On Wednesday night, the Blues boxers came to blows with a rival even older than Cambridge: the non-University community of Oxford. Yet, this was no lawless brawl. It was a contest fought according to the Marquess of Queensberry rules and it took place in the elegant surroundings of the Oxford Union’s Debating Chamber. More commonly the scene of oratorical duelling, it was witness to a brutal battle of the physical kind.
The bloodshed and passion on show in the ninety-seventh Town vs. Gown match proved that the old rivalry is still very much alive. Indeed, the University fighters demonstrated astonishing spirit, and their resistance in the face of heavy-hitting opponents was astounding.
Such mental qualities were not enough. The superior technique and experience of the boxers from a variety of Town clubs was too much for the Blues. In the end, it was a resounding victory for the Town, as they won eight out of the twelve bouts.
Yet it all started brilliantly for OUABC. Chen came out energetically and started faster than his taller opponent Caldwell, getting inside the Townsman’s long reach and landing punch after punch, his hands too fast for his opponent. Chen maintained his relentless attack in the second and Caldwell was unable to cope with his quick combinations, constantly being forced backwards. Caldwell finally responded in the third, occasionally holding Chen off with his longer reach, but it was too late. The judges’ decision in favour of Chen was a mere formality.
It was the perfect start, and the crowd responded by lifting the atmosphere in the Debating Chamber to a level that a Union debate could never match. Graham, OUABC’s second fighter, entered the ring to a wave of cheers, but he was unable to turn the encouragement to his advantage. He was completely dominated and knocked down by his opponent Andrews before the first round had concluded. As he remained on his knees, bewildered and bloody-nosed, and looking desperately to his corner for advice, the referee ended the contest in favour of Andrews. OUABC weren’t to take the lead again.
As the boxers entered the ring for the third bout, it was the sprightly Town fighter, Pownceby, who attracted the cheers. The Town supporters were out in force and had clearly been buoyed by Andrews’ victory. Unlike the preceding fight, this one went the length and was a tight contest. Pownceby began quickly and aggressively, but OUABC’s Blick was a match for him, moving his feet quickly and repeatedly holding the Townsman off with a powerful left jab. Yet in the third round Pownceby edged it, as Blick slowed and failed to keep his opponent at a distance. The judges ruled a majority decision for Pownceby, sparking wild celebrations from his fans.
Town had taken the lead, and at no point were they to relinquish it. The fourth bout was almost a copy of the second. McKeller was simply too good for Pearson, the Blue, and having been put down by an early right hand, it was clear the OUABC man was out of his depth. The referee ended the contest, once more in the first round, with Pearson looking dazed and relieved.
OUABC needed to fight back, and in the fifth bout it looked like they might. Nicholls looked to be matching Wilcock, but with little to choose between the two fighters the judges ruled in favour of the Townsman, and it looked as if the University’s hopes were slipping away as they fell behind four bouts to one.
But everything changed with the introduction of OUABC’s Vicent Vitalle, for the fight of the night. Both he and Corrigan, his opponent, came out swinging, with little regard for their own safety. Ferocious punches were received by both fighters, but Vitalle was the more aggressive. Time and time again he battered his way through Corrigan’s defences, yet Corrigan fought back equally bravely and aggressively. After the intensity of the first round it seemed implausible that both men would last through the next two. But when the final bell sounded, barely heard due to the levels of noise from the crowds, both men were still standing, albeit swaying heavily. The judges ruled in favour of Vitalle, and it looked like a fight-back from OUABC might have been on the cards.
But it wasn’t to be, even with the University’s best boxer, Garman, next in the ring. He met his match in the form of the brilliant Mike Todd, who beat the Blue on a unanimous judges’ decision. Once Jones had lost another heavy slugfest, Oxford hopes of retaining the title looked slim, and although Maric offered a glimmer of hope with his victory in the ninth fight, it was all over when Pickering was convincingly beaten in the tenth. Elford picked up the University’s fourth victory of the evening in the eleventh bout, with a persistent attacking performance, but it was a mere consolation.
