Jem Ward

Jem Ward (26 December 1800 – 3 April 1884) was an English bare-knuckle boxer. "A fine fighter and powerfully built man", he was the English champion boxer from 1825 until 1831. However, he is most notable for being the first boxer to be officially disciplined for deliberately losing a fight. During his fighting career he was nicknamed "The Black Diamond". In his retirement he became a successful artist.

Ward first became a professional boxer in 1815, at 15 years of age. He was 5 ft 11 inches (1.80 m) tall, and weighed 12 stone (76 kg). His first fight was victorious against George Robinson and from this point he never lost a match, until he lost to Bill Abbott in 1822. This was the controversial bout that wrecked Ward's early professional career. He was heard to call to his opponent "Now, Bill, look sharp, hit me and I’ll go down." He was promptly hit and fell to the ground. Abbott was considered to be an inferior boxer to Ward, and suspicions were immediately aroused. The Pugilistic Society, the body which then governed boxing and enforced the London Prize Ring rules, held an inquiry. Eventually after confessing he had received a £100 bribe to lose, Ward was banned from fighting in any contest governed by the Society. In this era boxing was heavily betted upon, by members of all strata of society, including the sons of King George III.

The incident has left Ward's reputation with a lasting stigma. Ward was the elder brother of the boxer Nick Ward, who also had a reputation for using unfair tactics. Nick Ward, however, did not achieve the same success as his brother in the ring.

Deprived of his living Ward was reduced to travelling the country fighting under assumed names at fairs or in any chance ungoverned brawl where he could possibly pick up a prize. Once early in 1823 when attending a bout as a spectator, he was called upon to enter the ring, when the planned fight ended prematurely, and someone was needed to provide entertainment to keep the crowd present and spending money. He fought Ned Baldwin and defeated him, but the match was void due to his ban. Under the pseudonym Sawney Wilson and claiming to be an inexperienced boy, he beat the champion Joe Rickens, thus making the bookmakers a fortune. Later in 1823, the Pugilistic Society decided to re-allow him to enter their fights.

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