Prize Fights
During the late 17th to mid 18th centuries in England, long after the London schools and true Masters had faded, a revival of Prizing took place. But in these bouts mostly common, unskilled brawlers and street ruffians would fight for money against all challengers. They were also called “prizefighters” in reference to earlier days. Though also using blunted weapons, most of these fights were quite bloody affairs with some ending in deaths. Today, they are often confused with the old Masters and their students Playing the Prize. Eventually, pugilism was added to the shows and it became so popular that weapons were finally dropped from the contests altogether. This is the origin of today's modern boxing “prizefights”.
Read more about this topic: Prize Playing
Famous quotes containing the words prize and/or fights:
“To a maiden true he’ll give his hand,
Hey lillie, ho lillie lallie,
To the king’s daughter o’ fair England,
To a prize that was won by a slain brother’s brand,
I’ the brave nights so early.”
—Unknown. Earl Brand (l. 67–71)
“Kids win this’n’that every day. Thousands of them. One out of a hundred fights professionally. One out of a thousand’s worth watchin’, one out of a million’s worth coffee and doughnuts.”
—Abraham Polonsky (b. 1910)