JANUARY 6th - The Butler vs. The Butcher



On this day in 1681, Christopher Monck, the 2nd Duke of Albemarle, organized the first recorded boxing match. He got (made) his butler fight his butcher for a prize. The butcher won. So the first boxing match was some bored, rich, royal making his servants fight each other? Kind of explains a lot about boxing. “You there, butler. You shall fight my butcher here in a series rounds until it is evident that one of you is the superior fighter. I shall give the winner one night’s sleep in the residence quarters. Pip-pip.” Now maybe this was not how it went down at all. Perhaps the good Duke was just trying to revitalize an ancient Greek sport and figured doing so under his own scrutinous eye would be the most prudent way to ensure its regulation and survival. I kind of think he was just bored and wanted to watch his butler fight his butcher. But is anyone surprised that the butcher won? I mean how many fighters have had the nickname “The Butcher?” It wasn’t Ron “The Butler” Strander, now was it? Serving tea and biscuits just doesn’t inspire an air of hostility like slaughtering a pig and chopping it up. And while it is easy to take potshots at the good Duke, he did have a point. Boxing can be very entertaining. Sadly, it has not been for quite some time. Boxers just don’t go at it the way they used to. You’re lucky to see as much action in a whole fight as you see in the 1st round of Hagler vs. Hearns. Mayweather and Pacquiao are masters, and if they ever fight it should be very entertaining, but for boxing to be a national topic of discussion there has to be some intrigue in the heavyweight division. And Wladimir Klitschko having a baby with Hayden Panettiere does not count. I hope that kid does not have a hyphenated last name. It would be interesting to see Wladimir fight his brother Vitali, but they promised their mother they would never fight each other. Perhaps if some rich Duke offered the right prize they would. I still can’t believe the good Duke made the butler fight. Didn’t he have like a woodsman or a tree chopper or something?

This day has been Marked.

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