Monday, February 28, 2011

1889-02-28 Kid Lavigne D-PTS77 George Siddons [Putnam’s Hotel, near Saginaw, MI, USA]

1889-03-01 The Bay City Times (Bay City, MI) (page 4)
EIGHTY ROUNDS.
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And Still the Fight was Declared a Draw.

Twenty days ago a match for a fight to a finish with two-ounce gloves was arranged to take place between George Siddons, of Grand Rapids, champion light-weight of the northwest, and George Lavine, of East Saginaw, for the championship, $100 a side, and gate receipts.

The match took place last night in a dance hall four miles from Saginaw City. At 11:12 the men were called to time, a ring having been arranged in the hall. Both of the contestants were stripped to the waist and were in prime condition. Siddons weighs about 130 and Lavine 128.

John Connolly, of East Saginaw, was chosen referee, Groves and Carson time-keepers.

Eighty rounds were fought, whereupon the match was declared a draw.


1889-03-01 The Saginaw Evening News (Saginaw, MI) (page 7)
SEVENTY-SEVEN ROUNDS.
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THE LONGEST FIGHT ON RECORD IN MICHIGAN.
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The Siddons-Lavine Fight This Morning Declared a Draw After Battling Over Five Hours--Large Attendance--Everybody Satisfied With the Decision.

The long talked-of battle between Geo. Siddons, champion feather-weight of the Northwest, and Geo. Lavine, champion feather-weight of the Valley, for $100 aside and 75 per cent. of the gate receipts, is over, and one of the longest battles ever fought in Michigan is down on record. Last night shortly after 8 o'clock there seemed to be a demand for hacks and rigs and although they filled readily with the masculine gender, no one could definitely tell what was the cause of the sudden desire for midnight rides and the destination was uncertain. The knowing ones, however, said the tip is "Putnam's," and those that invested a $3 bill for an admission ticket seemed satisfied with the information, and after leaving the heart of the city instructed their drivers to head for the Gratiot State Road, for Putnam's hotel, about five miles from the city, just across the Tittabawassee River. Load after load was deposited there, including sporting-men from Grand Rapids, Detroit, Flint, Bay City, Saginaw City and several other places. The men, on arriving, adjourned to an upper floor of the hotel, used for dancing, where a ring was pitched in the center.

Of the contestants, Geo. Siddons has a great reputation as a ring-fighter, having met the "Belfast Spider," Weir, in an eight-round draw. He has had many "difficulties" in the squared circle, meeting the best men in his class and always with a creditable showing. He had a draw with Tommy Warren, bested John Connors and been in the ring with Tom Miller, Harry Jones, Billy Rhodes, Ed. Hurley, Tommy Burke and a host of others. Siddons is about five feet five inches in height, and his standard weight is around 120 pounds, so that he does not need much training down to his class, and is one of the quickest prepared bantams for the ring in this country. He is about 20 years of age and was sailing in the navy up to within four years ago when he took to sparring, and as his work was clean-cut he soon found backers who put him in the professional arena about two years ago, and since then he has worked his way up to the foremost ranks among the bantams of this country. He was born in Philadelphia.

Geo. Lavine, of this city, is nearly 20 years of age, a cooper by trade, is almost an amateur. He has been in numerous sparring matches and has never been defeated. He met "Pikie" Johnson, a noted bantam, who it was supposed would put an end to him in five rounds, but at the end of eight it was declared a draw, with a slight shade in favor of Lavine. He also bested Pat Connors in a five round engagement. George is about five feet four inches in height and his regular weight is about 125 pounds.

About 300 people had arrived on the scene by 10 o'clock, but it was 11:15 before either of the principals made their appearance. Lavine was first to enter the circle, followed by Harry Gilmore, his second, and Billy Lavine. Ed. Hurley came next with a set of two-ounce gloves, which he dropped in the center, and Siddons then appeared and he and Hurley and Ed. White immediately took the northeast corner of the ring. It was then announced that the spectators were to choose a referee, and John Connelly was agreed upon. A man named Carson acted as timekeeper for Lavine and Fred Groves filled that capacity for Siddons.

No announcement was made, but the principals took off their overcoats and it was noticed Siddons wore blue tights, white belt, low ring shoes, and was just a trifle tallest, while Lavine wore maroon tights and the regulation high ring shoes. The latter is more stocky built and looked a trifle heaviest when they shook hands.

When time was called the men opened up with cautious sparring and a minute passed before a pass was made. Siddons made a feint and by a quick recovery sent in his left full on Lavine's neck. It was followed by an exchange of blows, both getting in their left. Some more cautious sparring followed, when Siddons got his left on Lavine's mouth, slightly drawing blood. First blood was claimed by Siddons and allowed. This closed the round.

It was conceded by almost everybody that Siddons would win, the only difference in opinion was the length of time, a majority thinking ten rounds would see the end, since Siddons' work in the first round. In it Siddons displayed some wonderful science in ducking, and Lavine made some nice counters. During the next five rounds honors were easy, no one having the advantage. Clinching Siddons was almost floored in the break-away and Hurley tried to claim a foul on it, but was not allowed.

Lavine wore a determined look and Siddons was smiling when the seventh round was called. After dancing around a minute, Siddons got in his left on Lavine's left eye and got away by ducking a heavy hit from Lavine's left. Both made nice counters and Lavine reached Siddons' neck at the close of the round, which raised a lump like a small-sized egg.

The next three rounds were principally put in with cautious sparring, and Siddons' lump on the back of his neck had disappeared when the eleventh round was called. It was then evident that Siddons had to do something more than heretofore, as Lavine showed up as well as he did. He made a pass and fell short, and in return he got one on his chest and one on the neck for his folly. After feinting once Siddons scored a hit on Lavine's left eye which made that optic assume rather larger proportions. A clinch closed the round.

The men appeared fresh at each call of time and the audience soon saw that Siddons had his hands full to best Lavine. Siddons had the most science, but he lacked the strength to hold an advantage after he had it. Lavine, doing the heaviest hitting, would cause the champion of the Northwest to keep on guessing in getting out of Lavine's way. Round after round rolled off in this way, the men showing no punishment, with the exception of Lavine's left eye which was closing slowly. Siddons paid all his attention to this and hoped to finish his man after his eyes were shut. Occasionally a round would terminate without a pass being made.

The fifty-first round was opened with some sharp infighting followed by a clinch, and in breaking Siddons got his right again on Lavine's eye. He led again, which was nicely stopped, and in getting away Lavine just reached him lightly, Siddons slipping received two blows on the back of the head before he recovered. When he did he found Lavine's left eye, and the round closed.

Honors were easy until the sixty-fourth round, when Gilmore said "Now do some fighting and give the people the worth of their money." Everybody was getting tired and it looked as though the two could fight sixty-four more rounds. The next ten rounds were the best of the mill, and it was no man's battle; sometimes one and then the other would have a slight advantage. The next two rounds were simply walk-arounds, not a heavy blow being struck.

Murmurs of make it a draw were heard at the conclusion of the 76th and White was talking to Gilmore over some matter when time was called for the 77th round. An equal exchange and a rib-roaster to Lavine's credit was all that was done in the round with the exception of each making two nice stops. It was then announced at 4:30 a. m. that the men were willing to call it a draw, providing the audience were satisfied. All said "make it a draw, we've had our money's worth," and the referee so declared. Siddons immediately shook hands with Lavine and both smiled at the outcome. Thus ended the longest battle ever fought in the State of Michigan--seventy-seven rounds and over five hours of fighting.

Everybody that could reach the principals shook hands with them and then there was a hasty scramble into the vehicles and in a few minutes the place was again deserted.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

1904-02-27 Abe Attell ND6 Young Erne [National Athletic Club, Philadelphia, PA, USA]

1904-02-28 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 14)
ABE ATTEL GIVEN SLASHING FIGHT
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Young Erne Put Up a Great Bout With the Featherweight Champion
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Monster Crowd Turns Out at the A. C. and Sees Some of the Finest Milling Ever
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Young Erne gave Abe Attel, the champion featherweight of the world, a grand fight in the wind-up of the all-star show last night at the National Athletic Club. It was a corking good bout, as were all the others on the program. Attel displayed the generalship, and while the local boy was always after him the 'Frisco lad had rather the better of the going, landing in the last three rounds both rights and lefts to body and face.

It was a great crowd that gathered to see a great lot of fighters. All who journeyed to the hall could not be accommodated, and about as many persons were turned away as were admitted to the hall.

The festivities began with a bout between Kid McLaughlin, of this city, and Kid Murphy, the 105-pound champion of New York. It was the tamest fight of the night. McLaughlin would have been entitled to the decision.

The bout between Johnny Allen and Kid Henning, of Washington, was a fast and furious one. At the end of the third round Murphy quit, claiming that he was sick.

Phil Logan was outclassed by Chester Goodwin, of Boston, in every way. The visitor had height, weight and reach. In the fourth round Logan's seconds threw up the sponge.

Had Hughey Murphy, who has fought two battles with Young Corbett, been in better condition, there is no telling what he might have done to Billy Willis. As it was, Willis had none the better of the bout that went the limit.

The bout between Jimmy Briggs and Jack O'Neil was a No. 1, viewed from every angle. There was lots of action. If there was any choice it would have been in favor of Briggs, who finished in rather better condition than did O'Neil.


1904-02-28 The Philadelphia Record (Philadelphia, PA) (page 16)
STAR BOUTS AT NATIONAL
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Abe Attel Bested in Contest With Young Erne.
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JIM BRIGGS MEETS A TARTAR
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Jack O'Neill Giving Bostonian All He Could Attend to--Willis Almost Put Out Hughey Murphy. Henning Quits.
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Jimmy Briggs, of Boston, stacked up against a Tartar in Jack O'Neill, and for five rounds the Bostonian had a little more than he could readily attend to. His well known aggressiveness availed him little, as Jack invariably met him with a stiff left-hand jab in the mouth that sent Jimmy's head back. Briggs did his best work in the clinches, getting in short right-hand uppercuts to O'Neill's chin. In the sixth round Briggs kept Jack on the run, and got in several heavy punches that weakened O'Neill, and Briggs was the strongest at the finish.

