Fight:1861778

Evan Evans beat John James by KO in round 32

• Date: 1886-08-01
• Location: Porth, Wales, United Kingdom

The two men had a dispute on Saturday, so they decided to get up early the next morning, and have a fight, with referee, seconds, and a prize of five shillings per side.

The fight began at twenty minutes to five in the morning, and lasted about an hour and ten minutes. Toward the end of the fight, James fell several times, and as he fell among rocks, he may have struck his head. At any rate, he started bleeding profusely from nose and mouth. The fight was stopped, and the two men shook hands. Then James fell down. He was carried home. The doctor was called, but James was dead before he got there, at about seven a.m. The surgeon found a clot of blood on the surface of the left side of the brain. The clot was caused either by falls or blows. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against Evans and the seconds.

Sources: (Cardiff, Wales) Western Mail, August 2, 1886; (Cardiff, Wales) Western Mail, August 3, 1886.

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