1899-04-14 Joe Gans L-KO23 George 'Elbows' McFadden (Brooklyn, NY, USA)

1899-04-15 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page 7)

JOE GANS KNOCKED OUT
---
His Aspirations for Championship Honors Spoiled by George McFadden.
---

As a lightweight championship possibility, Joe Gans of Baltimore was relegated to a back seat and a new comer appeared on the scene in the person of George McFadden of New York, at the Broadway Athletic Club last evening. The men met for twenty-five rounds at the lightweight limit and Gans was looked upon as a sure winner, his admirers laying odds of as much as three to one on him. McFadden scattered their hopes to the wind by putting Gans out in the twenty-third round, and left the ring without a mark to show for his night's work, while Gans' face was badly damaged and his body very sore. Many said that Gans quit, but the blow that put him to sleep was a hard one, although Gans' fall was very stagey. The fight itself was one of the best exhibitions of defensive boxing ever seen. Gans has never before failed to find or make an opening for his blows with any opponent he has ever met, but with McFadden it was altogether different. As a defensive boxer McFadden is without a peer and his work last night made even the oldest followers of the sport open their eyes in amazement. Gans tried every trick and every blow he knew to land. All were unavailing against the wonderful defense McFadden put up, and from the fourth round to the finish Gans did not land half a dozen blows.

Both the men looked to be in excellent shape. Gans just making the required weight and McFadden tipping the scales at 127 pounds. Beside the weight, Gans had several inches the advantage of height and reach. Neither landed a blow in the opening round, but in the second Gans swung his left to the head. McFadden was a trifle nervous, but in the next Jabbed his left to the face and drove his right to the body, and Gans again swung his left to the head and followed it with his right on the ear. In the fifth Gans landed left swings in rapid succession on Mac's head, but they did not contain much steam and were too high to do any harm.

McFadden was very confident when they came up for the sixth, and immediately swung his right for the head. Gans blocked cleverly, but a minute later took a good right on the head that jarred him, but too high to do any damage. Gans constantly broke ground, and Mac forced him into his corner and swung his left to the face, and followed it with a stiff right on the body and then placed his left again on the head.

Gans opened the seventh with two left swings on the bead and Mac sent his right to the body and then brought the glove up to the head.

In the eighth Mac forced Gans all over the ring with hard rights on the body and left jabs to the face. Gans tried everything, but Mac blocked grandly and made Gans drop to his knees to escape punishment. They were mixing it up hotly when the bell rang and the crowd was cheering Mac wildly.

Gans was very tired when he came up for the ninth, and Mac never let up on him, punishing him badly about the body with both bands. The next two were much the same, Mac doing all the landing, and when Gans went to his corner at the end of the eleventh his face wore a very puzzled expression. A hard right on Joe's body in the twelfth made him grunt, but he came back with a right swing to Mac's head that only made the white lad smile.

Mac started the blood from Joe's nose in the next with a left jab and drove his right with terrific force to the body. A heavy right swing on the bead and a left swing on the wind almost finished Gans as the bell rang.

It continued on the same lines in the following rounds. Gans was constantly leading, but could not land a single blow, so fine was Mac's defence. George's body blows were telling on Gans and he was cut under both eyes at the end of the seventeenth.

Both were very tired when they came up for the twenty-first, but Gans was so weak that he was hardly able to hold his feet and it did not look as if he would go the distance.

Mac grew a trifle careless in the next and Gans swung his right flush on the jaw, the first clean blow since early in the fight, but he was too weak to hurt and Mac came back with right and left swings to the head and body and had him very groggy when the bell rang. McFadden walked right up to Gans in the twenty-third and after a little sparring drove his right to the body and, like a flash, swung his left to the chin. Gans rocked and hesitated for a second and then sank gracefully to the floor and was counted out.

Billy Needham of St. Paul and Sam Bolen of New York met in the preliminary for ten rounds, at 128 pounds. They made a hard and fast fight, which went the limit and was declared a draw.