In a terrific contest Chester Goodman, of Boston, proved to be too much for Phil Logan, and the referee stopped the bout in the fourth round to save the local boy from an almost certain knockout. Logan gave a great display of grit and gameness and took his medicine like a Trojan. Two knock-downs in the first round seemed to take the heart out of Phil. Logan, instead of taking the full count got up each time before the count of six. He had not fully recovered from the effects of the blows and only managed to last the round by hugging. In the second round Logan got Goodwin on the rope and smashed right and left on the face and started the claret running from Chester's nose. Logan had the advantage at the end of the round.

Goodwin gave Logan an awful beating in the third round, knocking the local boy down four times, and had him in an almost helpless condition when the bell rang. In the fourth round, after boxing for about two minutes, the referee, seeing that Phil had no chance to win, stopped the contest.

Billy Willis came within an ace of knocking out Hughey Murphy, of New York shortly before the end of the fifth round, with a short right-hand punch on the point of the jaw. It looked as though it was all up with the New Yorker, as he laid on his back and never moved a muscle. Just as the referee was about to count the final ten he jumped to his feet. Willis was after him right and left, but by hugging the visitor managed to stay the rounds. The milling was very fast in the last round, with the local boy doing the better work. For straight, stand-up and hard hitting the bout would be hard to beat. The boys hardly took a breathing spell while in the ring, being in action all the time, and it was only a question as to who would land the deciding punch. Although Willis had the better of the contest he had bellows to mend at the end of the sixth round.

Kid Murphy, of New York, and Kid McLaughlin were the first pair to try conclusions, and the New Yorker had something on the local boy in every round except the fifth. At the end of the sixth round it was found that McLaughlin injured one of his hands during the bout.

Johnny Allen and Kid Henning, of Washington, were to have boxed six rounds, but after being knocked down and getting a good beating Henning quit at the end of the third round. Henning said that he was sick and could not do himself justice, and did not care to have a knockout registered against him.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

1904-02-26 Joe Walcott ND6 Black Bill [Lenox Athletic Club, Philadelphia, PA, USA]

1904-02-27 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 10)
OLD BLACK JOE SHADES DARK WILL
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Barbados Demon Cuts Loose at the Right Time, But Fails to Stop His Man
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Merchantville's Husky Youth Comes Up Strong in the Sixth and Shows Commendable Aggressiveness
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Though Joe Walcott demonstrated that he was Black Bill's master in the wind-up at the Lenox Athletic Club last night, he was kept moving from start to finish by the Merchantville Black. Bill seemed to lack confidence in the first round, and Walcott himself, evidently understanding that Bill has got a dangerous punch, did not extend himself until toward the close of the round. Beginning with the second round, however, there were lots doing. Bill began with a straight left to the jaw and followed that up with a hard right on the body. This seemed to anger Walcott, who cut loose with a pair of swinging lefts into Bill's wind. These punches hurt Bill, who rushed Walcott to the ropes.

The third was the hottest round of the melee. Walcott made a fierce swing at Bill, who in his efforts to duck away from it over-balanced himself and went to the floor. Walcott followed this up with four left-handed swings on the side of the jaw and for a bit Bill looked wobbly. He came back in good style, though, and in one of the clinches rushed Walcott to the ropes and incidentally compelled Referee Rocap to perform a feat in ground tumbling. The fourth and fifth rounds were quieter, but in the sixth there was plenty of action. Bill started in aggressively and landed twice on the face with his left--feats which evoked the applause of the crowd. Walcott got back with his left to Bill's wind. Both got in straight jabs on the chops. Walcott swung his hard right to the body and a general interchange of punches followed. They were mixing it up at a very rapid gait when the bell sounded.

The opening bout, between Eddie Burke and Martin Williams was stopped by Referee Rocap in the fifth round. Williams was game, but was outclassed by Burke. Young Fitzsimmons, of Pittsburg, stopped Jack Murphy in the fifth round. Eddie McAvoy outpointed Johnny Murphy in a fast six-round bout. Young Pierce and Kid Johnson went six rounds at a very rapid clip to a draw.


1904-02-27 The Philadelphia Record (Philadelphia, PA) (page 9)
WALCOTT AND BLACK BILL
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Box Six-Round Draw at the Lenox Athletic Club.
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BOUT WAS FAST AND HARD ONE
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Boston Black Had the Jerseyman Holding Tight in Last Round. Bill Did Some Good Left-Hand Work.
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The bout between Joe Walcott and Black Bill, of Merchantville, N. J., at the Lenox Athletic Club, went the full six rounds, and a draw would be a fair decision to both men. A count of the clean blows landed would probably favor the Jersey boxer, but Walcott's blows were the more effective, and at times they were so hard that Bill was so affectionate in holding on and hugging the Black Demon that the referee had to coax him to let go. Black Bill was knocked down once, while Walcott was never off his feet in any of the rounds. Bill used his long left arm to advantage, and he kept Walcott off by hard jabs to the face. Walcott tried to hook Bill on the jaw, and he got there several times, but he did not have steam enough in the blows to more than rock Bill's head a bit. It was Walcott's stomach and body punches which hurt Bill, and Joe made the big fellow wince several times when he ripped one to the Jerseyman's bread basket.

When they stood up Bill looked much taller and appeared to be about twenty pounds heavier than the Boston fellow. He also had a much longer reach than Walcott, but he threw away much of his natural advantage by assuming a crouching position, which brought him down almost to Walcott's height.

Bill started the ball rolling with a light jab to Joe's face. Walcott went to him with a rush and landed a hard body blow. Bill got one to the Demon's stomach and followed to the face. Both were left-hand blows. Joe landed a right to the ribs and a left to the face. Bill tried a rush, but did not get anything. Joe got in two blows and followed with another. Bill got a left to the face and missed a right-hand swing. Walcott pasted Bill on the nose just as the bell rang.

Joe started jabbing in the second and tried to follow it up with a right, but could not get to the proper place. Bill landed some hard jabs, but Joe only laughed. Walcott got to Bill's stomach with a punch which made him wince. He got in another one on the ribs and had Bill on the run. A fierce mix-up on the ropes followed, in which Referee Rocap got twisted up with the boxers. It was in Walcott's favor. Bill steadied himself and got in two hard left-hand facers.

The third round was on the tabasco order, and it was a whole fight in itself. Walcott landed a stiff one and Bill, in stepping back, went to his haunches on the floor. A punch on the jaw put Bill to his knees, and he was up again in a second, when Joe rushed him to the other side of the ring and smashed him on the jaw. The big fellow went down in a heap. The referee started to count, but Bill did not wait till he finished it. It looked bad for Bill, and Joe's face was one big grin.

The fourth round was pretty hot at the start, but both eased up a bit in their speed at times. Walcott tried several times to get a hook to Bill's jaw, but, although he landed, he could not get in one hard enough.

The fifth opened up with both men doing considerable fiddling. Finally Bill sent a hard jab straight to Walcott's face. Walcott got in several telling body punches. In this round there was a hot rally, which brought the spectators to their feet. Bill began to get very loving toward Joe, and when he got a chance to hug the little black fellow he did not want to leave go. Walcott began to smash him about the body, and Bill said if he did not stop he would tell Mr. Rocap, and then Joe laughed and smashed him a hard one on the side of the head.

Bill started the sixth with three hard punches to Walcott's ugly mug without a return. Joe, however, seemed to want to tell the big fellow something, and in spite of Bill's stinging punches in the face he would not keep back. Then Walcott got a few rib roasters to the Merchantville man's stomach and ribs and Bill was anything but pleased. He hung on for dear life and Joe had to wrestle to get loose. Walcott had Bill on the defensive when the bell rang.

The preliminary contests were hotly contested and every bout produced very fast milling. The referee stopped the bout between Eddie Burke and Martin Williams in the fifth round to save the latter from further punishment. Young Fitzsimmons, of Pittsburg, stopped Jack Murphy in the fifth round; Eddie McAvoy bested Johnny Murray in a fast six-round bout; McAvoy knocked Murray down in the third and sixth rounds, while Young Pierce and Kid Johnson boxed six very fast rounds with honors about even.

Friday, February 25, 2011

1902-02-25 Tommy Ryan W-KO8 Tim Draffin Murphy [Strope’s hall, Kansas City, MO, USA]

1902-02-26 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO) (page 3)
RYAN WON IN EIGHT ROUNDS
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"AUSTRALIAN TIM" MURPHY ONLY A PUNCHING BAG FOR TOMMY.
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A Big Crowd of Sports Saw the Bout at Strope's Hall, and Murphy's Stamina Made a Hit With Them--General Sporting News.
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Tommy Ryan, Kansas City's claimant for the middleweight championship of the world, knocked out Australian Tim Murphy in the eighth round of what was to have been a ten-round bout at Strope's hall last night, before a goodly crowd of patrons of boxing. The audience included business and professional men and the best of order was observed throughout. It was a thoroughly good natured crowd of followers of fistiana and the bout generally was satisfactory.

The Australian's principal quality was his ability to stand punishment, but he was clearly outclassed and was simply a punching bag for the fast and clever local fighter. Ryan punched him all over the ring when he assumed the aggressive, forcing Murphy to break ground continually and resort to clinching and holding to save himself.

Murphy had the best of height, reach and weight, but with all these natural advantages he never had a look in, and Ryan could have put him out handily inside of four rounds had he cared to rush the Australian to close quarters and try for a knockout. He ripped Murphy in the slats, around the solar plexus spot and under the heart whenever he pleased and Murphy's body must be a very sore one today. Then occasionally Ryan would land a vicious short hook alongside Murphy's jaw or neck and the Australian's head would go back or he would stagger away towards the ropes.

