Pig, Ikey

His given name unknown, Ikey Pig was an English bare-knuckled fighter in the early 19th Century and fought in the era of "Broughton's Rules." Established in 1743 by Jack Broughton, considered the father of English boxing, the Rules stated that wrestling moves about the waist were allowed, but a fighter could not hit an opponent once he was down. In fact, knockdowns marked the division of rounds as the downed fighter had 30 seconds to return to the center of the ring or he would lose. If the fighter, with the help of his handlers, made it to the center, the fights resumed in what was considered a new round. In this way, fights were recorded according to the number of rounds and amount of time. "Broughton's Rules" were replaced in 1838 by the Pugilistic Society's "London Prize Ring Rules."

Birth and Death Dates:
unknown

Career Highlights:
An English boxer in the 1800s, Ikey lost to George Nicholls before fighting English champion, the great Tom Cribb, on May 21, 1805 in Blackheath, England. In Boxiana or Sketches Of Ancient and Modern Pugilism, boxing historian Pierce Egan described Ikey as, "a man of considerable strength...a man of notoriety in the tribe of pugilists." Egan wrote that during the fight, Ikey Pig was, "...a heavier and stronger man than Cribb...made good use of his strength and levelled [knocked down] his opponent several times, but Cribb's caution, bottom, and science proved too much for the Jew, who gave in much to the regret and loss of his followers" (italics in original writing). The bout lasted eleven-rounds and took 30 minutes with Cribb walking away with the prize of 40 guineas.

Origin:
England

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