Bob Brettle
Born
Robert Brettle

(1832-01-18)18 January 1832 [1]
Portobello, Edinburgh
Died7 April 1872(1872-04-07) (aged 40) [1]
Birmingham
Resting placeSt. Peter's Church, Harborne
Other namesThe Birmingham Pet
Known forBoxing

Robert "Bob" Brettle (1832–1872)[1] was a successful bare-knuckle boxer[2] active in Birmingham, England, during the 1850s.[2] He was known as "The Birmingham Pet".[2]

A silver belt, given to him by his patrons to honour his achievements, and made in Birmingham, was featured on the television programme Antiques Roadshow,[3] while in the possession of one of his descendants. It was subsequently donated to the British Boxing Board of Control and is now displayed at their headquarters.[4]

Brettle died aged 40 and is buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's Church, Harborne[2] in Birmingham.

Fights

  • February 1854 (1854-02): James Malpas, for a purse of £50 in February 1854.[2]
  • November 1854 (1854-11): Jack Jones of Portsmouth, for £100.[2]
  • 1855 (1855): Defeated Roger Coyne, for £200, plus side bets.[2]
  • 1855 (1855): Defeated Sam Simmonds, for £200, plus side bets.[2]
  • 4 August 1857 (1857-08-04): Job Cobley, The Elastic Pot-Boy (47 rounds, 1 hour 37 minutes. £100 a side).[5]
  • 20 September 1859 (1859-09-20): Tom Sayers, British champion. Brettle retired with a dislocated shoulder in the 7th round.[2][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Robert “The Birmingham Pet” Brettle at findagrave.com
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Meet Bob Brettle, the bare-knuckle boxing landlord; back in time". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham, England: Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd. 11 March 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  3. ↑ Antiques Roadshow Greatest Finds: Part 2 (2006, BBC) on YouTube, starting at about the 16 min. 52 sec. mark
  4. ↑ Antiques Roadshow's Greatest Finds (episode unknown)
  5. ↑ Cobley, Mark. "Job Cobley - The Elastic Pot Boy". Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "Fight between Tom Sayers and Bob Brettle, for £600". Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle. 25 September 1859. p. 7. Retrieved 18 February 2019 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
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