This continual battering took the steam out of the visitor, but he was game to the core and took his medicine. He knew he was up against it, but he never once refused to toe the scratch, and while he might possibly have arisen before Referee Perry called off the fatal ten he was a thoroughly beaten man, and was in such a defenseless condition that every real lover of the sport would have been satisfied had his seconds thrown up the sponge in the seventh round.

At the close of that round he was all but out, the gong alone saving him from the count, as Ryan had floored him eight seconds before the end of the round. He revived somewhat, but Ryan went after him in earnest in the eighth, and with such telling effect that Murphy went down in a neutral corner from a left hook to the jaw that put him entirely out of the running after thirty-five seconds of fast milling by Ryan.

Ryan has had several easy bouts lately, but when he runs up against Rube Ferns in their coming battle about a month hence he will at least find a fighter who can hit hard enough should he be able to find the shifty Ryan to put him off watch, and should Tommy win from Ferns and later on take on Jack Root, he would meet a man who would give him a harder battle than he has had for many months. The only objection to Root is that Ryan would be giving away a ton of weight to Jack, and he is too shrewd a matchmaker to battle with Root unless the financial conditions should be very enticing and a satisfactory weight limit agreed on.

THE FIGHT BY ROUNDS.

Round 1--There was little fighting in this round, both fighters resorting to the feeling out game. They fiddled for a minute before either tried to land. Finally Ryan landed a right light on the body and they clinched. Murphy sent in a few light body blows. After the break Ryan landed a right in the wind and then put in a right and left on the wind as they clinched. Murphy again pumped in a few body blows in the clinch but they were not damaging. The Australian tried a right for the jaw in the clinch but it went around Tommy's neck. There was much clinching and wrestling, but little fighting in this round.

Round 2--Ryan went out with a rush and Murphy began breaking ground rapidly. Tommy sent a light left to the body and catching the Australian in a corner they mixed up fast. Ryan sent a left to the wind and a right to the head and a right to the body was followed up with two lefts in the face. Ryan pumped two lefts in the wind and sent a left to the head. Murphy worked in a left to the face and Ryan gave him back the same medicine. This blow put the Australian in queer street for a moment but he soon recovered. Murphy went to the floor from a hard left in the stomach but was up without delay. In a clinch Murphy put a right over the heart but Ryan gave him a left in the face and another in the wind which caused him to grunt and break ground. Murphy made practically no effort to fight in this round and Ryan had him bellowing and blowing after each pass at him.

Round 3--This one was tame. Murphy broke ground continuously. Cornered, he landed a light left on the head but got a right on the side of the face in return. Ryan sent two lefts to the face and another to the wind and Murphy jabbed his right into Tommy's face. Ryan landed a left in the face and as the gong sounded he put a hard left in the wind.

Round 4--Murphy continued to break ground. Ryan sent a left to the wind and the Australian fairly raced to keep out of his way. Ryan sent a right and left to the face and put another left to the face. Murphy came back with a good right straight arm punch in the face, but Tommy gave him a left on the jaw and two lefts in the wind in return. They exchanged lefts to the face and Murphy was sprinting when the round ended.

Round 5--Ryan went out after him in cyclone fashion. After a clinch Tommy whipped a right over on the jaw and then sent another right to the body and Tommy missed a right swing and fell sprawling on the canvas. Murphy became a little more inclined to mix it and sent in a couple of body blows. Ryan kept after him and put him on the ropes with a rain of punches in the wind and on the head. Murphy ducked two vicious rights but ran into a left uppercut which caused him to wobble. He clinched and held on at every mixup, but Tommy finally threw him off. Murphy to the face but for this Ryan made a punching bag of him and had him down under two or three swings to the head.

Round 6--Murphy resorted to clinching and holding on again. Ryan sent two lefts to the face and Murphy missed a left swing. They exchanged lefts to the face and Ryan sent a light left to the face and a right to the wind. Tommy got in two more rights on the jaw and Murphy was clinching and holding to save himself when the gong sounded.

Round 7--Ryan went in to finish him and came near doing the trick, the gong being all that saved him. Murphy got in a light left to the face and in a mixup Ryan slipped and fell. He came up smiling and cut loose at a terrific pace. He sent a right to the body and Murphy punched him a few in the clinch. Tom handed him two rights on the head and then Ryan missed another swing and fell. Up again he sent a right to the jaw which staggered Tim and he started breaking ground. A left in the wind put Murphy down for the count and he wobbled under a stinging right and left on the jaw. Ryan put him down again for the count with a right on the jaw and he got up pretty helpless. Ryan pounded him all over the ring but he guarded the vital points and the local man could not get in the finishing punch. Finally a left in the wind caused Murphy to drop his guards and Ryan shot in a right to the face that sent him to his corner wobbly as the gong sounded.

Round 8--This round was short. A left in the face and a right to the jaw put Murphy down for the count and after pounding him around a few seconds more Tommy shot a left to the jaw that put the Australian down and in such a helpless condition that he could not continue further.

On the whole the fight was a very satisfactory one, and it was witnessed by the largest crowd that ever attended a battle in Slope's hall. In addition to the main go Emmet Mellody and Ed Courtney boxed four hot rounds as a preliminary, and the newsboy team did their pleasing four round stunt.

Mellody and Courtney mixed it up in great style, both punching hard, and, taken all in all, their was about the best preliminary seen hereabouts in several seasons. Before the main bout was put on Tom Minogue, the announced, read a telegram from Mysterious Billy Smith, challenging the winner.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

1891-02-24 Dal Hawkins W-KO29 Danny Mahoney [San Jose Athletic Club, San Jose, CA, USA]

1891-02-24 The Evening News (San Jose, CA) (page 3)
THE TWO DANS.
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A Contest for the Bantam Weight Championship This Evening.

At the San Jose Athletic Club this evening there will be a contest to a finish between Dan Hawkins and Dan Mahoney, both of whom claim the bantam weight championship of the Pacific Coast. It is supposed that this meeting will settle the question. Besides securing the championship the winner will receive $325 and the loser $75. The men are of about equal weight, 115 pounds each. Besides this contest there will be several minor exhibitions this evening.


1891-02-25 The Evening News (San Jose, CA) (page 3)
MAHONEY GROGGY.
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He Was Worsted by Hawkins in the Glove Contest.

The contest for the bantam weight championship of the Pacific Coast before the San Jose Athletic Club last evening, between Dan Hawkins and Dan Mahoney, resulted in a victory for the former. Twenty-nine rounds were fought. Mahoney was barely able to stand on his feet, and he was almost entirely at the mercy of Hawkins during the last few rounds.


1891-02-25 The Record-Union (Sacramento, CA) (page 1)
TWENTY-NINE ROUNDS.
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A FIGHT BETWEEN BANTAM-WEIGHTS AT SAN JOSE.
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Dan Mahoney Knocked Out by Dan Hawkins--Both Participants Badly Punished.
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Special to the Record-Union.

San Jose, Feb. 24.--The fight for the Pacific Coast bantam-weight championship before the San Jose Athletic Club to-night between Dan Hawkins and Dan Mahoney resulted in a victory for the former in the twenty-ninth round. The fight was hard-contested and the best one ever seen in this city.

At the start it seemed that Mahoney was the winner. He did all the fighting, made frequent rushes and kept Hawkins in his own corner most of the time. He kept leading for Hawkins' heart, landing so often that the flesh assumed a blood-red tinge. Finally he abandoned those tactics and paid more attention to Hawkins' jaw, endeavoring to get in a knockout blow. He landed frequently, but with not enough force. He did considerable damage to Hawkins' face, however, as the left side is badly swollen and the left eye nearly closed.

All the rounds previous to the twenty-first seemed in Mahoney's favor, but in this Hawkins took more of the aggressive, and succeeded so well that confidence was inspired, and when time was called for the twenty-second he commenced pounding Mahoney hard. Mahoney was still strong, and the honors were about even until the twenty-fifth, when Mahoney showed some signs of aggressiveness. Hawkins saw his advantage, and rushed his opponent, but Mahoney was not a quitter, and showed that he had lots of fight still in him. He fought hard, but his strength was not equal to the necessity, as he had done too much work at the first. He continued getting groggier and groggier.

In the twenty-seventh it was seen that Hawkins had his man whipped, but though he punched Mahoney right and left, he was not able to down him.

In the twenty-eighth he pushed Mahoney hard and knocked him down once. The call of time saved Mahoney, and his seconds carried him to his corner.

He was able to get to the center of the ring in the twenty-ninth, but in bad shape, and Hawkins rained blows right and left upon him, finally landing a terrible right-hander on the jaw, and Mahoney went down. He made an effort to rise, and succeeded in getting to a sitting posture, but was unable to get upon his feet, and was counted out.

Hawkins' friends were wild with excitement, and carried him to the dressing-room on their shoulders. Hawkins' face is in bad shape. The left eye is closed, the left cheek badly swollen, there is a big swelling under the left ear, and the lower lip is skinned and swollen.

Mahoney is in an equally bad condition. His face is all swollen and skinned, and he has skinned places on his body.

The purse was $400, of which Hawkins gets $325 and Mahoney the remainder. The club rooms were crowded, and there was great enthusiasm throughout the fight.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

1903-02-23 Aurelio Herrera W-KO3 Tommy Jacobs [Salt Lake Athletic Club, Salt Lake City, UT, USA]

1903-02-24 Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City, UT) (page 8)
HERRERA WAS AN EASY WINNER
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Disposed of Tommy Jacobs in Two And a Half Rounds.
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LARGE CROWD ATTENDED.
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Local Boy Went Down Three Times In the Second Round--Solar Plexus Turned the Trick.
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With a little assistance from Aurelio Herrera, Tommy Jacobs succeeded in knocking himself out after two and a half rounds of fighting at the Salt Lake athletic club last night. The "little assistance" referred to, was in the shape of three hard right smashes on the jaw in the second round, and a terrific solar plexus with the right during the third round, and then it was pay day for the dusky Mexican.

