his brand by touring in a tent boxing show. He got back into the good graces of the club and fought the champion in a dubious ten minute fight.
After getting the title Jem sat on ass and spent his money until he had none. He fought a contender named Crawley and lost. Crawley retired after the match.
Jem spent the money from the Crawley fight and was looking to regain his title a few years later. The Irish champion Simon Byrne gave Jem a fight. Back then when you fought for a vacant title it was usually against another area's champion.
Simon took a dive and allowed Ward his title back.
This is where Jem Ward gets all sorts of ***** that even AJ would be like....damn....
A challenger makes his way up the ranks, a real scary man by the name of James Burke often called Deaf'un or Dumb.
Rather than fight Burke for the title Jem pulls a Figg and wants to be the house (venue, promoter, manager, the works) for the vacant title fight. Back then the champ chose who was worthy and Jem chose his new challenger against his last Byrne.
Burke fought Byrne like Byrne had earned the spot even though Byrne was really not up to snuff for the caliber Burke fighter was. Deaf Burke killed Simon Byrne in the ring.
Ward refused to give up his title to Burke claiming the champion must possess English qualities and while James Burke was as much an Englishman by birth as any he did not possess proper Englishman qualities. Jem Ward is still regarded as the champion.
Burke is chased out of his country while Ward is exalted for upholding Englishness.
Burke continues his career in the US and before long the push to fight him is too much for Ward to ignore.
Ward tells Burke to raise an absurd purse for the day, one no one believed James could raise. Burke raised the funds by performing odd jobs, sent the funds, and was refused the fight yet again.
Jem Ward would take Deaf Burke's money and promptly retire with it.
Even now the English are unwilling to turn on Ward. He is still the champion and he has to elect the men worthy of fighting for his title. Under pressure of course he selects Burke. The other man who'd fight Burke for Jem Ward's title was Nat Ward, Jem's own baby brother.
Of course Nat was no bother for Deaf'un and of course when Burke won Jem announced that fight was not good enough and he, Jem, must not retire for the good of the title. He refused to relinquish the title to Burke yet again.
America had enough of Jem's **** and decided if Burke beat up the new Irish champion Sam O'Rourke then America would crown his champion and ignore Jem and the English.
That's how Burke won his title.
At no point did the ***** Jem Ward ever fight the man James Burke. Today Jem is an inducted member of the IBHOF....their historians must be very proud of that....
Burke would go back to England and lose his title in the first title fight to feature London Prize Ring Rules. Burke lost by DQ.
A few years later James Burke died of TB penniless and alone.
As much as Joshua pisses me off he is not the biggest tinkerbell boxing has seen. Not yet anyway. All he did was duck and refuse a purse he called for. Jem ducked, stole the purse, got a man killed, his own blood whooped, and was never man enough to suck up his own pride and crown the true king of the era.
To this very day when Jem Ward's reign actually ended and Burke's began is a subject of debate amongst historians.
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