 Curtis bested the slightly heavier Ned Stockman at South Mims, 17 miles North of London, on 16 May 1826, when despite his having boldly and insolently challenged Curtis to accept the match, Stockman laid down and refused to continue fighting in the third round after being repeatedly peppered by his opponent.In in one of his best known victories on 27 February 1827, he defeated the well known Jewish boxer Barney Aaron, one of his most skilled opponents.Curtis vanquished Aaron in fifty minutes on a specially constructed stage in Andover, England, 70 miles East of London.