When the little fighters stepped into the ring, they faced a packed house. Jacobs was smiling and confident, Herrera sullen and observing. The latter was a favorite from the start, but when he faced Jacobs and the crowd saw his perfect defense, his stock jumped up several points. He assumed a crouch, holding his hands in front of his face with his elbows protecting his stomach. The attempt to break down this defense caused the downfall of the little local boy. Jacobs was the aggressor from the first tap of the gong. He quickly rushed the Mexican and showered a volley of rights and lefts, but they did not the slightest damage. Herrera was cool, and was playing a waiting game. The spectators to a man saw what the result would be. Herrera never retreated, but kept forging ahead and only attempted to land a couple of light blows during the first round. Jacobs tired himself out pushing the little Mexican away from him. In the second round, Jacobs followed the same tactics and was doing all the leading when suddenly he went to the floor with a crash. The Mexican's right crossed over like a streak of lightning, landing on Tommy's jaw with the force of a mule kick and Tommy took the count. As he raised himself and staggered gamely towards Herrera, the latter's wicked right shot out again and down went Tommy. This happened again, Jacobs displaying gameness not often seen, but he would surely have been knocked out completely but for the gong sounding. His seconds quickly ran to his assistance and carried him to his corner. The minute's rest revived him greatly and he returned to the attack gamely. In this he made a great mistake. The crowd yelled to him to be careful and to take his time, but he ignored the advice, and began to force matters again. He finally succeeded in landing a hard right on the Mexican's jaw and the latter came pretty close to the canvas. Aurelio did not lose his head, however, but waited and was rewarded. Jacobs left a small opening just for a second, but it was long enough. Quick as a flash Herrera's powerful right shot out, landing on the solar plexus and the battle was all over but the counting. While Billy Sauer, referee, was counting off the fatal ten seconds, Herrera walked away smiling, knowing full well that there was nothing more for him to do. The referee could have counted sixty and it would have been all the same to Jacobs, for he was dreaming, softly dreaming.

In summing up the two fighters, it can be said that the local boy never had even a look in. He is forty miles from Herrera's class and yet he is a very clever little boxer. Herrera is a natural born fighter and has a decidedly cool head on him and a terrible wallop in either hand. He knows how to land his blows, and when he lets one go, something is going to drop. Jacobs displayed great cleverness in ducking several vicious punches, but his aggressiveness tired him, and when a fighter becomes tired he becomes slow.

Both boys were around as usual this morning, neither showing the effects of the bout. Jacobs says he realizes that he made a mistake in not forcing the Mexican to do some of the leading. It was a clever contest, no foul work, and not a drop of blood was shed.

The preliminaries were furnished by Jack Morris, colored, known as the Muldoon Cyclone, and a white boy by the same name. The latter is a wrestler and indulged in many unfair tactics during the bout. Kid Watkins and Kid Smith went four fast rounds.


1903-02-24 The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT) (page 7)
JACOBS EASY FOR HERRERA
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Dusky Skinned Mexican Outclasses Local Man.
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THIRD ROUND ENDS CONTEST
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SOLAR PLEXUS BLOW WITH RIGHT DID THE BUSINESS.
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Three rounds of fast fighting on the part of Tom Jacobs and a cool, calm, waiting game on the part of Aurelio Herrera added one more victory to the long list accredited to "Biddy" Bishop's dark-skinned Mexican from the sunny clime of California. Herrera stepped into the ring last evening at the Salt Lake Athletic club and faced a packed house, and if there were any who doubted his ability as a fighter before the festivities began, they are now thoroughly convinced that this youngster is about the best thing in the lightweight division that ever struck this part of the country.

Twice during the short three rounds of fighting Tommy Jacobs was clearly knocked out--first in the second round, when the gong saved him, and again after one minute's fighting in the third round, when he lay until pronounced out by Referee Sauer.

Right Sends Jacobs Down.

In the second round, at a time when Jacobs was doing all the leading, the Mexican suddenly crossed a right square to the point of the jaw. Like a flash Jacobs hit the padded floor, and everyone thought it was all over. Not so, however, for the local man raised to his feet at the nine count, only to go down again as Herrera rushed at him. Again Jacobs took the count and again he raised himself, only to go down before the onslaughts of the now thoroughly aroused Mexican. Four times during this round Jacobs was sent to the floor, all but out, when the welcome sound of the gong brought his seconds to his rescue, who helped the now defeated man to his corner.

At the beginning of the third round Jacobs rushed at his man as if nothing had happened. Herrera met him half way and they exchanged heavy swings, Jacobs staggering the Mexican with a right clean on the jaw. In an instant the wily son of Montezuma assumed his crouch and awaited his opportunity. It came an instant afterward, when, in an unguarded moment, Jacobs left an opening for his wind. Quick as a flash Herrera let a straight right jab go for the solar plexus and it was all over. Tommy went down like a log and lay on the mat until counted out. Even then it was fully a minute before he knew what had happened.

Jacobs Was the Aggressor.

The contest opened with Jacobs on the offensive from the word go. Much to the surprise of every one he rushed right at the Mexican and sent in rights and lefts in a vain attempt to get past Herrera's guard. Several times good stiff rights reached the Mexican's kidneys, but the latter did not seem to pay the least attention to them.

In the first round Herrera let his left and right go just six times--two left jabs and four right swings for the jaw. Jacobs cleverly ducked each and every blow and came to a clinch to keep out of danger. When the round ended Tommy went to his corner confident, while the wise ones knew the Mexican's tactics would make the local man whip himself. In the second round Jacobs again went right after Herrera, ducking several swings, until one headed for his jaw landed and Jacobs went down. From this time on it was merely a question of time until Jacobs would have to go down and out to a superior fighter.

Herrera Outclasses Local Man.

In summing up the two fighters it can be said that Jacobs is not in the same class with Herrera. The former is a remarkably clever boxer, and that is all, while Herrera belongs to the fighting class. Jacobs used very poor judgment, or no judgment at all, in forcing the fight against a man, who, to everyone, appeared his superior. He clearly showed poor headwork, or else was acting under bad advice. If the fight had continued for ten rounds, Jacobs would have fallen from his own exertions, while the Mexican would scarcely have turned a hair. The local man's rushes and swings only tired himself without in the least discomfiting Herrera.

The latter is a fighter from the ground up, and it will take a good man to put him out of the business. During the entire contest he never let a hand go without a punch behind it, which, whenever it hit the mark, did the business. This happened twice, and each time Jacobs was done for. While the contest was short, yet everyone seemed to be satisfied that the better man won.

"Biddy" Bishop and "Reddy" Gallagher (not the Denver "Reddy" Gallagher) acted as seconds for Herrera, and Young Thomas, Young Price and "Fat" McCue were in the corner for Jacobs. Billy Sauer acted as referee.

Preliminaries Were Good.

Before the main event there were two preliminaries, the first between Jack Morris, the wrestler, and a colored Jack Morris, who at one time was managed by Billy Madden and considered a good man. The white Jack outweighed his opponent several pounds and used wrestling tactics almost entirely, several times fouling his man. The black Jack, however, took it all good naturedly and gave back all he got.

The other preliminary was between two boxers by the name of "Kid" Watkins and "Kid" Smith, of Denver. The boys put up a good bout and in the fourth round Watkins got a punch on the jaw that all but put him out. He went down to save himself several times and was hissed for protecting himself, as he should have done, by a number of that class of "rummies" who make themselves obnoxious by attending a contest, when the management would much prefer they stay at home.


1903-02-24 The Salt Lake Telegram (Salt Lake City, UT) (page 9)
JACOBS KNOCKED OUT BY HERRERA IN THE THIRD
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Plucky Local Pug Put Up Game Battle, but Got a "Sockdolager" Over Heart.
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"Herrera wins" was the decision given by Referee Billy Sauer in the middle of the third round of the Herrera-Jacobs contest at the old armory last night. There was no appeal from the justice of the decision, for there on the mat lay the sturdy little local man, unable to rise and quivering from the effect of a terrific blow landed over his heart. The blow was delivered with such quickness and precision that many sitting about the ringside did not see that dusky right when it shot out for the money.

Both men entered the ring in fine trim. Jacobs weighed 130 pounds, his eye was bright and he looked confident of his ability. Herrera, dark and wiry, weighed 128 pounds, although he looked larger than his opponent. Jacobs immediately went after his man, and during the entire first round tried ineffectively to break through the Mexican's guard. As the round progressed Jacobs began to worry, and it was evident that the Mexican had him guessing.

Early in the second round Jacobs received a tap on the jaw from Herrera's right that should have warned him. It did not, however, and shortly afterward Herrera's right shot out again and Jacobs went to the mat. At the ninth count he got to his feet, but was so groggy that he could not stand. Herrera watched his man closely and had him down and all but out at the gong.

After about one minute's fighting in the third round, Herrera sent in a terrific right to Jacobs' heart, and the plucky local fighter went to the mat for the count.

In Herrera's corner were "Biddy" Bishop and "Reddy" Gallegher, and in Jacobs's corner were "Young" Price, "Fat" McCree, and "Young" Thomas. Eugene Thompson acted as official timekeeper.

There were two preliminaries to the main event. The first was a six-round go between Jack Morris of Provo and Fred Morris, colored. The second was a fast four-round go between "Kid" Watkins of Kansas City and "Kid" Smith of Denver. The lads worked hard and furnished a good exhibition.

Herrera's next fight will be with Jack Clifford at Butte on the 16th of next month unless another bout can be arranged here.


1903-02-24 The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, UT) (page 8)
JACOBS KNOCKED OUT
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Lost to Herrera in the Third Round.
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COULDN'T GO WITH MEXICAN
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Was a Fast and Fancy Fight for Awhile.
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Tommy Gamely Came Up After Repeated Knockdowns, and Spectators Liked Battle.
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"Down where bloom the tear-hung harebells" was the subject of a dream, or nebulous reverie, indulged in by one Tommy Jacobs at the Salt Lake Athletic club last night. This condition was induced by a pure solar plexus blow, prefaced in a previous round by a terrific wallop on the jaw, administered by one Aurelio Herrera, who hails from the south plateau.

