James Figg

The story for today is of The Ring.

It's a story about James Figg, a master of the sword and staff, who turned physical combat into a public attraction.

It's about Jack Broughton, also known as The Bruiser, who created a set of rules which are often treated as the beginning of modern boxing.

It's about wealth, gambling, newspapers, fashion, celebrity, yeah, and violence.

The Ring in St Pancras.

A Victorian local history used that phrase for this story and it's a memorable title and it's kind of stuck because when we follow the 18th century addresses, the picture becomes way more complicated.

James Figg's famous amphitheatre was advertised in Oxford Road.

in Marybone Fields.