1896-03-02 Charles Kid McCoy W-KO15 Tommy Ryan [Empire Athletic Club, Maspeth, NY, USA]

1896-03-03 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page 10)

MC COY'S CLEVER VICTORY.
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HE LOOKED LIKE A BEATEN MAN EARLY IN THE FIGHT.
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Ryan Was Unmercifully Pounded Toward the Close, but Was Game to the Last--A Knockout in the Fifteenth Round at Maspeth.
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Tommy Ryan was defeated at Maspeth in 15 rounds last night by Kid McCoy and the battle will go down in fistic history as one of the most remarkable ever witnessed. To begin with, McCoy, although half a head taller than Ryan, and big in proportion, was uneasy and uncertain of himself from the moment that he clambered through the ropes, while Ryan threw off his wraps with an air of jaunty confidence that provoked an enthusiastic devotee of the sport in the gallery to shout: "What a beautiful cinch he's got."

Ryan's magnificent record made him easily the favorite. Lots of his friends' money went begging at rates varying from 10 to 7 to 2 to 1. And it looked at the start as if the knowing ones had fathomed the whole thing. He simply played with McCoy and when the round ended many of the spectators began to pick up their snow shoes and their overcoats in order to escape the rush of the battle to get out of the building. Then came the sensational point of the encounter.

McCoy began to find his man and he assumed some confidence. A few minutes later he opened Ryan's nose. Then he persisted in jabbing Tommy on the jaw with his long left and every tap that he gave brought the blood, until Ryan was bleeding like a stuck pig and had more trouble in getting rid of the blood that choked him and blinded him that he had in warding McCoy's blows. Ryan was knocked down three times in the fatal fifteenth round and he showed once and for all that he was game to the backbone. It took him fifteen minutes to recover and when he tottered from the ring he would have dropped if the arms of his seconds had not been around him.

All the sports for miles around were at the ringside, including Tom O'Rourke, Sam Fitzpatrick, Arthur Lumley, M. Giubal, Macon McCormick, Maxey More, P. T. Powers, Fred Peffer, Billy Crowley, Martin Dowling and hundreds of others.

Jack Downey of Brooklyn and Larry Burns of Cohoes warmed up the 3,000 spectators in an eight round bout at 125 pounds. Everybody knew Downey and picked him out as a winner, while Burns was an unknown quantity. He had a big, hearty contingent of friends with him though and they rooted while he fought till the building rang again. They began to fight at 9 o'clock sharp. Downey was handled by Tommy Butler, Pete Farrell and Joe Martin, while Burns was looked after by John McTiernan, Tommy Hunt and George Davis. Tim Hurst in his familiar navy blue sweater was the referee, as usual.

In the opening rounds Burns was slow and appeared to be somewhat afraid of Downey. Jack forced the fighting and when the third round opened there were repeated offers of 50 to 40 on his chances. It was in the fifth round that the stranger, smiling and confident, began to assert himself. At close quarters he had all the advantage. Toward the close of the sixth round he might have disposed of the popular Brooklynite, but he was slow and content to wait. Burns forced the fighting after that and the backers of Downey began to quake when he held the gloves over his face to protect himself and made no effort at attack. There were some hot exchanges in the last round. Here again Burns had a beautiful chance for a knockout but he was slow and cautious. When he did attempt to finish the job Downey's clever head averted a catastrophe. The bout ended with hot in fighting in which Downey figured to advantage. He cut open his opponent's left eye. The referee called the bout a draw and everybody applauded the verdict.

The clock pointed to 10 o'clock as Tom Ryan pushed his way into the ring, smiling and confident. He was pioneered by Charley White, Tom Cawley, Kid Lavigne and Sam Fitzpatrick. The cheers that greeted the young fellow, who had claimed the middleweight championship of the world, had scarcely died away when Kid McCoy was seen struggling through the enthusiastic crowd, surrounded by Steve O'Donnell, Maurice Hagstrom and Brooklyn Jimmy Carroll.

