1912-02-22 Willie Ritchie D-PTS10 Phil Brock [Luna park, Cleveland, OH, USA]

1912-02-23 Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) (page 11)

PHIL BROCK GETS DRAW WITH RITCHIE
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Cleveland Boxer Does Noble Work With His Clever Left.
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Coast Fighter Has Advantage Up Till the Last Round.
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BY J. P. GARVEY.

Phil Brock, his noble left hand working in old time form, with a certain amount of viciousness back of it in five of the ten rounds, fought Willie Ritchie of San Francisco a draw at Luna park last night. A magnificent rally in the final round during which Brock hammered Ritchie all around the ring, carrying him at a furious pace for two minutes, turned the trick. In the last minute of this stirring round the coast boy endeavored to fight back, but he was wild and one solid right uppercut was the limit of his damage.

Up to the tenth the battle was Ritchie's on points. He did not hurt the local boy to any extent, but from the fifth session to the ninth he belted him freely. His long arms and his fast feinting--Brock standing back and allowing him to set--enabled him to do considerable point punching. He had a good left jab and a lightning one-two. Also a left lead to the stomach and a right overhand to the head.

For the first four rounds Brock had the advantage. It was principally gained through furious infighting which Ritchie did not seem able to prevent. Whenever he got close enough Brock poured his left into Willie, a half dozen punches at a time. A sharp left uppercut was his most effective punch. From the fifth on until the last session Ritchie did more long range fighting and protected himself ably in the clinches, holding Brock's left and often beating it with a short right uppercut.

Ritchie had Phil missing and falling short for five straight rounds and he all but made a monkey out of him. His blows lacked steam, however, but this resulted from Ritchie's cautioness, in two different rounds. The westerner led his left slowly and jabbed it softly.

Brock Lacks Ability as Boxer.

It is quite probable that had Brock kept up his rushing tactics throughout, using his cover properly, he would have beaten Ritchie. Willie did not seem to have all his customary power with him last night. But Brock tried to box and he made an awful mess of it. He couldn't box any more than he could fly. He can in the gymnasium, but Phil is a battler, once the referee gives the word, and he should not try to kid himself.

Ritchie did not harm Brock in the least with his punches although he hit often enough, but on the other hand, in that last round, Phil had Willie going bad. He roughed him and batted him in every conceivable way, with both hands. This desperate and furious rally just about evened up the lead which Ritchie had established. Until the tenth it looked like a sure and certain victory for Ritchie, but the vast amount of damage in the finale upset the tenor of proceedings.

The bout was thrilling in two rounds. Outside of this the battling was rather tame.

Jerry Dalton, who is just about the cleverest little fellow for an inexperienced boxer that we have seen in years, won a decision over Fighting Mungie in the semi of ten rounds. Dalton hails from Indianapolis and is a pupil of Tommy Devlin. He jabbed Mungie off his feet in the first four rounds and for the next three rounds he forgot himself and Mungie got to him quite regularly. In the last round Dalton dropped him, but Mungie refused to be counted out.

The bout between Young Nevens and Kid Sheedy was stopped in the fourth round, both boys being exhausted.