1899-04-15 The Evening Telegram (New York, NY) (page 7)

GANS KNOCKED OUT BY M'FADDEN
--------
Baltimore Fighter Went Down in the Twenty-third Round at the Broadway Athletic Club.
--------

George McFadden, a local light weight pugilist, defeated "Joe" Gans, a colored boxer, of Baltimore, after twenty-three rounds of clever fighting, at the New Broadway Athletic Club, last night. A left hand uppercut on the jaw in the round named, after the men had been in action 1m 40s., sent Gans to the floor and supposedly out. Many persons questioned Gans' sincerity with regard to the knockout. He appeared to have found a soft spot and hugged it.

McFadden in the fifth round cut out the pace. He sent the left to the jaw hard and got away without a return, and followed this up with a right swing over the heart. Gans contented himself with trying to counter during the entire round.

It was the same story over again in succeeding rounds. In the twenty-first Gans was groggy when he returned to his corner. In the twenty-second round McFadden gave Gans a terrific thumping and had him wobbling when the bell rang. The call of time probably saved Gans from a knockout. In the twenty-third, and what proved to be the last round, "Mac" swung his left, uppercut fashion, on the chin and Gans went down, and apparently out, but there were many who thought the colored boy "quit." Time, 1m 40s.


1899-04-15 The New York Times (New York, NY) (page 11)

McFADDEN KNOCKS OUT GANS.
---
Baltimore Boxer Defeated in the 23d Round at the Broadway A. C.

George McFadden of this city knocked out "Joe" Gans, colored, of Baltimore, in the twenty-third round of their bout at the Broadway Athletic Club last night. The men were billed to go twenty-five rounds at 133 pounds. The crowd was the largest that has ever attended a fight at the Broadway Club. Gans was the favorite in the betting, his backers offering as high as 2 to 1 against McFadden.

Gans had been ill recently, and his weakened condition was apparent throughout the fight. The bout, however, was a good one from start to finish. McFadden generally was the aggressor, but the colored boy's superior defensive fighting and his work when he assumed the aggressive kept matters about even until the twenty-third round. In that round Gans missed a vicious swing at McFadden's head. Like a flash the latter sent in a right swing on the Baltimore fighter's jaw, and Gans went down and out.


1899-04-15 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 9)

JOE GANS PUT TO SLEEP.
--------
M'FADDEN DOES THE TRICK IN THE TWENTY-THIRD ROUND.
--------

The Clever Baltimore Pugilist Is Outfought After the First Half Dozen Rounds--A Big Crowd at the Broadway A. C. Enthusiastic Over the Lively Battle.

George McFadden, the local pugilist, fought his way to fame and fortune at the Broadway A. C. last night. In the twenty-third round he knocked out the clever Baltimore pugilist, Joe Gans, with a right hook on the jaw. At the start McFadden appeared to be outclassed, but by persistent attack, wonderful strength and splendid generalship he gradually forged ahead and won. Gans had been regarded as a possible lightweight champion, but McFadden is now the man to pit against the leaders in his class, Kid Lavigne, Spike Sullivan or Frank Erne.

The preliminary bout was a corker. The principals were Billy Needham of St. Paul and Sam Bolan of this city, who were expected to go ten rounds at 128 pounds. In the second round Bolan landed a heavy swing on the jaw and had Needham in trouble. The latter's nose began to bleed, too, and Bolan did his best to put on the finishing touches. In doing this he fought himself out a bit, for Needham managed to stay by adopting effective defensive tactics. In the third round Bolan's left eye was slashed, but he kept up his attack. Needham rallied just as the fought round closed and made Bolan reel with a couple of rapid swings on the jaw. The latter was placed on the defensive in the fifth round because of Needham's increasing aggressiveness. It was an even fight during the next four rounds, both men working hard. Needham's cheeks were both swollen and Bolan's eye and lips were bleeding when they came up for the last round. It was nip and tuck to the finish and the decision was a draw, creating general satisfaction.

