Plaque on the Tom Spring memorial

Image: © Jeremy Bolwell Taken: 4 Aug 2012

As with many things associated with the noble art of boxing, not everything is as it seems. Tom Spring certainly was a scientific boxer of his age (lacking a powerful punch he crafted an artful defence, counterpunch and fine footwork) but bare knuckle boxing in the 1820's, when he fought, and especially in the 1830's, when he was involved in seconding other prominent pugilists and in developing the sport, was notorious for gambling related corruption, fight fixing / throwing and cheating and Spring has been accused of being a puppet of shady figures behind the emerging sport who may well have capitalised on the vast sums being bet on outcomes, winners and losses. Spring was seconding a fighter called Simon Byrne who by today's standards certainly should have not been fighting and who died shortly after being knocked unconscious by an opponent who totally outclassed him. Spring was also known to have allowed his estranged wife to die in a workhouse or debtors prison while enjoying a wealthy lifestyle himself. However it is unfair to judge men of the early 19th century by the standards and norms of the 21st. They were products of a brutal age.

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