The fight went but two rounds and a half, and it was the opinion of the majority of those present that the same result could have been accomplished by the Mexican in the first round. After the battle Jacobs, who was little the worse for the knockout, stated that he lost the battle by running in too soon and too often. He did not deny that the taps he received also helped to lose for him.

OUTCLASSED BY MEXICAN.

The Mexican had Jacobs outclassed at every turn and evidently realized that he had a cinch. At times he would stagger backward from the swift leads of his opponent, and at such times there was a noticeable grin upon his dusky countenance that betokened confidence in the outcome of the contest. Herrera has a peculiar defensive attitude that allows him to keep the vulnerable parts completely covered up at all times, and, try as he might, Jacobs was unable to get past this defense. He lost the fight endeavoring to get to the Mexican, who had a dangerous punch lurking in behind this apparently impregnable guard. Before the deciding blow was landed by the Mexican he made several ineffectual passes at Tommy, who showed considerable cleverness in ducking and getting away. Herrera realized from the start that he was not called upon to do much of the leading, as from the first tap of the gong Jacobs went at him and kept on doing so until the terrible blow on the jaw from the Mexican's right sent him into temporary dreamland, in which state he was kept until the end of the battle, when the solar plexus punch finished the work for the Mexican.

LOOKED GOOD FOR A MINUTE.

In the first round Jacobs seemed to be a wonder with the mitts, and his manner of attack seemed strong. All he could do apparently, was to land aggravating kidney blows on the dusky man before him. To this Herrera paid little attention. When he first advanced to the center of the ring the spectators were surprised at his strange actions, until toward the close of the round he sent out one or two lightning-like swings that narrowly missed Jacobs.

HANDED HIM ONE.

Tommy's strength was dissipated rapidly by his forcing the Mexican backward. The latter stolidly endured these attacks until a signal from his manager, "Biddy" Bishop, caused him to change tactics. Directly he sent out a fierce reach for Jacobs, which caused the latter to drop silently to the floor, while the recoil seemed to throw the Mexican backward. So rapid was the movement that for a moment the spectators were at a loss to know what had caused Jacobs to fall. He struggled gamely to rise and with difficulty he managed to regain his feet, when he feebly attempted to stall off the onslaughts of the other man. He came up on the eighth count and plunged toward Herrera, striving to secure a hold on him to prevent a second blow and to gain time.

GAME BUT INADEQUATE.

In a struggle the two men rolled under the side ropes. Jacobs showed extraordinary courage and gameness in the mix-ups that followed. He went three times to the floor in this second round, in which a knockout blow was delivered, the gong saving him. He was very much all in when the third round opened, and the dark-complexioned gent made quick work of him. Herrera seemed just about warmed up and started to rush Jacobs, landing at will.

KNOCKOUT BLOW.

Tommy failed to land a telling blow in the final round, and when it was half gone Herrera saw another opening and shot out a straight right that put Jacobs down like a shot. At the count of ten Jacobs's seconds rushed into the ring and lifted their man up. He was still unable to walk, but in a few moments succeeded in descending to a dressing-room. He stated that the blow that did the damage was landed over his heart. He received several others that affected him strongly, in the second round, he said. "When I came up after the bad punches I got in the second," said Jacobs, "I felt pretty strong, but I made the mistake of running in too much. I still think I am stronger than Herrera, and if I could have landed any of my punches he must have gone out."

HERRERA'S DOOM SEALED.

When he finished shaking the hand of Jacobs, Herrera turned to find himself challenged by Prof. Sunshine. "What you want?" was his first question. "I challenge you," was the reply. "Well, all-a you got to do is git t' money and I fight you."

Jacobs weighed in at 130 pounds, while Herrera did not tip the scales at that mark. Young Price and "Kid" Thomas seconded Jacobs, who at the beginning sat smilingly in his corner. "Biddy" Bishop and "Reddy" Gallagher were back of the Mexican. Billy Sauer, for the club, acted as referee.

GOOD PRELIMS.

Two very good preliminary contests were put on. The first was between Fred Morris, the colored "Muldoon Cyclone," as he calls himself, and Jack Morris, the wrestler. The other was between "Kid" Smith off Denver and "Kid" Watkins of Kansas City. The latter was badly dazed by a rain of blows in the last round and the crowd cried for Smith to knock him out. He frequently went to the floor to save himself. The exhibitions were good.

BIG CROWD PRESENT.

The building was crowded to overflowing, and as the fighting was fast the spectators cheered vociferously as they watched the two little scrappers duck and dodge. There was not much Jacobs money in the house, but the friends he had were wrought to a high pitch of excitement and urged him to still greater effort as they saw him cleverly slip beneath the Mexican's vicious leads. Though the contest was short-lived everyone appeared to be well pleased.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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.

Monday, February 21, 2011

1916-02-21 Johnny Dundee L-PTS20 Joe Mandot [Louisiana Auditorium, New Orleans, LA, USA]

1916-02-22 The Daily States (New Orleans, LA) (page 13)
DUNDEE IS GIVEN RAW DEAL
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MANDOT AND BURNS DEFEAT DUNDEE IN 20-ROUND CONTEST
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Referee Qualifies Joe For Bout With Welsh and Amazes Big Assemblage; Spectators Aim Criticism At Decision of Referee
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BY COL. CLUKE.

Tommy Burns qualified Joe Mandot for a crack at Freddie Welsh's lightweight crown if such a thing is possible last night at the Louisiana Auditorium when he raised Joe's hand in token of victory over Johnny Dundee at the conclusion of a 20-round contest.

Qualifying Mandot for a titular match, however, staggered even the most ardent admirers of the French Market fighter. Burns' verdict amazed the big assemblage. It required two or three minutes before the spectators could get their breath to utter a protest.

Adverse criticism, the like of which has rarely been heard after a bout locally in several years was aimed at Burns. It was evident that even the Mandot contingent probably would have been satisfied to see Joe given a draw.

Exactly what part of the contest, start, finish or during the middle periods that Burns found Mandot so proficient to award him the verdict, is a difficult thing to figure. The only part of the mill really in Mandot's favor was the last few frames, and even then Dundee showed equally as well as the home boy, inasmuch as both were standing in midring trying to slip over the deciding wallop.

The contest was the first in which Mandot has ever engaged in a bout locally that he received such marked favoritism from a referee. Burns' decision is to be regretted in more ways than one. It is going to be difficult to convince the outside world that a fighter can come here and win a contest without knocking a native son cold.

Joe Makes Poor Fight; Right Only Punch.

Mandot's showing against Dundee was perhaps the poorest fight Joe has ever made in New Orleans, the Cross, Lore and Whitney mills excepted. At no stage of the mill was Joe really clever. His ability to box was ordinary. Joe stopped more jabs for Dundee and landed less than in any other half dozen fights of his career. So rapid were Dundee's flying jab, some times a straight left, that Joe's head bobbed back and forth and at times looked as if it would strike his spine.

Dundee was the aggressor. He carried the fight to Joe, who at times virtually stood in the center of the ring with his right curled up in the hope one wallop would decide the contest. Joe was a one-handed fighter strictly. From the first to the opening of the seventeenth, his southpaw smash might just as well have been in storage.

During the early rounds it looked extremely doubtful if the native son would stick the limit. Joe fought and behaved like a nervous boy during the first dozen frames. He seemed to take on more confidence as the contest progressed and was at his best in the sixteenth and seventeenth rounds.

Mandot went to his corner partly groggy a half dozen times in the early part of the fight. Just how often Dundee staggered Joe with slashing left swings to the head, it is difficult to total.

Mandot's best, and in the humble opinion of yours truly, only showing came from the thirteenth to the final chapter. Dundee tired a trifle as a result of his terrific pace and when the boys stood toe to toe and traded wallops, Joe usually forced the Italian to break ground.

There was not a single knockdown recorded at any time during the bout. Dundee repeatedly staggered Joe, but he lacked the wallop to drop the home fighter. Joe, too, jolted Johnny, but the wallops came too late in the contest to be of any great service.

Dundee Earned Nine And Joe Five Rounds.

As for the fight by rounds, my little tab shows Dundee earning nine, Mandot five, and four even. Those awarded to Mandot were the thirteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, and by good measure--the twentieth.

Dundee took the second, third, sixth, seventh, ninth, tenth, twelfth, fourteenth and nineteenth.

The remainder of the rounds were rather even at the best.

After the first round, which as devoted to clinches and feinting each other into leads, Dundee started about his task in a most workmanlike manner. He jumped about as though a monkey on a stick in the second, stinging Joe with jabs and shooting an occasional right to the body. The third was a repetition, only that Johnny missed a half dozen swings that would have probably ended the mill. Joe simply could not step back fast enough to keep Dundee's left out of his face, and in the clinches the local fellow was a target for a short left uppercut. The fourth found Mandot showing some improvement, as towards the last thirty seconds he seemed to get his right hand in action and fought as though he had discarded the idea of outboxing Dundee and intended trading blows.

The fifth was even, both missing wild swings and countering at times with blows of little or no consequence. At infighting Dundee was Mandot's superior, but most of the blows went to the kidneys.

In the sixth Mandot showed beyond argument that a right-hand punch was his only asset. Joe stood in midring with the starboard kick curled in the hope he would put it over and end the fight. Dundee danced in and out of its reach, each time stinging the home fighter.

Dundee took the seventh in handy fashion, leaping and throwing his left into Joe's face as though he were shadow boxing. Dundee sent a half dozen jabs to Joe's mouth without even being hit in return. Joe's best was a light right, but the punch merely grazed Dundee's head. The eighth found Joe earning fifty per cent of the round because of landing telling right hooks at the close of the period.

Dundee's jumping tactics seemed to puzzle Joe in the ninth and the Italian sent blow after blow home. Joe's head went back so frequently that his admirers sat amazed.

Dundee took the tenth handily, stepping away from hooks and countering with both right and left. All of the fighting came from the Dundee side of the house. The eleventh was even and the twelfth very much Dundee, Johnny using his left hand almost exclusively, but fast enough to keep Mandot puzzled as to which spot it would strike next.