There was plenty of betting on the result of the star bout. The crowd, which numbered close to 4,000 persons, was the largest that has attended the fights at this club since it was opened. Gans was a 2 to 1 favorite, his manager, Al Herford, and a big delegation of colored sports from Baltimore placing in the neighborhood of $3,000 at these odds. The men weighed in at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, McFadden scaling at 127 pounds and Gans getting just inside the lightweight limit, 133 pounds. When McFadden got into the ring he was greeted with wild cheering, which was an indication that his friends were on hand in force. His seconds were Billy Roche, Tommy Shortell, H. Bahr and Chip Morrison. Gans was taken care of by Al Herford, Jack McCue and Jerry Marshall. The articles of agreement called for twenty-five rounds at 133 pounds, Marquis of Queensberry rules. John White was the referee.

The men had not been sparring a minute when Gans's superior knowledge of science was apparent. He was cool, calculating, shifty, and blocked with consummate ease the few swings that McFadden aimed at his head. Gans appeared to have no trouble in landing a long left, but he did not cut it loose much, preferring to find out what McFadden had up his sleeve, so to speak. Gans began to do some real punching in the second round. He shook McFadden up with a couple of swings on the neck, and altogether outclassed the local man in such a way that the crowd laughed in derision. McFadden concluded that his only chance was to mix it. So when the third round began he rushed in with heavy swings. Gans was equal to the emergency, and at in-fighting surprised the talent with his quick blows, all of which were well directed. McFadden did not land a solid blow in the round, although he tried his best to do so.

Gans did some superb blocking in the fourth round, and also beat a tattoo on McFadden's face. Improvement was shown by McFadden in the fifth round. He began to use his right and got it several times to the neck. Gans, however, nearly scored a knockdown with a hook on the jaw. McFadden continued to improve in the sixth round and landed several hard drives on the head and body. He was Gans's master in physical strength, and his punches appeared to contain more steam. McFadden forced the fighting in the seventh round, and with a hot left hook on the jaw he made the Baltimorean take the defensive until the bell. McFadden had the eighth round, Gans receiving some terrific smashes on the body and jaw. The latter was warned for holding in the clinches. The crowd cheered in a deafening manner when the bell rang, and kept it up during the minute's rest.

The ninth round was McFadden's, too. He did most of the work, and did not allow Gans to rest a moment. Both did pretty blocking, but McFadden's blows were the harder. The tenth round was full of execution. McFadden walked right into his man in spite of left jabs and body blows, and sent back as much as he received. The crowd cheered McFadden when he was in his corner. During a rally in the eleventh round, both men swinging, Gans received a clip on the jaw that brought a clinch. The latter seemed to be a trifle tired when he took his corner. That he was not fighting up to his past form seemed to be the opinion around the ringside, while McFadden's showing was an agreeable surprise.

The twelfth round was uneventful, except that McFadden more than held his own. Gans's nose was bleeding when he got half way through the thirteenth round. His blows lacked force and he appeared to be tiring. McFadden was as strong as a bull. The fourteenth round showed that Gans still had stamina, for he did the leading and landing, McFadden apparently resting up a bit from his previous efforts. McFadden came back in the fifteenth round with his old attack, and ended the round by driving Gans to a corner and to a clinch. It was an even thing in the sixteenth round, McFadden's blocking being up to anything that Gans accomplished in the earlier rounds. McFadden forged to the front again in the seventeenth round. He bored in without let-up and had his man clinching and holding at the gong. It was the same thing over again in the eighteenth. Gans failed to land a square punch because of McFadden's defence, while the latter hammered away successfully at the stomach and neck.

Gans received three savage lefts in the mouth in quick succession during the nineteenth round, but he retaliated with a heavy swing on the jaw that took McFadden by surprise. Again in the twentieth round McFadden did the bulk of the work, and made Gans's nose bleed afresh. At this stage it looked like a defeat for Gans, and the latter's followers were blue. Gans was fought practically to a standstill in the twenty-first round. He was tired and could scarcely keep his hands up. McFadden kept at him incessantly, but did not hustle enough when he received the right opportunities. McFadden cut loose in the twenty-second, and had Gans in evident trouble throughout. The crowd was in an uproar when the bell rang.

