1904-04-21 Joe Gans W-PTS15 Sam Bolen (Baltimore, MD, USA)

1904-04-22 The Sun (Baltimore, MD) (page 9)

BOLEN'S BOXING A SURPRISE
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Loses On Points To Gans, But Gets In A Knockdown.

The 15 round fight last night before the Eureka Athletic Club was a big surprise in that Sam Bolen, the New York lightweight, made such a fine showing with Joe Gans, the champion of the world.

The contest went the limit of the 15 rounds and Referee Fred Sweigert gave the decision to Gans on points.

The Baltimore man did not seem to be at his best, but the development that Bolen exhibited was remarked by everyone. There were three knockdowns and Gans scored two of them. There was a fair crowd present.

Gans' showing did not impress the crowd favorably. Many thought he was slower and did not hit as hard as he has been hitting. Bolen is a clever old fighter and was always there with a punch. Gans did not hold him cheap at any time, as he was always dangerous. From a scientific standpoint the setto was a great one. But with what was done in the first round each man was feeling the other out. Gans began to jab for the body and face with the left in the second round and continued this work up to the finish of the fight. Clever though he was, Bolen could not as a rule avoid Gans' quick left jolts. In previous fights, whenever a man fought at Gans, carrying the fight to him, he usually proved an easy mark for the champion. It was not so with Bolen, who fought at his man in every round.

From the second to the final round each was won by Gans on points. Both were strong at the finish, though Bolen had received many hard jolts. Bolen landed one or two good body blows.

In the eleventh round Gans with a left to the jaw staggered Bolen; then Joe shot the right over, and, catching Bolen back of the neck, stood the New Yorker on his head. Bolen was up after a count of five and went right on fighting. In the fourteenth round Joe sent left and right to the face and Bolen went down for a count of nine. A right to the ear sent Bolen down for another count of nine.

In the final round Bolen sent a right to the ribs and lifted Gans off his feet and dropped him to the stage.

Gans was up quickly and jabbed Bolen about until the gong ended hostilities. Gans had earned his decision.

In Gans' corner were Al Herford, Harry Lyons and Young Peter Jackson. Ernault Gephart was his timer. Bolen had as seconds Al Mason, George Kinnicker and Dave Holly, with Tom Daly as timer.

Kid Griffo offered to bet $500 that Gans could not stop him in 15 rounds.

The preliminaries resulted as follows:

Kid Selby beat Kid Wilson in three rounds.

Bert Brown, colored, and Al Washington, colored, fought a three round draw.

Matty Knox started to go three rounds with Kid Reason, colored, but Knox was no match and was taken off in the first round. Reason then made Bob Langley, colored, quit in two rounds.

Benny Hecht made Nick Clarence quit in a round. Kid McCullough took Clarence's place and boxed three rounds to a draw with Hecht.

Jimmy Farren was given the decision over Bud Lansing in three rounds. Lansing put up a great fight against the Southern champion.

A battle royal, in which Al Washington, Young Knotty, Nat Jennings and Bob Langley, all colored, took part, was decided a draw by Mr. Frank Brown, Jr., the referee.

As a final tableau, when the four negroes were down on the stage in a pile, Referee Brown sat on the pile and gave his decision.