Introduction
The history of physical combat as organised sport in England is a story of ritual, masculinity, entertainment, and class conflict. Before the bright lights of modern arenas, before gloves and rulebooks, there existed a world of rough, unregulated contests — men grappling and striking in fairs, taverns, and rural greens. Early boxing and wrestling in England were not only athletic pursuits but also reflections of social identity, moral values, and changing ideas of honor. From medieval village bouts to the prizefighting rings of Georgian London, these sports evolved in step with broader cultural transformations: the decline of feudalism, the rise of industrial urban life, and the shaping of modern notions of sport and spectacle.
This essay explores the origins and development of boxing and wrestling in England from the medieval era through the early nineteenth century. It examines how these combat forms transitioned from folk traditions to structured sports, how they reflected English social hierarchies, and how figures such as James Figg, Jack Broughton, and William Muldoon contributed to the transformation of violence into organized entertainment. In doing so, it traces the deep cultural roots of two of the most enduring combat sports in Western history.
I. The Medieval and Early Modern Roots of English Wrestling
A Folk Tradition of Strength and Skill
Wrestling is among the oldest of English pastimes. References to grappling contests appear as early as the Anglo-Saxon period; the epic poem Beowulf describes warriors engaging in wrestling as a test of strength and bravery. By the Middle Ages, wrestling was entrenched as a communal form of recreation at fairs, festivals, and religious gatherings. Chroniclers such as William Fitzstephen, writing in the twelfth century, described London youths participating in wrestling matches during holiday celebrations. These contests were typically rough but governed by local custom rather than formalised rules.
Wrestling held dual symbolic meanings in early England. On one hand, it was a test of physical virtue — strength, courage, and endurance. On the other, it represented social order, with victors often gaining local prestige. Unlike later class-differentiated sports such as fencing or hunting, wrestling cut across social lines. Peasants, apprentices, and even nobles occasionally took part, though the contexts differed — rural contests for the lower classes, private matches for gentlemen.
Regional Styles and Local Customs
By the Tudor period, regional styles of wrestling had developed across England. The West Country, particularly Cornwall and Devon, became famous for its distinctive wrestling tradition. Cornish wrestling emphasised throws and trips, with the goal of unbalancing an opponent rather than striking. Wrestlers wore jackets or “jackets” for gripping, a feature still seen today in Cornish and Breton wrestling.
In the North of England, particularly Cumberland and Westmorland, a separate style known as Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling emerged. This variation required wrestlers to begin in an upright “backhold” grip and focused on swift, clean throws. Both styles were accompanied by strong local pride; regional champions were celebrated as heroes, and village rivalries often played out through wrestling matches during annual fairs.
Such folk wrestling traditions reinforced community identity. They were part of what historian E.P. Thompson later called the “moral economy” of traditional society — contests rooted in ritual, fairness, and celebration rather than commercial gain. Yet as England transitioned toward a market-based society, these pastimes began to change.
Wrestling in the Tudor and Stuart Periods
By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, wrestling was both celebrated and condemned. Henry VIII was reputedly fond of the sport and even participated in matches, but the Puritans who followed disapproved of such physical amusements, associating them with drunkenness and disorder. Despite official disapproval, wrestling remained popular among the common people.
Wrestling matches at fairs often accompanied other rough entertainments — cudgel play, bear-baiting, and early forms of boxing — all part of a culture of “merrie England” that persisted into the eighteenth century. Though wrestling would eventually decline in popularity relative to boxing, its early prominence laid the groundwork for the English fascination with one-on-one combat sports.
II. The Rise of Boxing and Prizefighting
Origins in Bare-Knuckle Combat
The modern sport of boxing emerged from a rougher and more chaotic predecessor: bare-knuckle prizefighting. While fist-fighting had existed since antiquity, the English form developed uniquely during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. In taverns and fairs, brawls began to be formalised into public contests, with spectators wagering on outcomes.
The earliest documented English boxing match took place in 1681, when the London Protestant Mercury reported a bout between the Duke of Albemarle’s footman and a butcher. By the early 1700s, organised prizefights had become common, often staged at public houses or temporary rings. Betting was integral — the matches were as much about gambling and spectacle as sport.
James Figg: The First Champion
The man often regarded as England’s first boxing champion was James Figg (1684–1734). A native of Oxfordshire, Figg opened a fighting amphitheatre in London around 1719 where he taught fencing, cudgelling, and bare-knuckle boxing. He styled himself “Master of the Noble Science of Defence,” blending martial art with showmanship.
Figg’s exhibitions combined multiple combat forms — swordplay, staff fighting, and fist combat — reflecting the transitional nature of early boxing. His influence helped legitimise prizefighting as a public entertainment rather than mere brawling. He trained a generation of fighters, including George Taylor, who continued the tradition after Figg’s death.
Jack Broughton and the Codification of Rules
The next major figure in early boxing was Jack Broughton, a student of Figg and a formidable fighter in his own right. Broughton introduced a key innovation: the first codified rules of boxing, issued in 1743. These “Broughton’s Rules” were designed to reduce fatalities and disorder in the ring. They established, among other points, that a round would continue until a man was knocked down, after which he had thirty seconds to “come up to the scratch.” Grabbing below the waist or striking a fallen opponent was prohibited.
Broughton also introduced padded gloves, or “mufflers,” for training purposes — a step toward the gloved boxing of later centuries. Although bare-knuckle fighting remained the public norm, Broughton’s efforts marked the beginning of boxing’s transition from brutal pastime to organised sport. His amphitheatre in London became a hub for fashionable spectators, including members of the aristocracy.