When the twenty-third round opened McFadden lost no time in mixing things. Gans threw in a few weak counters, and then received a stomach punch that threw him forward. Quick as a flash McFadden brought up a terrific right hook. It caught Gans flush on the point of the jaw. The Baltimore fighter tottered a moment, and then fell flat upon his face, the blood gushing from his mouth. There was no need of counting him out for he was helpless, and had to be lifted to his chair. The referee declared McFadden the winner amid an unusual demonstration. Hats and canes were thrown in the air. Men hugged one another in their ecstasy and others yelled wildly for the money they had won. McFadden was embraced by his friends, and was cheered all the way to his dressing room. When Gans was able to leave the ring he was applauded generously, too. It was one of the best fights ever seen in this vicinity. The time of the last round was 1 minute and 48 seconds.


1899-04-15 The World (New York, NY) (page 8)

GANS KNOCKED OUT BY GEORGE M'FADDEN.
--------
The New York Boxer Beat the Baltimore Black in a Fast and Hot Bout.
--------
LOSER A STRONG FAVORITE.
--------
After the Third Round McFadden Had It His Own Way and Finished It in the Twenty-Third.
--------

Joe Gans, the Baltimore light-weight, was treated to a surprise party last night at the Broadway Athletic Club by George McFadden, of this city, who was a 1 to 2 shot in the betting.

The New Yorker had all the best of the fight from the third round on. In the twenty-third he completed his job, finishing Gans with a stiff right-hand punch on the jaw. The negro went down and was counted out. Fully 4,000 spectators were in the house.

McFadden, first to enter the ring, was given a rousing reception. Gans was well received, but it was evident the New Yorker stood ten-to-one over Gans so far as the well wishes of the crowd are concerned. They were scheduled to go twenty-five rounds, Marquis of Queensbury's rules, at 133 pounds. One of the club officials announced that Gans weighed 133 pounds flat, and McFadden 127. The Baltimorean was seconded by Al Herford and Jack McCue. McFadden's attendants were Billy Roche and Tommy Shortell.

The first round was slow, with both sparring and protecting their bodies well. Gans cut loose in the second round and landed several swings. He shook McFadden up by a right-hander on the jaw, bringing the New Yorker to his knees. McFadden planted one straight hard one in the solar plexus region.

Gans in the third and fourth rounds blocked about everything McFadden sent at him. Two vicious punches delivered flush on McFadden's jaw in the fourth round bewildered the New Yorker for an instant. Gans tried for a knockout, but McFadden cleverly avoided half a dozen punches intended to finish him. Gans took no chances to the fifth round. McFadden, on the other hand, fought with a great deal of aggressiveness. His work in the fifth and sixth rounds set his supporters to cheering wildly.

The fought for everything in sight all through the eighth round, Gans planting several left jabs on McFadden's face. The New Yorker came back with great gameness. The five rounds from the ninth to the thirteenth were McFadden's. He fought Gans all the time and brought an expression of dazed surprise to the negro's face.

The New York boy showed great cleverness in defense. Gans emerged from rally after rally, smiling and confident, McFadden forcing the pace all the time.

Gans appeared to be very tired in the twentieth round. McFadden saw his advantage and landed right and left hard and often on the negro's face and jaw, meeting with weak returns. The next two rounds were repetitions, with McFadden strong and confident and Gans growing weaker and worrying.

They were fighting one minute and forty-eight seconds in the twenty-third round when McFadden planted a right-hand swing on Gans's jaw. He fell like a log and was counted out by Referee Johnny White.


1899-04-17 The Sun (Baltimore, MD) (page 6)

BOXER GANS WAS SICK
---
Manager Herford Cancels His Engagements And Will Take Him To Hot Springs.

Al Herford, manager of Joseph Gans, in speaking of Gans' loss of his fight with George McFadden in New York Friday night, said: "The fight cost me exactly $2,800. I was not oversanguine, but I bet at the rate of 2 to 1. The $2,800 was not all lost on bets, but it includes the purse and expenses. In all I bet $1,200.