Joe seemed to fight with more confidence in the thirteenth and standing in the center of the ring traded wallops with Johnny, frequently shaking the Italian up. Dundee was jolted here and there at will, but when the gong sounded was wading in to continue fighting.

Dundee copped the fourteenth. Joe showed signs of weakening from the previous frame. Johnny pumped rights and lefts into Joe's face and body, shifting his method of attack from the jaw to the body. Twice in this period Dundee put a right to the wind and Mandot's face showed the blow hurt him very badly.

Joe boxed better in the fifteenth. He induced Dundee to trade punches and standing in the center of the ring the two boys swapped punches for almost a minute and a half. Mandot had far the better of the exchanges, hooking and swinging his right with splendid effect.

The sixteenth, too, went to Mandot, but not by as great a margin as the preceding frame. After Dundee rushed Joe to the ropes landing rights and lefts, Joe found his way to the middle of the ring, and except for stopping light left swings, landed the most telling punches.

The seventeenth round was undoubtedly Mandot's best. At long range he stabbed Dundee with his right and left. Joe simply poked his left out and allowed Dundee to run into it and then whipped over the right. Johnny showed signs of the lacing he took in this round when the gong sounded. The eighteenth was even, and Dundee got the nineteenth, shifting his attack once more and sending nearly all of his punches to the body.

The twentieth is awarded to Mandot, although it could be called even without debate as Joe seemed very tired and had Dundee possessed a punch would have probably suffered a knockdown.


BURNS' VERDICT WILL INJURE MANDOT IN MAKING WELSH BOUT
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Freddie Will Surely Name Billy Roche or Some Other Referee If Title Match Is Arranged By Auditorium Promoters.
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BY COL. CLUKE.

Tommy Burns rendered the most unfortunate decision that could be hoped for last night in awarding Joe Mandot a decision over Johnny Dundee. The verdict is one that will require a week or more for patrons of the sport to forget. The unfortunate part of it is that very few, if any, of the non-partisan spectators figured Joe should have received anything better than a draw.

Nine-tenths of Orleanians want to see Mandot emerge from every contest he enters a winner. But it is doubtful if even his most staunch supporters believe he defeated the Gotham Italian. The decision will eventually do Mandot more harm than good, for notwithstanding the fact a vast majority who patronize the Queensberry art want to see Joe become champion, there is also a feeling that the out-of-town boy shall get all that is due him.

The harm Burns' verdict will do Mandot will come when Joe is matched to meet Welsh for the title. If such a contest is arranged for the near future, it is a safe bet the Englishman and his shrewd manager will take the necessary precaution to see that Burns doesn't make another mistake by naming Billy Roche referee.

Poor Decisions Are Knock To The Game.

It is not a question as to whether or not Burns erred in naming the winner and loser. The public, fickle as it is, seems inclined to think Dundee was entitled to a draw to say the least, and once the New Orleans public expresses dissatisfaction with the work of a referee as it is doing with Burns' decision, the sport suffers by a loss of patronage.

Burns' decision in the Dundee-Mandot contest is not the first to bring adverse criticism upon the promoter-referee-matchmaker of the Howard street arena. His idea of the winner and loser in the recent Fulton-Flynn contest staggered persons acquainted with the sport.

For one to get a fair idea as to how Burns' decision was received when he raised Mandot's hand, it is only necessary to remark the spectators seemed deaf, dumb and blind for several minutes. Of course, the Mandot following cheered. It always does. So does his manager, but instead of accepting the glory Burns has bestowed upon him, Mandot will eventually find that the referee made his third "comeback" in the roped arena the hardest of all.

Burns' verdict is to be regretted, especially in view of the fact he is going to stage a championship or near-championship mill between Ted Lewis and Harry Stone next Monday night, and may be objected to as referee of that bout.


1916-02-22 The New Orleans Item (New Orleans, LA) (page 10)
Mandot Gets New Lease on Life at Dundee's Expense
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Tommy Burns Is Hero With Hordes of Home-Boy Supporters But His Decision Is Palpably Unfair to the Young Italian Who Does Most of the Fighting.
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(By Will Hamilton.)

Tommy Burns made a real hero of himself Monday night. In the presence of nearly 8000 fans, a great majority of whom were Mandot supporters, Burns gave Joe Mandot the decision over Johnnie Dundee at the end of their 20-round fight. It made a great hit with those who had shouted themselves hoarse to "pull the local pride over," but it was emphatically dissented from by many hundreds of the big crowd who thought Dundee had a margin of at least three or four rounds. The decision gave Mandot a new lease on life, but was palpably unjust to Dundee.

It was probably the first time in Mandot's long career that he has received a decision in a local ring to which a great proportion of the spectators thought he was not entitled. It has been claimed time and again that New Orleans referees gave given the breaks against Joe because they feared to be accused of showing favoritism toward him. An illustration of this occurred in the previous 20-round fight of Mandot and Dundee here one year ago. Dick Burge, the only native son referee, was third man in the ring. He called it a draw. Mandot thought he deserved the decision and afterwards he and Burke had an argument over it. The result was that Burke could referee no more fights in which Mandot was a principal.

Says Dundee Missed Often.

"Had Dundee been my own brother I would have given the decision against him," said Tommy Burns. "Dundee was clearly outboxed. He was on the run most of the time and missed many a punch that the spectators thought landed, so clever was the defense of Mandot. Joe was right there in every mix-up, too, and I thought he had the better of nearly every exchange. Certainly Dundee backed away most of the time and broke ground every time the milling got hot."

But that wasn't the way the majority of impartial spectators saw it, and they were dumbfounded by the decision even after Mandot had made his usual game rally toward the finish, starting with the sixteenth round.

Not Same Jumping Johnny.

Up to that time he had been outpointed by a great margin. Dundee was not so flashy, perhaps, as in his previous fights here with Mandot and Welsh because he did less aeroplaning, but he did more straight boxing and looked for all a better boy than he ever has been. He began operations on Mandot in the second round and before the six minutes of fighting had expired odds on Dundee had gone from 7 to 5 to 2 to 1. Joe didn't show to advantage until the fourth, which he won by a good margin by outboxing the New Yorker, and from then until the sixteenth Mandot's work, while at times as good as he ever has shown, was too much on the flash order to win him hardly an even break.

The local boy's wonderful courage was always to the front, though, and doubtless one of the things that so impressed Referee Burns was that Mandot showed his true colors when pressed hardest. Dundee almost invariably started trouble and Mandot almost as invariably finished it for him.

Joe Takes 'Em on Jaw.

There seems to be wide difference of opinion as to the role Mandot essayed in the last six or seven rounds. Not all the fans saw it that way, but Scotty Monteith, Dundee's manager, evidently figured around the sixteenth round that Dundee could rest on his oars for he then instructed Dundee to "let Mandot do it." Dundee, however, wasn't content with his procedure. This jumping back is naturally an aggressive little fellow and will have his way.

Mandot's defense was as near perfect as could be except that his jaw frequently was open to Dundee's swings. This worried Mandot's supporters considerably in the early part of the fray as they remembered how Joe had been dropped in the past by haymakers to his supposedly cheek-bone, but as Joe took rap after rap with less than his usual distress their courage grew and after awhile they were inviting more punches of this character. It was in the impregnable defense of his body that Joe shone. He blocked and parried superbly, and many a Dundee lead that the crowd thought reached its mark was spent on the arm and glove.

Will Have His Hot Finish.

Another thing that augured well for Mandot was his classy finish, which is characteristic of him. Defeat him as they will, Joe will have his last three or four rounds to himself at least he'll make a game effort, and time after time he has turned defeat into victory or at least a draw by a thrilling wind-up. This is what he did again tonight. He opened the sixteenth by cracking Johnnie one with his right. Johnnie in a jiffy was a whole cyclone of action and it looked as though Joe had started something that would wind up disastrously. Dundee forced him to the ropes and tried his best to put over a finisher but Joe's splendid blocking kept him from harm, and the adventurous round ended with honors slightly in favor of the local boy. The seventeenth was all Mandot's, and one of the very best rounds he had. With a straight left jab and his right working in overhand fashion he hit Dundee almost at will. And then came the eighteenth, the best round of the fight. Some gave it to Joe, others to Johnnie. An even brea
k would be just to both, but it certainly was some round with both boys going at top speed and Mandot gaining in support all the time if for nothing else than the reason that he was proving that he wasn't yet beaten.

The nineteenth was a Dundee round by the scantiest of shades, and the twentieth closed with both boys toe to toe and Mandot getting a little better of the breaks.

Mandot Uses Pivot.

It was not a fast fight nor one that abounded in thrills as did their former meeting over the distance, but there were two or three exciting sessions.

The eighth round furnished a blow that is seldom seen these days--the pivot. Mandot used it in getting out of a tight corner and had it connected in all its viciousness there's no telling the damage it would have done and the consequences as this is an illegal blow and it doubtless was as lucky for Mandot as for Dundee that it only grazed the chin and was not so effective to warrant particular notice by either opponent or referee.

The eleventh brought a minute's milling that recalled very vividly the time Dundee all but stopped Charlie White here. Dundee started the round but Mandot retaliated with two right crosses to the jaw that stung the Italian and fired him with determination. He ducked his head and waded in slinging right and left toward the jaw, Joe's back almost against the ropes.

White Affair Recalled.

This was the identical way Dundee copped White, the suddenness and fierceness of his attack breaking through his adversary's guard. This time, though, Mandot ducked just in time, getting under both blows and in doing so he found himself in a most advantageous position for an attack on his opponent's body, an opening that he was quick to take advantage of, and in a little bit he had Dundee breaking ground. This was one of the few rounds in which there was plenty of action but no decided advantage either way.

The count of rounds, as we got it, was about nine for Dundee, six for Mandot and three even.

Decision Was Wanted.

For one thing Tommy Burns is to be commended instead of panned, and that was his determination to render a decision even if necessary to "split hairs."

