The Butcher v. The Butler

Although it is clear that boxing was a common public entertainment in England in the mid-to-late seventeenth century, it was not until January 6th, 1681, 326 years ago today, that a match was contested that made the public record. In its January 7th edition, an English newspaper, The Protestant Mercury, made reference to the bout in question, and thus sealed its status ever afterward as the first known modern boxing contest:

Yesterday, a match of Boxing was performed before His Grace, the Duke of Albemarle, between the Duke’s footman and a butcher. The latter won the prize, as he hath done many times before, being accounted, though a little man, the best at the exercise in England.

That's the Duke in question over there - Christopher Monck, the second Duke of Ablemarle. Not exactly the image we have today of the average fistic enthusiast, but there you go. Based on the report in the Mercury, it sounds as if this fight was not only the first recorded modern throwdown, but also the first recorded case of speed taming size, with the pesky little butcher mastering the charges of the Duke's lumbering butler. I wonder if the Duke fired his butler after that and got himself a faster butler. I also wonder if the butler fought the butcher because they had some butlers-hating-butchers type of beef or if it was just because one day the Duke was like, "Butler? Fight my butcher. Over there, on the lawn. It'll be funny." Ah, the well-off getting their jollies watching the not-so-well-off beat the shit out of each other. Some things never change.