Duplicating my post from CBZ in case somebody from the UK can help.
While looking for the piece mentioned by Elliott J. Gorn in 'The Manly Art' of supossedly one of the first mentions of boxing in the American newspapers, which he gives as the Boston Gazette dated some time in 1733, I found another very interesting piece. But first, to that 1733 one. Gorn says no comment was given about the bout that took place between John Faulconer and Bob Russell, but there actually was a short description.
The newspaper is dated February 26 - March 5, 1733, page 2, but the bout itself took place probably the previous year in first half of October. Here's the full text:
London October 7, 9, 10.
On Monday last a Boxing Match was fought on the Bowling Green at Harrow on the Hill, between John Faulconer of Brentford, Carpenter, and Bob Russell, who keeps an Alehouse at Paddington. There was as great a Concourse of People as ever was known on such an Occasion. The Green was Rop'd round ; the Foot were first and the Horse kept behind, without creating the least Disorder or Disturbance during the whole Engagement, which lasted above eight Minutes. A great deal of Money was laid, chiefly on the Head of the former, who gave out within the Time aforesaid;
Which made me thinking to search even further back in time, if there was mention of word 'boxing'. I found two such mentions. One is not exactly about a boxing match, but more of a fight between two drunks in a pubhouse. The Boston Gazette, January 27 - February 3, 1724, page 2:
London, Sept. 14.
Johnson, a Bit-maker in St. Martin's Lane and Konnedyna (spelling?) Glover, falling out at an Alehouse in Chandos Street about 3 Weeks ago, fell to Boxing of each other, soon after they came to the said House, paid for the Windows they had broken, and were reconciled to each other, since which the latter fell ill of a Fever and died, and thereupon the former was charged with killing him, but the Coroner's Inquest having sat upon the Body yesterday at the Plough in St. Martin's Lane, and the same being opened before them by an able Surgeon, and no Marks of Violence appearing, they brought in their Verdict, Natural Death.
(Daily Post, Sept. 14.)
But the other one is A LOT more interesting! The American Weekly Mercury, May 16-23, 1728, page 2:
LONDON, January 30.
One John Gretton was killed by one Whitaker, his Antagonist, at a Boxing Match at Stoake's amphiteatre, near Islington. They fought for 25 Minutes with amazing Vigour and Agility, till at length the Battle issued in the Defeat of Gretton, Whitaker having just Strength enough remaining to raise his Bruised Body upon his Knees to give a Blow, whilst the other lay incapable of stirring either Hand or Foot, nor would he bleed upon opening a Vein, which was done immediately upon the Stage. So that our polite Countrymen, who honoured this Battle with their Presence, had the high Diversion of seeing a Man beaten to Death by one of his own Species. This Whitaker formely beat the renowned Venetian, for a large Sum, and Gretton had formerly beaten Whitaker.
Here is mentioned a fight of Bob Whitaker, who is attributed a fight with the Venetian Tito Alberto di Carini, where he was assigned to beat the Gondolier by James Figg himself. Captain Godfrey's treatise and Egan's Pugilistica don't give any date as to when this fight took place. Miles in Pugilistica gives the year as 1733, without exact date. Henning's first volume of "Fights for the Championship" gives exact date - May 6, 1733, and provides a vivid description of the fight, and who attended it. But the newspaper with the article I posted above is dated May 16-23, 1728, and it mentions the fight between Whitaker and the Venetian that it has already taken place. Could it be that the commonly-accepted date of 1733 was wrong after all, and it had taken place possibly in 1727 or even earlier? Unfortunately, I don't have access to British newspapers that far back (newspaperarchive only starts from 1764), but possibly somebody located in the UK has?
Here is a link to PDF file that contains the above piece:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UOT1F6WX