Mandot and Dundee had met three times. Two bouts were no-decision set-tos. The other was a 20-round draw.

Burns interpreted the wish of the fans this time to see a decision rendered and he gave one. That he saw it as the majority of others did not is not extraordinary.


1916-02-22 The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) (page 11)
DUNDEE WINS BATTLE; MANDOT GETS DECISION
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Last night, at the New Louisiana Auditorium in Carroliton avenue, Johnnie Dundee of New York decisively defeated Joe Mandot, the pride of the French Market section of New Orleans. But Dundee did not get the decision of Referee Tommy Burns, when the gong sounded the end of the twentieth round. On the other hand, to the amazement of perhaps ninety-eight per cent of the big crowd, Tommy walked over to the local boy and raised his hand.

There was hardly a sound in the big arena for the space of several seconds. Every one was too astonished to talk. Eyes opened and jaws dropped as the decision was made. It seemed that some mistake had been made.

But it went just the same, Dundee had won and lost. Mandot had lost and won.

In the years that boxing has found favor as a sport in New Orleans there has, without doubt, been very few decisions that brought about greater dissension among the spectators than did the one last night. The majority of those who scored the contest round by round gave Dundee at least eight to ten rounds. The writer scored twelve in his favor. Six were recorded in favor of Mandot and two even. Yet according to the score card kept by Referee Burns, he gave ten rounds to Mandot, seven to Dundee and three even.

A great deal must be accredited to the different points of view from which the bout is seen, but even with the most liberal allowances for such a difference in viewpoint, it is very difficult to see wherein any one could have made Mandot out a winner in last night's bout.

QUESTIONABLE VERDICT BEFORE

One afternoon last winter the same two boys met in the Westside Arena at McDonoghville. They boxed twenty rounds. They were twenty of the fastest and most furious sessions ever seen in any ring encounter in the South. Dick Burke was third man in the ring. On that occasion, as last night, it appeared that Dundee had the margin of victory. Referee Burke called it a draw. The contest was much more even than the one last night and yet, after Dundee had outboxed Joe in the majority of the rounds, had out-fought him in most of them, had been the aggressor at all times during the twenty rounds and had won the fight, it appeared, on infighting alone if nothing of his other work was considered, Referee Burns comes out at the finish and gives the decision to the other man.

Even the crowd, which was a Mandot aggregation, was completely non-plussed at the end of the encounter. For a moment afterward no one seemed to understand just what had happened and when it did filter through their minds a few gave a cheer and followed the French Market boy off to his quarters. Then there was little to be heard except expressions of amazement.

When the gong rang ending the contest, Dundee walked toward the referee expecting his hand to be raised. When Tommy raised that of Mandot, instead, Johnnie's expression was almost laughable, so great was the surprise depicted upon his Scotch-"Wop" countenance. He was a picture of surprise and for a moment stood in the center of the ring as if uncertain as to what to do. Then he walked to his corner and to his manager, Scotty Monteith.

Last night's bout was an important one in lightweight ranks. The winner, it is understood, will get the first chance at the champion, Freddie Welsh, in a local ring in the near future. For that reason both fought at their best clip to win. But to the minds of the great majority of spectators, Dundee's best was far better than the best that the local man showed.

It must be said, at that, that Mandot fought a much better fight than he has here in years. He was in excellent condition and boxed fairly well. At times he showed all the brilliant action of his former days when he won the greatest following that any New Orleans boxer ever had. This was shown particularly in the early opening rounds and again in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth. In the latter named rounds he smothered the visitor with brilliant left hand work, shooting jab after jab to the face and crossing the old right to the jaw. Through this means he held Dundee off successfully in these rounds. He did the same in the fourth and eighth. In the first his shade was slight as both boxed cautiously.

After this first round, Dundee appeared to have gauged the situation correctly for he tore in after some preliminary boxing and feinting and slammed Mandot all over the ring. He had Joe in a bad way in this round but the latter showed his fighting spirit by coming back fiercely, albeit wildly, and trying his best to trade wallops with the little fighting machine. But he lost that round by a wide majority and went to his corner looking wild and tired.

But Joe, showing his old time powers of "come-back," was up for the third bright and fresh. This was a fast, hard fought session in which both showed to advantage in both boxing and slugging. It ended with honors even. Then Joe's right earned him a round. After Dundee had shaken him up with left hooks to the face and the use of the "flying jab" a time or two, Joe got the right to going well and slammed four hard ones straight to the jaw. Johnnie was not hurt, simply coming in the harder for more, but it was Mandot's round.

DUNDEE GOES AHEAD

The fifth was even, both missing several times and exchanging both rights and lefts and with the next Dundee began to win. He took nine out of the next ten rounds in a row, as it appeared from the north side of ring. In the sixth he again had Mandot in bad shape once by the use of his left hook to the jaw and he fought like a wild man to finish him. But he fought wildly and gave the local boxer the chance that he needed to recover his poise.

Dundee took the seventh, keeping Joe guessing by dancing around and jabbing repeatedly, but Mandot came back and took the eighth by slamming lefts and rights to the face and jaw and Dundee then started out and won the next seven sessions in a row, leaving no doubt in either case as to who had won the round.

After that Mandot showed his strongest form, both outboxing and outslugging Dundee in the 16, 17 and 18 and after that the tide turned again, Dundee winding up the match with a great display of his speed and sheer fighting ability. He waded in in the 19 and 20, taking Mandot's jabs and pokes if he had to, ducking some, blocking some, but always fighting, always leading and slugging. He slammed for the face, the head, the body. Anywhere so long as he had a target and so fierce was his onslaught that the local boxer had no chance to show anything.

And then came the decision, after which the fans filed out.

New Orleans boxing fans are strong for Mandot. They have always been so since he was a tiny and just learning to punch, duck and counter, but they all like to see the winner of any battle get his due. And they were not satisfied that Johnnie Dundee got his last night.

FIGHT BY ROUNDS

Round One--They did not shake hands but rushed into a clinch. Both worked short-armed hooks to face and body. They sparred carefully and then clinched again. Mandot jabbed twice with left. Dundee landed two left chops to nose. Dundee missed a left hook and Mandot straightened him up with a right uppercut. They swapped lefts and were in a clinch at the bell. Mandot's round by a shade.

Round Two--They rushed into a clinch, Dundee working his right hard to the kidneys. Mandot missed a left jab and Dundee hooked his left to the jaw. A fast exchange resulted in Dundee's favor. Dundee then landed a terrific left hook to the jaw, staggering Mandot. Dundee put a heavy right to the wind and hooked two smashing lefts to the jaw. Dundee rushed Mandot to the ropes, rocking him with right and left hooks. It was all Dundee.

Round Three--Dundee jabbed with left. They clinched. Dundee landed flying jab. Dundee hooked a hard left to the jaw. Mandot missed a left jab, but recovered and met Dundee's rush with a hard right uppercut. They swapped left hooks. Dundee missed a left swing and Mandot countered lightly with a right cross to the jaw. Dundee hooked hard left to the jaw. Even round.

Round Four--Dundee landed two light left jabs to the face. Dundee missed a left hook and swung hard right to wind. They clinched. Dundee landed hard left hook to the ear. Mandot hooked right four times to the jaw in a clinch. Mandot shook him with a right cross to the jaw. Dundee ducked a right swing and countered with a heavy left to the body. They were in a clinch at the bell. Mandot's round.

Round Five--Mandot missed a left jab. Mandot jabbed with left. Dundee rushed into a flying jab. Mandot jabbed with left to the face. Dundee jabbed twice with left. Mandot jabbed and Dundee hooked a hard left to the chin. Mandot crossed his right heavily to the jaw, but the blow was high. Dundee bored in, putting hard right to wind and left hook to the jaw. Even round.

DUNDEE GETS GOING

Round Six--Dundee missed a left hook and they clinched. Mandot jabbed with left. Dundee missed a left hook and Mandot straightened him up with a right uppercut to the jaw. Dundee landed three left jabs in a row, Mandot missing two rights. Dundee rocked him with a left hook to the jaw and rushed him to the ropes. Dundee had all the better of the fighting at short range, forcing Mandot to hold on. They were in a fast exchange at the bell. Dundee's round.

Round Seven--Dundee missed a left hook, but put heavy right to wind. In a clinch, Dundee worked both hands hard to the stomach. Dundee ducked a left and shook Mandot with a smashing left hook to the jaw. Dundee was the aggressor all the way, forcing Mandot to break ground. Dundee jabbed with left. Mandot returned the blow. It was a tame round, and Dundee's.

Round Eight--Dundee missed a left hook, but landed hard right cross to the jaw. Mandot put heavy right uppercut to body. Mandot jabbed twice with left. Dundee missed a left hook and Mandot crossed his right to the jaw. They traded left hooks. Mandot jabbed with left and Dundee worked right and left hard to wind. Mandot's round.

Round Nine--Dundee landed a left hook to the jaw. Mandot jabbed with left, and in a clinch worked three hard uppercuts to the wind. Dundee missed a right cross and fell on a stiff right uppercut. They clinched and wasted much time. Mandot's slightly.

Round Ten--They rushed into a clinch. Mandot jabbed with left. Dundee worked right hard to kidneys in another clinch. Dundee shook him with a left hook and Mandot fought back hard, rushing Dundee across the ring. They both missed lefts. Dundee worked right and left hard to the body and rocked Mandot with a terrific left hook to the jaw. Dundee staggered him with a right cross at the bell. Dundee's by a big margin.

Round Eleven--Dundee bored in, landing two hard lefts to the jaw. In a clinch Dundee did all the infighting. Dundee jabbed with left and backed Mandot to the ropes, landing two left hooks to the jaw. Dundee rocked his head with two left jabs and in a clinch worked his right hard to kidneys. Mandot landed hard right cross to the jaw. Dundee missed a right, but brought heavy left hook to the chin. It was all Dundee.