Presently the memorable battle began. McCoy appeared to be feverishly anxious to find out what there was in Ryan that had given him his reputation and he tried to hit him on the face. Several of his leads went harmlessly over his head. Once, in ducking, though, the big kid caught Ryan a clip on the jaw and his friends cheered enthusiastically. Then Ryan let himself loose. He smashed McCoy on the face and body with right and left, cleverly kept his head out of the kid's attempted returns and there were frequent clinches, and when the round ended the betting was 100 to 50 on Ryan. There was a slightly different color given to the affair in the next round. McCoy was a trifle more confident and Ryan began to sprint. The kid smashed Tommy viciously over the heart. Then they clinched and McCoy emerged smilingly with the honors of the encounter. Ryan began to fight in the third round. He landed cleverly a couple of times on McCoy's jaw and then he ran round the ring. The kid followed him, and as Tommy tried to duck he gave him a left hand punch on the jaw. Ryan turned upon his man after that. He was nettled at having been caught so easily and in some fierce infighting he had all the better of it. Ryan planted two heavy body blows in the fourth round but had to take two vicious right hand hooks on the jaw in return. Ryan swung his right heavily on the big kid's jaw and McCoy tottered. If the round had lasted half a minute longer Tommy Ryan would to-day be the middle weight champion of the world. McCoy was very weak about the legs. He pushed his gloves weakly in Ryan's face, and, obeying the instructions of his seconds, clung round Ryan's neck as long as he dared. Ryan forced the fighting in the fifth round again and his vicious pokes on the body and his swings on the jaw soon had McCoy staggering and dazed. The kid, however, continued to slip in a pretty left hand upper cut. Ryan sprinted again, but was caught with another clip behind the ear from the force of which he went down. No damage was done, however, and it was still Ryan's fight. The battle was fast and furious in the seventh, with the honors fairly even. McCoy poked his left four times savagely into Ryan's ribs. Ryan looked a bit worried. He feinted and then he flung out his right. It caught the Kid squarely over the heart and twisted him round as if he had been working on a pivot. It seemed again as if another punch would dismiss McCoy, but he was in rare fettle and kept himself as cool as a cucumber. He jabbed Ryan repeatedly on the face with his left, brought the blood freely and finally gave Tommy a punch that knocked him down. The fight was now a guessing match. McCoy surprised every man in the building by his coolness, his cleverness, his swiftness and his terrific hitting powers. It was in the ninth round that Ryan's star began to wane. He sprinted. McCoy ran after him and, catching up on his man, smashed him from behind with his right and left. Ryan then mixed it up hotly and got in several heavy body blows. McCoy flung out his long left repeatedly, jabbed Ryan on the nose, cut it open and closed up an eye. McCoy continued to jab in the next round, the tenth. Ryan was bleeding, profusely cut, lips swollen, eyes swelled, and was a beaten man but he was as game still as a fighting cock. He was a perfect glutton for punishment and he got it. McCoy, just as the round ended, got his man against the ropes. He held Tommy out with his long left arm and brought his right viciously over his helpless opponent's jaw.

The fight still went on, although Ryan was a badly beaten man. McCoy was as quick and as strong as he had been at the beginning. He punched Ryan at will, jabbed him at will on the face and body and again opened up the damaged nose and the abnormally swollen lips. Ryan stood up to his punishment like a man till he was knocked squarely off his feet with a savage right hand uppercut. This was in the twelfth round. Ryan tried to get a few minutes' breathing space in the thirteenth round, but McCoy kept at him and floored him twice. In the next Ryan stepped up to the kid stronger and fresher than in the preceding half dozen rounds and his clever and effective work began to impress his friends with the idea that he still had a fighting chance. But McCoy's pitiless jabs were thrown without cessation into his face.

The end came in the fifteenth round. Ryan was very weak, but still able to run. He did try to sprint out of the way of McCoy's wicked jabs, but the kid followed him up closer and gave him a left hand punch on the jaw, flooring Tommy. The latter struggled to his feet before he had been counted out with the blood streaming from his face. McCoy was waiting for him, and gave him a thump with his right on the jaw that knocked Tommy down again. All this was against the ropes. Ryan staggered to his feet again as Tim Hurst stood over him and, willing as ever, held his hands out blindly as he stumbled to the middle of the ring. There again McCoy was waiting for him with his pitiless right ready. Everybody was glad when he shot it out and brought Ryan down for the third time with a clip in the ear. Ryan had been hopelessly beaten long before and the spectators simply waited to see a satisfactory finish. They got it. When Ryan fell on his back he was senseless and a quarter of an hour passed before he was able to leave the ring with the arms of his seconds around him.


1896-03-03 The New York Herald (New York, NY) (page 10)

ANOTHER CHAMPION KNOCKED OUT.
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This Time "Kid" McCoy Puts "Tommy" Ryan to Sleep in Fifteen Rounds.
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FIERCE AND BRUTAL FIGHT.
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The Syracuse Welter Weight Was Game, but the Astoria Pugilist Cut His Face to Pieces.
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A BIG CROWD AT MASPETH
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Tommy Ryan, of Syracuse, N. Y., the welter weight champion of the world, met his Waterloo last evening at the hands of "Kid" McCoy, of Astoria, L. I., in the arena of the Empire Athletic Club, at Maspeth, L. I., after fifteen rounds of terrific fighting. McCoy's cleverness was a revelation to the spectators, and to none more than Ryan, who in the early part of the fight seemed to think he would win easily.

