perhaps one of the best known of william hazlitt’s essays is that called the fight, though it is the coach drive towards hungerford and some very intimate and exact discussions upon training which really interested the writer. the fight in question was that between bill neate and tom hickman, known as “the gasman,” or, simply, “gas.”
hitherto hickman’s chief title to consideration had been the remarkably short work he had made of at least three sturdy opponents. he had thrashed peter crawley in fourteen and a half minutes, gipsy cooper twice, once in a quarter of an hour and once in three minutes, and he had taken twelve and a half minutes to defeat tom oliver. neate had a good record too, but he had taken an hour and a half to beat oliver, so that “gas” was by way of being the favourite. as a matter of fact history shows that because a beats c with less difficulty than b, it by no means follows that a is invincible by b. it is interesting to know that neate’s backer on this occasion was that same mr. weare who was shortly afterwards murdered by thurtell.
the fight took place at newbury, in berkshire, on december 11th, 1821. neate’s seconds were tom belcher and harry harmer, hickman’s were tom spring and tom shelton.
neate fought with a well-extended guard which hickman found very difficult to pass. he pivoted about, always presenting a good defence. but after a long time sparring, “gas” charged in, got through his man’s guard, and hit him in the face, jumping away out of danger again. he repeated this again and again, whilst neate’s replies were poor. again hickman charged. this, he thought to himself, was going to be a soft job like the others: 65 but neate had got used to him by this time and met him with a beautiful straight left in the throat which made hickman gasp. again “gas” tried to rush, and neate slipped and fell.
james belcher, of bristol (champion of england), 1798-1809.
the second round found the gasman still grinning with confidence. he tried to get over neate’s guard with hard chopping blows, but these only fell on the shoulder and did no harm at all. then there was a hard rally, and neate sent home another straight left which made his opponent reel: but hickman was a plucky fellow, and though he found neate a disappointing antagonist, he would still try to win the encounter off-hand. neate tried another left which failed, and shortly afterwards slipped down to avoid “gas’s” in-fighting, which was not to his taste. hickman’s grin was still confident, but he got the worst of the third round. after a sharp exchange neate knocked him down, and himself fell from the force of his own blow and the clumsy way in which he stood.
the decisive blow of the fight was struck in the fourth round. hickman aimed a tremendous right-hander at neate, which he avoided, himself replying with the left. describing this and the previous round, hazlitt wrote:—
“i saw (neate’s) teeth clenched together and his brows knit close against the sun. he held out both his arms at full length straight before him, like two sledge-hammers, and raised his left an inch or two higher. the gasman could not get over this guard—they struck mutually and fell, but without advantage on either side.... the gasman aimed a mortal blow at his adversary’s neck with his right hand, and failing from the length he had to reach, the other returned it with his left at full swing, planted a tremendous blow on his cheek-bone and eyebrow, and made a red ruin of that side of his face.”
hickman never stood a chance after that. his smile was gone when he came up, plucky but weak, for the fifth round. neate hit him thrice sharply and then sent in a smashing right 66 on the mouth, which “grassed” him. he had a terrible time in the sixth, for he tried once more to rush his man and did succeed momentarily in pinning him to the ropes. but there neate’s greater skill came to his aid. he kept perfectly cool, guarded a couple of dangerous blows, and then countered, first with left, then with right, following one with another at top speed until “gas” gave ground, until his retreat became indeed a rout. then neate coming after him, went for his body and planted four terrible blows about the ribs and stomach, the last of which sent hickman down. so ill was the gasman after this round that his second had to hold him tight to prevent him from rolling off his knee.
neate himself was puffing and blowing a good deal, and his thumb gave him considerable pain. he had cut and sprained it severely when he made his terrific hit in the fourth round, and it had been in severe use more than once since then. but he was quite happy. he knew that he had only to keep cool and take his time and the battle was assuredly his. again he gave “gas” two tremendous blows, but the latter stood up bravely. neate was even too determined not to be hurried. he might with advantage have done more in this, the seventh round, which ended by his slipping to grass.
when hickman came up again he was laughing, actually and audibly laughing! he knew that he could stand very little more, but he was quite determined to discourage neate to the best of his ability. but a swift left-hander caught him on the right eye and sent him down, and, as we should say now, out. he was quite insensible for nearly half a minute, lying inert in the arms of tom spring. then just when time should have been called for the ninth round some roughs broke into the ring and had to be whipped out. this gave hickman a full minute’s rest, and he was able to stagger up to the scratch. this time neate hit clumsily and both fell.
the next few rounds showed that the gasman was of an indomitable courage. each time he came up with a wry smile on his battered face and did his best to rush his opponent. neate’s 67 wind was now much affected and his hitting was weaker. the opportunity of speedy victory he had let slip, and though he was still getting the better of the fight, he made a poor show.
in the fourteenth round it was seen that “gas” was nearly blind, and he had to be brought up to the scratch by his seconds. he refused to give in and stood helpless to be knocked down. the sixteenth and seventeenth rounds were the same. the gasman’s seconds were greatly to blame for not throwing up the sponge. it was not for want of urging by the crowd. the eighteenth was the last round. tom hickman did not know what he was doing. he tottered in the middle of the ring when his seconds left him, with his hands down. neate went up to him and gave him a gentle push, which was all that was needed. the whole fight was over in less than half an hour.
the gasman had a tremendous reputation, and great surprise was caused by his defeat. he was killed precisely a year later, being thrown out of a gig when driving away from another prize-fight.