Round Twelve--Dundee hooked his left to the jaw and bored in. In a clinch Dundee outfought the Frenchman. Mandot missed a right cross and Dundee rained a fusillade of rights and lefts to the body. Dundee forced him back with two heavy left hooks. Mandot held on strong in the clinches. Dundee put heavy right cross to the chin, but Mandot came back strong, landing right uppercut to jaw. Mandot jabbed with left, and Dundee shook him up with a left hook. It was another Dundee round.

Round Thirteen--Dundee rushed into a clinch and landed three rights to the kidneys. Dundee missed a left jab and buried left swing in Mandot's midsection. Dundee rushed into a stiff right uppercut. Dundee rushed again, and was met with a terrific right uppercut. Mandot jabbed with left, but Dundee forced him to the ropes with a volley of rights and lefts. Dundee again.

Round Fourteen--Dundee crossed his right heavily to the jaw and straitened Mandot with a left hook. Mandot landed a left jab and right cross to the jaw. Dundee hooked a hard left to face. In a clinch, Dundee landed ten hard rights to the ribs without a return. This was all Dundee.

Round Fifteen--Mandot landed a left jab, and Dundee countered with heavy right to jaw. Mandot crossed his right to the nose and Dundee shook him with a left hook. Dundee rushed into a clinch and inflicted severe punishment to Mandot's ribs. Dundee hooked hard left to the jaw. Dundee's round.

MANDOT WAKES UP

Round Sixteen--Dundee rushed and missed a left hook. Mandot jabbed with left and Dundee missed again. Dundee put right and left to wind, but Mandot knocked him off with stiff right uppercut. Dundee missed a left hook and Mandot put heavy right to ribs. Mandot landed a left jab. Dundee missed repeatedly in this round and it was Mandot's by a good margin.

Round Seventeen--Dundee continued to miss most of his leads, and Mandot locked him up in the clinches. Mandot met one of his rushes with a hard right uppercut. Mandot landed three left jabs to the nose. Mandot crossed his right to the jaw. Dundee landed hard left hook and put heavy right to wind. Dundee landed with left. Mandot's round.

Round Eighteen--Dundee loafed in this stanza and Mandot assumed the aggressive for the first time during the fight. Mandot landed lightly with left jabs. Dundee worked hard with right in a clinch, but in the breakaway Mandot shook him with a right uppercut. Dundee hooked hard left to jaw. Mandot rocked him with a right cross, and Dundee came back strong, landing two left hooks. Mandot's by a slight margin.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

1909-02-20 Freddie Welsh W-PTS20 Young Erne [Westside Athletic Club, New Orleans, LA, USA]

1909-02-21 The Daily Picayune (New Orleans, LA) (page 15)
WELSH WINS.
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Erne Stays the Twenty Rounds With English Champion,
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But the Fistic Foreigner Was Cleverest, and Proved Master of the Punch.
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By superior cleverness and endurance, Freddie Welsh, the English lightweight champion, gained the decision over "Young" Erne, after one of the hardest fought ring battles ever pulled off here. More than 2,500 persons witnessed the mill. Welsh was Erne's master throughout the twenty rounds. When Referee Dave Barry declared Welsh the winner, there were few dissenting opinions, for the game little Englishman not only outpointed the American lad, but chopped him to pieces before the end.

Erne gained a slight advantage in the fifth, ninth, twelfth and nineteenth rounds. In the fourth Welsh opened a wide gash in Erne's nose, and in the eighth started the gore flowing freely from the mouth. At the end of the fifteenth round Erne was groggy, and holding on desperately to evade the fatal blow. In the nineteenth Erne came back with remarkable speed, using his right and left with terrific effect on the English boy. Both men appeared to be strong at the end of the twentieth round. Welsh's left eye was slightly discolored, while Erne's face was cut to pieces. His mouth was swollen out of proportion and his left eye entirely closed.

Before the men were introduced Referee Barry read a telegram from Jimmy Clabby, the crack Milwaukee lad, challenging the winner of the fight. Both men accepted the terms. Big Marvin Hart, who fights before the Parkview Club next week, was introduced. He was hailed as the future champion heavy weight.

Erne was the first to enter the ring. He was accompanied by Bert Keyes, his trainer. He wore soft bandages about his wrists, and was attired in green trunks, and an American flag about his belt. Welsh was accompanied to his corner by Gene Lutz, the turfman. Erne examined the bandages worn by Welsh, and then raised a kick. Referee Barry ordered the Englishman to remove part of the bandages. Welsh then raised a howl as to the style of fighting proposed by Erne's second. He declared that the articles barred in-fighting, and provided for a clean break in the clinches. After considerable delay the articles were produced, which provided that the fighters could hit with one arm free in a clinch.

THE PRELIMINARIES.

Jack Collier, a local boy, and Kid Carter, of Denver, hooked up in the preliminary. Both men weighed 116 pounds. Collier jabbed Carter to pieces with his left in the first round, and in the second slipped three wicked right hooks to the jaw, putting Carter down for the count of seven, the gong saving him. Carter was still sleeping when the gong sounded for the third, and his second quit.

In the semifinal, Kid Greaves and Kid Stanley, both of New Orleans, fought at 110 pounds. Stanley forced the fighting, landing with little effect on Greaves. In the second Stanley walked into two or three hard right swings, and took the count after 14 minutes of fighting.

A telegram was received from Jimmy Clabby, of Milwaukee, challenging the winner of the Welsh-Erne mill, at 142 pounds. Phil Brock, of Cleveland, was introduced as an aspirant to divide honors with the winner.

THE FIGHT BY ROUNDS.

First Round--Erne led with left jabs to nose. Welsh put straight right to body and left to kidneys. Welsh jabbed his left to chin. Erne shook Welsh with a right to jaw.

Second Round--Welsh put his left to jaw, and Erne came back with right hook on jaw. Welsh placed two wicked jabs to face. Erne clinched. Welsh used his right on kidneys. Welsh swung his left to body, and brought his right across the jaw.

Third Round--Welsh put his right to jaw and followed it with a left to body. Erne shot his right to face, and Welsh put right to ear. Erne jabbed right and left. Welsh mixed it, using his right in clinches. Welsh brought blood with a left swing to nose.

Fourth Round--Erne swung his right to jaw, and missed a left jab. Erne swung a right, was met with a hard left to jaw coming back. Erne got a hard left to the face. Welsh landed his right to body. Erne right to body.

Fifth Round--Welsh ducked a right swing. Erne landed a right hook. Erne left to jaw twice, and left to body. Welsh feinted with left and brought his right across the jaw. Both clinched. Erne used his left on kidney.

Sixth Round--Erne hard left to jaw. Welsh right jab and right hook on jaw. Erne put his left to kidney. Welsh jabbed to mouth, bringing the blood. Welsh ducked into a slow hook. Men mixing when gong sounded.

Seventh Round--Erne led left to the jaw. Welsh brought his left under guard to jaw. Erne put a hard right to jaw. Welsh hooked right to jaw. Erne put left to jaw. Welsh jabbed left to jaw, and put right to body and left to jaw. Erne bleeding at the nose and mouth and seemed weak.

Eighth Round--Welsh put a straight right to jaw, and brought his left across the body. Welsh jabbed left to mouth, and swung hard rights and lefts to jaw. Erne ducked into a right hook to the nose. Erne put a straight jab to jaw, opening a gash in Welsh's nose. The men clinched as the gong rang.

Ninth Round--Erne came up fresh, with a left to the ear. Welsh smilingly put a left hook to neck. Erne countered with his right to jaw. Erne put a terrible left to neck. Both men used rights and lefts to jaw in the clinch. Erne jabbed his right to Welsh's nose, causing the blood to flow again.

Tenth Round--Erne swung right to jaw. Welsh jabbed left to nose. Erne put a hard right to jaw, and Welsh countered with a right hook to nose. Erne used long-range jab to good effect.

Eleventh Round--Welsh crossed Erne with right and left swings to jaw. Erne jabbed his right to mouth. Erne swung right and left, but Welsh was not there. Welsh blocked Erne's left jabs, using his right effectively on Erne's ear. Erne's right eye greatly swollen.

Twelfth Round--Erne put three straight lefts to face. Welsh put an upper-cut to jaw. Welsh staggered Erne with straight lefts to jaw. Welsh hooked his right on jaw. Erne fighting for cover. Gong found Erne bleeding and very weak.

Thirteenth Round--Welsh swung left to jaw; Welsh jabbed left and right to jaw. Erne dropped his guard and got a stiff jab on ear. Erne shot a hard right on jaw. Welsh staggered Erne with a stiff jab on jaw. Erne went to his corner very groggy.

Fourteenth Round--Erne came back in great shape, swinging his left to body. Welsh put a stiff right on jaw. Erne put his left to jaw, and jabbed his right to body. Welsh swung hard to face with his right. Welsh showing first signs of distress.

Fifteenth Round--Erne put a stiff right on nose. Welsh lunged with his right for the body, and met a stiff left swing. Welsh forced Erne to ropes, planting a hard right on jaw. Referee Barry cautioned Welsh not to use his head in clinches.

Sixteenth Round--Welsh swung left to jaw, forcing Erne to ropes. Erne tried for a right swing, and met a hard left on nose. Erne landed hard on body. The men fought at close range, Erne using his right with effect on Welsh's body.

Seventeenth Round--Erne jabbed his right to body. Welsh put a hard one on neck. Erne jabbed left to nose. Welsh put a hard left swing to kidneys. Erne jabbed left to nose, and brought a hard right across body. Both men fighting at long range.

Eighteenth Round--Welsh missed a wicked right hook. Erne countered with lefts and rights, forcing Welsh to ropes. Erne put a hard right to body. Welsh forced Erne to ropes.

Nineteenth Round--The gong found the men fighting furiously, Welsh using his right to jaw. Erne put a hard one to the neck. Welsh put a hard right to body, and followed it up with short right and left jabs.

Twentieth Round--Erne put a hard left to jaw. Welsh put a stiff left to jaw. Erne jabbed with his left, and swung a hard one on jaw. Welsh put a series of hard rights and lefts to jaw. Erne was hanging on, bleeding from nose and mouth.