FIGG, JAMES

born c. 1695, Thame, Oxfordshire, Eng. died Dec. 8, 1734, London first recognized champion of England at fighting with bare fists. Also an expert at wrestling, swordplay, and fighting with cudgels, he became prominent as a pugilist about 1719. Standing 6 feet (1.8 m) and weighing 185 pounds (84 kg), Figg was a stalwart figure who was always ready to accept a challenge to fight. He lost only one match, and on that occasion he was said to be ill. He opened an academy of arms, including boxing, in London; Figg's Amphitheatre was the prototype of several other 18th-century schools of pugilism. Figg is considered the first heavyweight champion in boxing history, although weight divisions were unknown until long after his time.