1904-12-01 Jack Blackburn ND6 Joe Grim (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

1904-12-02 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 10)

JO-A DE GRIM IS-A ALL TO DE GOOD-A; VER-A FINE-A BOY
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Jack Blackburn Make-a de Much Punch on Italo Champo's Face But Grim-a Never Get-a de Cold Foot
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Great Sphagetti! Jo-a Hammer de Africa Man for Two-a Round and de Crowd-a Have-a de Short Spasm of Excitement.
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Joe-a Then Get-a Short of-a de Wind and Spit-a de Gore, But Keep-a de Blackaburn-a on de Hi-yi Till de Sweet-a Bell Tinkle
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By the Count of Little Italy

Jack Blackburn last night made another attempt to stop the human punching bag, Joe Grim, in six rounds, but, like his former effort and that of other fighters, he failed to accomplish his purpose. The bout was the wind up at the Broadway Athletic Club. Joe was just as much on deck when the bell rang for the end of the sixth round as when he stepped forward to shake hands for the beginning of the hostilities. There was, however, quite a change in his appearance after the scrap, but as he had stayed the limit the Italian citizens around the ring yelled themselves hoarse with bravo for "Joe-de Grime."

Grim took enough lacing and punishment to have stopped half a dozen ordinary boxers, but instead of quitting or being knocked out he fought back as savagely in the last three minutes as he did in the first round. Blackburn was relentless in his efforts, but he could not land the punch. He landed any number of wicked straight rights and uppercuts, with a countless number of left jabs, but besides badly damaging Joe's dial and causing the red fluid to flow, the blows did not get to the spot which leads to sleep. Both of Joe's eyes were nearly closed when the bout ended and his lips badly swollen.

Joe surprised the big crowd present by going right at Jack when the first round opened. He never let the colored man have a second, and chased him around the ring with all kinds of punches known only to the redoubtable Italian. Blackburn stopped most of the punches by clever blocking, varying his defensive tactics with ugly short left jabs to Joe's face, which soon had his left eye in trouble. The second round found Joe just as gallus, but he lost some of his steam before the bell rang from the repeated jabs Blackburn landed and several ugly uppercuts which found lodgment on Joe's face.

Grim was the recipient of severe punishment in the third round and he was very much as wildered when the bell rang. Blackburn tried his hardest to stop the hero of Little Italy in this round. Joe made a wonderful brace in the fourth and had the crowd in an uproar by forcing all the milling. Like the first round, he kept after Jack persistently, despite the punishing left jabs which Blackburn continually shoved in his face as he came boring in. Joe was tired, however, when the bell rang. He started the fifth with his characteristic shout of defiance, but before the round ended he was a sorry-looking spectacle. Blackburn nearly closed the right eye with an ugly uppercut early in the round, and had the gore flowing freely from his lips and nose when the round ended. Things looked rather hazy for Joe when he took his corner.

The sixth only witnessed additional punishment for Grim. He accidentally hit Blackburn low and the negro renewed his efforts to stop his opponent before the bout terminated. Grim was so tired and weak he could hardly protect himself, but by gamely facing the punishment he stayed until the bell ended the one sided go.

In the semi wind up Fred Blackburn, brother of Jack, bested Rozy Kernell. Kernell was down three times in the last round.