Daniel Mendoza vs. John Jackson
Background
It is April of 1795. Over the past few years, a new era of boxing has arisen. The brutal old days of no-holds-barred fighting from the days of Figg and Broughton have passed, and science is replacing brute strength in the ring.
The champion is Daniel Mendoza, a fast, strong man of Spanish-Jewish descent. He is hailed as the most skilled fighter in history, and there seems little argument on this point. Mendoza is a complete fighter--although only a middleweight by today's standards, Mendoza combines fast hands, decent hitting power, and surprising strength with unparalleled boxing skills that make him well-nigh unhittable. In the past few years, he is the veteran of over 30 fights in an era when most fighters will retire with half that. It is generally believed that he will keep the title for as long as he wants to.
Daniel Mendoza
Height: 5'7" Weight: Around 160 lbs
Mendoza was strong, a decent puncher, fast, and durable. Although his punches were not as individually destructive as some fighters, he had no real weaknesses. When he entered into the Jackson fight, he was coming off of a 15 minute demolition of Bill Warr (a respected contender).
His challenger is one of the stranger pugilists in Prize Ring history. "Gentleman" John Jackson is, by 18th century standards, a wealthy man. He is the son of a prosperous Worcestershire builder, and is known for his impeccable manners and gentlemanly behavior. He has been given the title of "Mister" John Jackson, the highest honor in this period. Despite this, he is an incredibly skilled, durable, and hard-hitting fighter. Unlike Mendoza, he is the product of the London sparring schools. He is a different sort of boxer from the hard-hitting, hard-bitten brawlers of the past. He has entered the Prize Ring for the love of the game--he has no need of the prize money.
Significantly, both of these men, in their different ways, herald the approach of the golden years soon to come. Neither can be considered unskilled, thuggish men as some of the boxers of the past have been--Slack and Figg come to mind. Many years earlier, Mendoza had heralded the beginning of a new era of skill and professionalism with his "scientific" style. Jackson is the result of this pugilistic revolution.
John Jackson
Height: 5' 11" Weight: 196 lbs
Although not as scientific as Mendoza, Jackson was a very close second. He had been trained at the best London pugilistic schools, and showed it. Moreover, he was very hard hitting (as when he demolished the respected contender Fewterell), fast, and athletic. Like Mendoza, there were few chinks in his armor.
The Fight
ROUND 1-- Both fighters feint and spar with one another for the advantage, with neither committing fully to his blows. Mendoza, a natural counterpuncher, is waiting for Jackson to make the first move. Jackson complies, flooring Mendoza with a tremendous punch. Mendoza lies prostrate on the stage.
ROUND 2-- Jackson is unable to exploit his initial advantage. Mendoza gets into his stride, blocking all of Jackson's punches and replying with several good counterpunches.
ROUND 3-- Both fighters are more alert now. They begin exchanging punches, and while both land well, Mendoza goes down.
ROUND 4-- Jackson is now growing more confident. He goes after Mendoza, ignores several stinging counterpunches, and begins to pummel the champion. He lands a vicious blow on the right eye that drops Mendoza. The champion, bleeding heavily, goes back to his corner. ROUND 5-- Jackson seizes Mendoza's long hair and pummels him with the other hand until Mendoza collapses from pain and exhaustion. An appeal is made to the referees, who, after consulting Broughton's rules, conclude that this action is indeed legal. The fight continues.
ROUND 6, 7, and 8-- Mendoza is now hurt, exhausted, and forced on the defensive. Jackson never gives him time for recovery, showing complete superiority in skill. He beats the champion up badly.
ROUND 9-- Mendoza has no chance. Jackson is still as fresh as he was at the beginning of the fight, and is landing punches at will on Mendoza. Mendoza collapses from exhaustion and surrenders.
The entire fight lasted for only ten and a half minutes.
Aftermath
Mendoza retired after this fight, unable to find backers for another fight with Jackson. It is doubtful whether anyone would have been willing to risk his money on Mendoza in view of his opposition--Jackson had showed complete superiority over Mendoza even before he seized the former champion's hair in the fifth round.
Mendoza went on to start a pub, and relaxed into a moderately successful quiet life. He hated and resented Jackson long after their fight, and the breach was never healed. Mendoza also proved helpful to the English Jewish community in later life--in those days there were a sizeable number of Jewish bettors involved in boxing, and Mendoza was invaluable in appraising the fighters to help set the odds.
Jackson had a long and successful career ahead of him. He retired immediately after the Mendoza fight, but despite this Jackson spearheaded the movement to bring organization to his beloved sport. It was Jackson's influence, through the Pugilistic Club and his own appearances at major fights, that allowed English Pugilism to remain relatively respectable until the mid-1820's. He was well-regarded by all as an honest, intelligent, and hard-working promoter of pugilism.
Sources: Pierce Egan's Boxiana; Henry Downes Miles' Pugilistica.