Owen Swift

Owen Swift (1814– 9 June 1879) was a British bare-knuckle prize fighter, who killed three men in boxing bouts.

The death of "Brighton Bill" in one particularly savage 85-round bout in 1838, and Swift's subsequent conviction for manslaughter, led to the adoption of the London Prize Ring Rules.

His 1 June 1837 fight with Israel "London Izzy" Lazarus (the father of Harry Lazarus) is recounted in detail in Frank Lewis Dowling's 1855 book, Fights for the Championship; and Celebrated Prize Battles; Or Accounts of All the Prize Battles for the Championship &c.[1] Swift was the outsider, and at odds of 6 to 4, bet on himself to win.

Swift was much the lighter man, at no more than nine stone (57 kg; 130 lb) in weight, with "not an ounce of superfluous flesh on his ribs".

[2] Bets were taken that neither man would survive for long after the fight; Swift was very badly beaten, making his eventual recovery doubtful.

Owen Swift "The Wonder" , A. Clark, 19th century. Oil on canvas, private collection.
The Fight between Hammer Lane and Owen Swift (1834) as imagined by Famous Fights: Past and Present , No. 52, published circa 1903.
Arranging a fight at Owen Swift's, Illustrated Sporting News and Theatrical and Musical Review , 1863.