Edward Augustus Collard

Edward Augustus Collard, 19, died of injuries sustained in a bout with John Thomas May 16, 1897 in Rhondda (Pontypridd), Glamorgan (Rhondda Cynonon Taf), Wales.

The two men were miners who had an argument and decided to settle it via an early morning prizefight. The purse was £1 per side. About eighty people were present. The men were not fighting in a ring, but in a big hole. The spectators sat around the embankment.

Toward the end of the fight, Collard had to be helped to stand, and was seen shivering, but the seconds would not call the fight, and there was no referee. Finally, Collard was knocked down by a right hand blow. The crowd cheered. Then, when Collard did not get up, the crowd left, silent. After awhile, Collard was carried to a nearby house, where he died. Thomas and the seconds were arrested. Autopsy revealed bruises around the chest and left arm. There was a clot of blood on the brain, weighing about 8 ounces. The ruptured blood vessel was on the right side of the head. Cause of death was blows to the left side of the head, near the ear. The jury ruled manslaughter.

Source: Death under the Spotlight: The Manuel Velasquez Boxing Fatality Collection [1]