"How do I account for Gans' defeat? He wanted the match, but I did not want him to fight. He was not in fit health for a contest. The result is that I have had to cancel his other engagements. He was matched with Martin Judge in Baltimore on April 23 and with William Moore, of Syracuse, before the Monarch Athletic Club, of Syracuse, for May 1. On May 8 he was to fight Otto Seiloff before the Olympic Athletic Club, of Buffalo, N. Y. I lose $800 on two of these matches and $250 on the match with Judge.

"I shall take Gans either to Hot Springs, Ark., or Mt. Clemens, Mich., and keep him there until he gets thoroughly well. This may take three months, but he shall not fight again until he is in perfect form. I will wager that he can beat McFadden or any other 133-pound man. I am not discouraged, because I know that he was not in shape when he engaged in this losing contest. He has had things too easy and was overconfident. Gans made McFadden look like a novice, but the colored boy's blows had no power in them. McFadden simply caught Gans out of form. The finishing blow was delivered in a mixup and McFadden did not know he had landed until "Joe" went down."

"Is McFadden a good man?" was asked.

"Yes, and I will try to get Mr. Walter Schlichter to let me substitute McFadden for Gans in the fight with his man Martin Judge. I am to meet him at Prospect Park tomorrow and see what can be done in the matter. If he will not agree, of course, I will have to call the fight off and sacrifice my forfeit to him, also the forfeit I paid for the rent of Music Hall. I have one consolation. I know that none of my friends lost any money on Gans, as I told all who asked me that it was not a 2 to 1 shot and Gans had only an even chance and had a shade the worse of it on account of his being sick."


1899-05-01 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 4)

HAS FAITH IN GANS
---
Al Herford Tells Why Joe Lost to McFadden

Al Herford, manager for Joe Gans, the negro boxer from Baltimore, who was defeated by McFadden, still believes that his man is one of the best fighters in the world. Neither he nor Gans is discouraged over the result of the last fight. In regard to Gans, Herford says "My boy is the prince of his class. We lost. It was a fair fight, and I have no kick to make, at least on that score. We stood to win $2800. The winner's share of the purse was $1600 and by Joe's defeat I lost $1200 in bets. But few bets were made. The sports looked upon it as a selling-plater against a stake horse. Out of it all I have been taught a lesson. Never again will I bet 2 to 1 against any man--not even were Fitzsimmons matched to meet Joe Goddard. A chance blow can win any fight. Right here I want to say that the report given out that McFadden weighed 127 pounds is an untruth. He tipped the scales at 133. Both men weighed in at the same weight. Joe thought that he had a walkover and did not do the proper training. Besides, he was a very sick man.

"Believing himself unbeatable, he had come to grow careless. He did not believe he needed to train. As it was he put in only five days' work for the contest, and was far from being in shape. Although suffering from stomach trouble, he hid the truth from me. He thought the worst that he could get would be a draw, as he afterward said he wanted to save the forfeit money. His mistake he realized later. The fight itself tells the story of his condition. Though a long distance fighter, his constitution being broken down, he was unable to go the limit. Why, in the first six rounds he made a sucker of McFadden, knocking him about from side to side. But his blows lacked steam. He was weak. At the close of the tenth round he said that he felt himself getting weaker and weaker, and that his stomach was giving him great pain.

"At the end of the twentieth round he could hardly stand up owing to the pain, and he again said that he was very weak and doubted if he could stand on his feet. 'He's too strong for me in my weakened condition,' is the way Joe put it when he realized that he had no strength. He desired to keep away from his man, but was too weak to move about. Yes, he made an uphill struggle. Defeated, I admire him all the more. Why, after the battle he vomited for fully fifteen minutes. He was in a very bad way. He takes his defeat very nicely, and his only regret is that he was caught napping. No, he is not down hearted. He believes himself capable of defeating any man in his class, and will yet come out on top. Again I reiterate that he will be back. Money will work wonders, and Joe is the boy who will give battle with any of them, and I want to give it out here that Baltimore has the champion lightweight. Any one differing need but place his money and I will cover it." Herford also announces that Gans has cancelled all of his engagements. He was matched to fight Martin Judge at Baltimore on April 25, Billy Moore at Syracuse on May 1, and Otto Sieloff at Buffalo on May 8.