LONDON PRIZE RING RULES

set of rules governing bareknuckle boxing, which were adopted in 1838 and revised in 1853. They superseded those drawn up by Jack Broughton, known as the father of English boxing, in 1743. Under the London rules, bouts were held in a ring 24 feet (7.3 metres) square enclosed by ropes. A knockdown ended the round, followed by a 30-second rest and an additional 8 seconds to regain the centre of the ring. Butting, gouging, hitting below the waist, and kicking were banned. Although the Marquess of Queensberry rules, which called for glove matches, appeared in 1867, professional bareknuckle fights continued. In 1889 John L. Sullivan beat Jake Kilrain in 75 rounds to defend his heavyweight championship, the last heavyweight championship bout held under London rules.