William Perry

William Perry (1819 – 24 December 1880 ), known as "The Tipton Slasher" His fighting career began in London in 1835 and after fighting a number of highly rated championship contenders, he first claimed the English heavyweight championship by defeating Tom Paddock in twenty-seven rounds on 17 December 1850.

In 1851 he lost the English heavyweight title in a controversial referee's decision to Harry Broome which he strongly disputed. After the leading contenders of the day refused to fight him, Perry reclaimed the English title until Tom Sayers defeated him in a championship bout in 1857.

Early life Perry was born in Tipton (then in Staffordshire, now West Midlands) in 1819. His parents were Timothy, a miner, and Sarah Perry. He was the third of five children, and baptized at St Martin's, Tipton on 1 August 1819. According to one source "he was well known in the neighbourhood of Battersea Fields and Chelsea as a "lumping lad" who, despite the drawback of 'a K leg' [ knock knees] , could hit, stop, and use his 'fives' with formidable effect". The fight began at Mortlake opposite the Ship pub where 7 rounds were fought but the bout was interrupted by the police. Subsequently, the boxers moved to Lechmere Common, London where Perry defeated Dogherty after 7 more rounds of boxing. According to one account of the second part of the fight: "on squaring elbows there was a good deal of sparring and Perry dodged left and right. After some heavy exchanges and a rally, Barney was down weak. The fight was prolonged for six rounds more, during which Perry had it all his own way, punishing Barney terrifically; still the poor fellow came up as game as a rhinoceros, and would not give in until his seconds, seeing he had not a chance, cried 'enough'". However, the fight did not take place after Shelton claimed that Perry had not paid part of the deposit for the fight.

Managed by Johnny Broome Perry came to the attention of another boxer, the London-based Johnny Broome, who decided to promote Perry's future fights. According to one story, Broome led Perry about town with a chain around his neck, "pretending that he was a wild man of the woods". Caunt claimed in a letter that Freeman stood over 7 ft tall and weighed in excess of 23st. The boxing chronicle Pugilistica claimed he stood "6ft 10½in in his stocking feet" and weighed 18st. The American accompanied Caunt on his return to England in 1842, when "Freeman during several months, not only exhibited at the Queen's Theatre, Lyceum, Olympic, Adelphi, Victoria, and other theatres, halls and assembly rooms, where a great feature of the entertainments was a caricature of boxing by the giant and Big Ben, but the non-sporting papers were flooded with ridiculous paragraphs, several of them offensively setting forth the wonderful powers and prowess of the American gladiator." An attempt was made on 15 December to bring the match to a conclusion at Littlebury. However, the authorities prevented the bout taking place. The rematch finally took place on 20 December of the same year, and was held at Cliffe Marshes, Gravesend, where Freeman was declared the winner after 38 rounds as Perry dropped to the floor without being struck by his opponent. The first, arranged at Dartford Marshes on 19 December 1843 ended in a draw as the police intervened after 67 rounds of fighting. According to the editor of the sporting paper "Bell's Life": "in this affair he showed considerable improvement upon his former exhibition, and inflicted severe punishment with his right upon Parker".

The rematch to decide the contest was delayed as Johnny Broome produced a medical certificate stating that Perry had received a broken jaw in the first fight and had been treated for a fractured arm in November of that year. Perry won the contest, which lasted 27 rounds. It was after this fight that William Perry claimed the Championship of England.

An attempt to arrange a re-match between Perry and Broome failed and on 6 November 1851 it was reported that both Perry and Harry Broome had appeared before the Bow Street magistrates accused of fighting outside Evans Hotel, Covent Garden at 1 o'clock in the morning. Both were fined 20s.

Reclaiming the heavyweight championship, 1853 After a victory against Harry Orme in 1853, Broome signed articles for another match with Perry but forfeited the deposit on the match fee rather than fight. Broome also wrote to the editor of the sporting paper Bell's Life in August 1853, when he "intimated his intention of retiring from the Prize Ring". Perry then claimed the Championship title again. Perry's tactics for the fight were criticized by one of the reporters on the scene, who pointed out that despite being slower on his feet than the highly mobile Sayers, the Slasher tried to force the pace of the fight instead of awaiting his opponent's attacks and relying on his powers as a counter-hitter.

Personal life

Perry married Ann Maria Challingworth on 11 June 1851 at St Mary's Church, Pitstone. The couple had one child, William Edward Perry born on 3 December 1854. Around this time, until his defeat by Sayers, Perry was the landlord of the pub "The Champion of England" in Spon Lane, West Bromwich.

After retirement, 1857–80 After losing the title Champion of England in 1857 to Tom Sayers he became landlord of the Bricklayer's Arms, Walsall Road, Wolverhampton.

He died at his home, Old Tollgate House, Bilston of alcoholism and pulmonary congestion on 24 December 1880 and was buried at St John's Church, Dudley. or his legs resembled the shape of the letter "K". Perry's fighting ability does not appear to have been affected by shape of his leg, however, one writer observing "those who had seen him fight knew well with what wonderful quickness and agility he could turn and wheel, pivot-like, on that crooked pin".

Career record

Win Barney Dogherty 3 November 1835 Mortlake and Lechmere Common, London 14 rounds Win Ben Spilsbury 27 December 1836 Oldbury, West Midlands 19 rounds Win Jem Scunner 22–23 November 1837 Gornal and Wolverhampton

Charles Freeman 6 December 1842 Sawbridgeworth 70 rounds Loss Charles Freeman 20 December 1842 Cliffe Marshes, Gravesend 38 rounds

Tass Parker 19 December 1843 Dartford Marshes 67 rounds Win Tass Parker 27 February 1844 Horley 133 rounds Win Tass Parker 4 August 1846 Lindrick Common 23 rounds Win Tom Paddock 17 December 1850 Woking Common, 27 Rounds Loss Harry Broome 29 September 1851 Mildenhall 15 rounds Loss Tom Sayers 16 June 1857 Isle of Grain 10 rounds

Legacy After Perry's grave fell into disrepair, the acting vicar of St John's, Rev. D.H.S. Mould launched a public appeal to raise funds for a new memorial stone, which was laid over the tomb in 1925. yards away from the Fountain Inn public house, which was once his headquarters. in 1984 on recognition of its association with Perry, who regularly fought fellow boatmen on the many local canals in order to be first through the lockgates.

The novelist, David Christie Murray, includes some anecdotes of the Tipton Slasher in his autobiography The Making of a Novelist.

Arthur Conan Doyle's story "The Croxley Master" describes a boxing match in which a young medical man defeats a veteran boxer with a "K-shaped" leg like Perry's.