Benjamin Brain

Benjamin ("Big Ben") Brain (1753 – 8 April 1794) was a bareknuckle prizefighter who took the championship of all England in 1791 against the reigning champion Tom Johnson.

A collier by trade,

Early life and boxing career Brain was born in Bristol, England, in 1753. His surname was "Bryan" or "Brian": later in life this was sometimes corrupted into "Bryant" and also "Brain".

Prior to moving to London in 1774 in order to work as a coal porter at a wharf he had already defeated Jack Clayton, the champion of Kingswood, Bristol. and also a fighter called Harris. Tom Johnson for a prize of £500 the following year. When Brain fell ill and cancelled the bout, he forfeited the £100 he had put up for the fight. Later in that year he was well enough to fight Jacombs at Banbury, winning in 36 rounds.

In 1790 his 100 guinea fight against Bill Hooper at Newbury turned into a farce. Hooper became fearful after Brain's first successful hit on him and resorted to tactics such as falling over and spitting water in his face in order to distract him. The fight lasted over three hours and 180 rounds before being declared a draw due to the darkness of evening setting in. Hooper had fallen 133 times during the fight.

Some recent sources describe Brain as having possibly retired in 1792 due to ill health. The early boxing writer Pierce Egan, however, wrote in 1813's Boxiana that Brain remained the recognised champion until his death in 1794. This would appear to be consistent with fights having been organised against both Perrins and Wood in the period 1792–4.

Boxing achievements and honors

External Sources Section on Brain in Boxiana, 1813, Pierce Egan Section on Brain in Pugilistica, the History of British Boxing, volume 1, 1906, Henry Downes Miles