Abraham Belasco, usually Aby or Abey, (1797 – 1830) was an English bare-knuckle boxer who fought between 1817 and 1824, and was considered one of the top rated Jewish boxers of the post-Mendoza era, along with Isaac Bitton, Young Dutch Sam and Barney Aaron. In his prime in 1817–18, Belasco may have been considered among the five highest rated London area boxers in any weight class.^[5]

Belasco was born to a large Jewish family in Aldgate, Middlesex County, in London, England, and according to several accounts near St. Botolph's Church parish, now known as St. Botolph's Without Aldgate, on 9 April 1797 or possibly 1798, the son of Joseph and Sarah Nunes Martines Belasco. Belasco had two brothers, Samuel and Israel or Izzy who also pursued boxing as a profession, but with less success, and may have had two additional brothers who tried boxing.^[6][2]

Contemporary genealogies indicate Belasco was likely of seventeenth century Spanish heritage on both sides, making him of Sephardic Jewish origins. At the time, Aldgate, his birthplace, was an old Jewish section of London, and housed the Bevis Marks Synagogue, the oldest Synagogue in the United Kingdom, built in 1791. For Sephardic Jews like Belasco, the Synagogue was a religious centre of the Anglo-Jewish world, and served as a clearing-house for congregational and societal Jewish problems which at some point may have included Jewish participation in the English Parliament, and the ability of unpropertied Jews in London to obtain voting rights which they lacked during Belasco's boxing career. The father of British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and the boxer Daniel Mendoza, Belasco's mentor, attended the Synagogue in the 1800s.^[2]

Pierce Egan in Boxiana, describing Belasco's pluck, determination, and ability to get close to and adapt to another boxer's style, wrote that he was "a most mischievous boxer, he set-to with all the varieties of a harlequin. An awkward man to get at and a truly desperate in-fighter, he was one that would not be denied, and would rally with his opponent to the end of the chapter". Belasco used these traits to gain notice in the ring, but may have also hoped to use his tenacity to gain respect and attention to the unpropertied Jewish underclass in London who accounted for many of his followers.^[7]

The better known bare knuckle Jewish boxer Daniel Mendoza, the sixteenth boxing champion of England, and an architect of modern scientific boxing, was a friend, mentor, and business associate.^[1] Belasco used Mendoza's new scientific style of "boxing", which included careful parrying of opponent's blows with a fist or arm, a technique borrowed from the sport of fencing. Like most successful boxers of his era, he adopted the stance recommended by Mendoza's Art of Boxing, a slight slouch with fists raised to allow both a quick jab with one arm and a ready block of oncoming punches with the other. Belasco, though he was thirty years younger, engaged Mendoza in a sparring partnership in an exhibition in 1818, one of which took place the first week of December in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, in the East Midlands, around 150 miles North of London.^[8][5] Henry D. Miles, the author of Puglistica, the definitive record of the London Prize ring, wrote that Belasco was "a boxer of superior talent, a master of the science, not wanting for game, not deficient in strength, of an athletic make, a penetrating eye, and in the ring full of life and activity".^[5]

Belasco's earliest known match was with a man known as Cribb's Coal-heaver, as he was patronized by Tom Crib, a champion of England. Belasco fought well, forcing his opponent to leave the ring in thirty minutes. As a result, he came to the attention of a number of amateur boxing enthusiasts, and began to enjoy a large Jewish following.^[1]

His first match of note was with the better known English boxer Josh Hudson near the barge house at Woolrich, and Belasco, according to Puglistica, the leading boxing journal of the era, won the contest after one hour and thirty minutes.^[1][3][9]

In a far more publicized battle, with a better known adversary, he defeated Jack "The Butcher" Payne in sixteen rounds on 3 April 1817 at Moulsey Heath, Surrey. In the fourth round, Belasco had already taken the lead against Payne, and "punished him in all directions". In the eleventh, the Butcher could not keep his head out of chancery, or being held and struck by Belasco. In the final round, Payne ran at Belasco furiously and was floored for the last time by a solid punch, ending the match after seventeen minutes when the Butcher could not resume the battle. Belasco was said to have retired from the match without a scratch.^[10][3]

Belasco lost to his greatest adversary, Jack Randall, an incomparable English champion, on 30 September 1817, at Shepperton Range, Surrey, 15 miles southwest of London, for the substantial sum of 50 guineas a side. This figure would very roughly calculate to $5997 in 2020 American currency or £4850 Pounds Sterling in English currency. A sizable sum, but far less than a prize fight with the same size audience or interest would bring today, and not enough to secure a comfortable retirement, even if Belasco fought ten fights in his career with the same purse, which he did not.^[12] In an affirmation of Belasco's considerable reputation as a boxer, Randall, his winning record known, led in the early betting, but by close odds of only 11–10. Randall entered the ring at around 148 lbs. (67.13 kg), while Belasco weighed roughly eight pounds more. Belasco was known for his desperate and effective infighting, and was considered a skilled, scientific boxer. Randall's ability to go to the head to finish a fight was known to the crowd, and an integral part of his boxing strategy.^[1] Commencing five minutes before noon, the battle was fought in a standard 24 foot ring, under Broughton's rules, with no gloves.

As early as the first round, Randall went to the head, but Belasco, still fresh, countered effectively, and no blood was drawn. The first round was fought with great caution and with as few as four blows delivered, as both boxers were highly skilled and cautious of the other's ability, and it was known that the boxer who drew first blood would greatly affect the betting odds. Randall dominated the second round, drawing first blood with a blow to the mouth, and in the fourth turned the tide with a powerful left that penetrated Belasco's guard, putting him quickly down. Belasco was down in the fourth from a left from Randall. As late as the fifth, though trailing in the match, Belasco demonstrated one of his greatest strengths, skillful infighting to end the round, and floored his opponent, though Randall was still in command of the match. In a masterfully fought scientific match that drew great interest from the public, Randall faithfully worked Belaso's body before finally tasting victory after 54 minutes in the sixth. At this point in the match, it was clear to Pierce Egan that Belasco, "was a superior boxer in every respect than in his late (last) contest with Reynolds". The final blow was a powerful right to the eye of Belasco that rendered him senseless and ended the match. Belasco "staggered, fainted, and fell" from the pain, and though he was able to rise, his eye was closed completely shut.^[13][7]

Miles of Puglistica wrote of the match that "by the admirers of scientific efforts, ...of seeing a fight won without ferocity and gluttony...the fight between Randall and Belasco may be pronounced one of the most perfect specimens of pugilism ever witnessed." After dominating Belasco, Bell's Life in London wrote of Randall that "His hitting and getting away, his style of stopping and returning, with the excellent judgment he manifested, added to his activity and quickness on his legs, all tended to stamp him as one of the most finished boxers of his weight."^[14] According to Boxiana, Randal's ring name "The Nonpareil", implying that as a boxer he was unequaled or unrivaled, was earned in this match.^[13][15][16] Soon thereafter Belasco accompanied his friend Daniel Mendoza on an exhibition tour.^[3][7]

At the end of his prize fighting career, Belasco made a living sparring and acting as a second to other boxers engaged in prize fights, and worked for a period as an L. V. or licensed victualer or food merchant. Shortly following, Belasco retired permanently from the prize-ring and opened a gambling-house, a job that kept him in contact with drinking and debauchery. He had also operated night houses and supper clubs, but they served the lower classes and were also frequently visited by drunks, requiring occasional visits by constables needing to keep order.