I really know very little about this man, asides from the Molineaux fight and that he was the English fist fighting champion in the early 19th century.
Trying to crawl past the romantic reports of the era, I am curious to know how many of those who focus on this period would rate him.
Also I am curious to know about his training, or the types of training that men of this era underwent.
Thanks agian
kym
Tom Cribb...how would you rate him.
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dr_devious
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I would rate Cribb as probably the greatest bare-knuckle fighter of all-time. He was the most successful fighter in the best bare-knuckle era. He only lost once, and that was in the 48th round when he was extremely drunk! He beat Jem Belcher and Tom Molyneux, who were probably the next best of the era. The only knock against Cribb was that he was probably lucky to win the first Molyneux fight.
The training regime in those days was pretty basic, lots of running and hiking, some sparring, and abstinence from all pleasures apart from beer.
Tom Cribb was supremely durable, and this was in part due to the incredibly harsh life he led. As a small boy, he was a powder monkey in the British fleet during the wars with France, and when he was older he was a coal porter.
They dont make em like Tom Cribb anymore!
The training regime in those days was pretty basic, lots of running and hiking, some sparring, and abstinence from all pleasures apart from beer.
Tom Cribb was supremely durable, and this was in part due to the incredibly harsh life he led. As a small boy, he was a powder monkey in the British fleet during the wars with France, and when he was older he was a coal porter.
They dont make em like Tom Cribb anymore!
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dr_devious
- Heavyweight
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An interesting article I found about Tom Cribb, from British Boxing Net
http://www.britishboxing.net/news_3040- ... boxer.html
http://www.britishboxing.net/news_3040- ... boxer.html
Above Randall and Dutch Sam?dr_devious wrote:I would rate Cribb as probably the greatest bare-knuckle fighter of all-time. He was the most successful fighter in the best bare-knuckle era.
Huh?He only lost once, and that was in the 48th round when he was extremely drunk!
And the source of this information is..?The training regime in those days was pretty basic, lots of running and hiking, some sparring, and abstinence from all pleasures apart from beer.
Bout summaryharrygreb wrote:i think molyneux had it over cribb from what i have read.
they really crippled TM in the run up to the second fight i seem to recall.
Cribb's loss:
That the company should not be disappointed of some sport, a match was soon made up between Tom Cribb and one Nicholls, a Bristol man, who never was seen before on a London stage. They fought for an hour and ten minutes, during which time there were fifty-two rounds. Cribb was the favourite, and considerable odds were laid on his side. He was the first down, but the amateurs thought nothing of it, as it is well known he repeatedly contrives to throw himself back in order to evade the full force of a blow. In the course of a few rounds he cut the Bristol man under the right eye with his left hand, as if it had been cut with a knife. The latter was still very cool and good humoured, and, as the fighting men express it, quite gay and full of spirits. About the twentieth round Crib had one of his eyes entirely closed up, not-withstanding he shifted and sprung about with a great deal of skill and agility. But what did him the most material injury was several cutting blows he received in the left side and the neck, by the other drawing his arm in an horizontal line across him when he gave these favourite blows. The Bristol man was also very expert at breaking on his adversary, a method that was first brought down from Norfolk to Bristol by Slack, and is done by projecting the arm suddenly against the opponent's face when he swings forward with a violent blow. Crib, however, though he evidently had the worst of it, made several excellent rallies. But when he had fought forty rounds, it was observed that he was winded. He had been up all night, and had walked several miles on his way down. He recovered the sight of his eye, and fought on, though rather shy, as he frequently made short hits, and fell back from his own blows. Several knowing ones were taken in by this fight, as hopes were entertained of him till it was too late, and he gave in at the close of the 52d round. Dick Hall was one of his friends, and Tom Jones was for Nicholls, who is now pronounced to be a prime man.
Source: The Sporting Magazine (series I - volume XXVI - July 1805; pp.212-215)
That the company should not be disappointed of some sport, a match was soon made up between Tom Cribb and one Nicholls, a Bristol man, who never was seen before on a London stage. They fought for an hour and ten minutes, during which time there were fifty-two rounds. Cribb was the favourite, and considerable odds were laid on his side. He was the first down, but the amateurs thought nothing of it, as it is well known he repeatedly contrives to throw himself back in order to evade the full force of a blow. In the course of a few rounds he cut the Bristol man under the right eye with his left hand, as if it had been cut with a knife. The latter was still very cool and good humoured, and, as the fighting men express it, quite gay and full of spirits. About the twentieth round Crib had one of his eyes entirely closed up, not-withstanding he shifted and sprung about with a great deal of skill and agility. But what did him the most material injury was several cutting blows he received in the left side and the neck, by the other drawing his arm in an horizontal line across him when he gave these favourite blows. The Bristol man was also very expert at breaking on his adversary, a method that was first brought down from Norfolk to Bristol by Slack, and is done by projecting the arm suddenly against the opponent's face when he swings forward with a violent blow. Crib, however, though he evidently had the worst of it, made several excellent rallies. But when he had fought forty rounds, it was observed that he was winded. He had been up all night, and had walked several miles on his way down. He recovered the sight of his eye, and fought on, though rather shy, as he frequently made short hits, and fell back from his own blows. Several knowing ones were taken in by this fight, as hopes were entertained of him till it was too late, and he gave in at the close of the 52d round. Dick Hall was one of his friends, and Tom Jones was for Nicholls, who is now pronounced to be a prime man.
Source: The Sporting Magazine (series I - volume XXVI - July 1805; pp.212-215)
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dr_devious
- Heavyweight
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Im not as familiar with Randall and Dutch Sam, any more info about them? Cribb certainly beat Belcher and Molyneux who were definitely two of te top fighters of the time,Senya13 wrote:Above Randall and Dutch Sam?dr_devious wrote:I would rate Cribb as probably the greatest bare-knuckle fighter of all-time. He was the most successful fighter in the best bare-knuckle era.
Huh?He only lost once, and that was in the 48th round when he was extremely drunk!
And the source of this information is..?The training regime in those days was pretty basic, lots of running and hiking, some sparring, and abstinence from all pleasures apart from beer.
Cribb only lost once, and it was rumoured that he was inebriated during the contest.
The info I've repeated on here was from a book Ive read about the era - Captain Barclay's life story.
Both Jack Randall (the original Nonpareil) and Dutch Sam are in IBHOF, you can read short bios at hall's site. Although it's inexplicable that Randall was only inducted in 2005, and Dutch Sam in 1997, they deserved place in the Hall ahead of pretty much any other bareknuckle fighter, for their weight class they were better fighters than Cribb, Mendoza, Sayers, Spring, Mace, Sullivan or anyone else was for heavyweight. Joe Goss was inducted in 2003, two years earlier than Randall, Heenan (who had not won a single fight) in 2002. Morrissey, who was a terrible fighter, got in earlier than either Sam or Randall, even Jem Ward got in earlier than them. Simply inexplicable.
Randall retired undefeated. Dutch Sam was undefeated before he returned to the ring one more time from retirement, when he was almost 40.
Randall retired undefeated. Dutch Sam was undefeated before he returned to the ring one more time from retirement, when he was almost 40.
Speaking of which...
IBHOF / Dutch Sam
IBHOF / Dutch Sam
Six years later he was lying in his tomb, his return was 4 years later.He retired May 31, 1810, nine years after his first fight, at 35. Six years later he returned to the ring but was beaten by William Nosworthy.