McCoy gave Ryan a terrific thumping, cutting the champion's face and closing his eye. Ryan fought back pluckily, but the "Kid" had the better of the contest from the start. After being knocked down about a dozen times in the course of the fight Ryan was finally put to sleep, after one minute and fifty-four seconds of fighting, in the fifteenth round.

McCoy had scarcely a mark on him. Ryan's corner was bathed in blood. Before the battle the betting was 2 to 1 on Ryan, with few takers. The house was crowded and until the men began fighting was cold enough to freeze the most hardened sport.

Both Ryan and McCoy looked to be trained to the hour, and each weighed under 154 rounds. Ryan was seconded by "Charley" White, "Kid" Lavigne and "Sam" Fitzpatrick. McCoy's advisers were "Steve" O'Donnell, Maurice Hagerstrom and Jimmy Carroll. McCoy is the taller and has a much longer reach. They were scheduled to battle twenty rounds.

THE FIGHT.

Round 1.--Ryan led off with a left lead for the body, but fell short, and McCoy countered hard on the jaw with the left. After several harmless exchanges, McCoy succeeded in again planting his left hard on Ryan's jaw. The blow excited Ryan's anger, and he made a vicious swing at the Long Islander, but failed to score, and received a stiff right hander upper cut. McCoy showed to very good advantage his cleverness, causing considerable surprise.

Round 2.--McCoy was on the offensive, and chased Ryan around the ring, finally succeeding in landing a left on the shoulder. When they squared off again Ryan rushed, but failed to land, and McCoy promptly smashed him on the jaw with the right. Both then landed left on the body. Ryan followed with a left on the face. The round ended with Ryan on the run.

Round 3.--Both men swung. Then Ryan landed twice with the left on the body, and got a smart left in return. Ryan then rushed McCoy to the ropes, and got home several hot body blows with the right. When the referee separated them McCoy smashed the Syracuse man with the left on the chest and with the right on the neck. He quickly followed this with three left handers on the jaw. As the bell rang McCoy was chasing Ryan around the ring.

HONORS EVEN.

Round 4.--Ryan appeared anxious and willing. He rushed viciously at the Astoria man, trying hard to land a knockout blow, and missed. McCoy said to Ryan, "You wasted that, Tommy," and smiled. The Long Islander was as cool as the ice in Newtown Creek. Ryan tried again to land the right on the jaw, but missed, and got a hard left on the jaw in return. The Syracuse boxer was more successful on his next essay, knocking McCoy to the ropes with a right on the jaw. Honors even.

Round 5.--Ryan appeared slightly distressed. The Syracuse man was nevertheless very aggressive and he immediately forced McCoy in the ropes, but only succeeded in landing his left mildly on the body. In a rally at close quarters McCoy uppercut Ryan hard, and Ryan said. "That was a good one." Mac replied, "Here's a better one," and he smashed Ryan hard on the face with left. In trying to deliver another left McCoy slipped, but was on his feet in an instant. Ryan caught the "Kid" off his guard, and promptly smashed him with the left under the right promptly smashed him with the left under the right eye, raising a big black lump. He repeated this twice and also scored heavily on the jaw with the right. McCoy was very tired when the bell rang.

Round 6.--In a mix up both landed on the jaw. They fiddled about, and then McCoy landed on the jaw twice with the right. Ryan then planted his left on the "Kid's" chest and sprinted away. The "Kid" followed him and landed a hard left on the mouth. McCoy was doing all the fighting. Both were distressed at the end.

FOUGHT TO THE FLOOR.

Round 7.--Ryan was the aggressor and led off with the left for the body and scored lightly. McCoy tried to counter but fell short and received a hard right hander over the heart. Both landed with left on the jaw. Ryan then rushed McCoy to the ropes and the latter slipped. The "Kid" remained down eight seconds. Ryan's body blows appeared to have hurt Mac, for he clinched repeatedly.

Round 8.--McCoy came out of his corner on the run, and scored with the left mildly on the mouth. Ryan countered with the right on the jaw. McCoy then landed four blows on the body, escaping on each occasion without a return. Ryan followed with a vicious rush, landing hard with the right over the heart. The "Kid" retaliated with a right on the jaw, flooring Ryan. The latter, who was very groggy, arose before the ten seconds expired, and immediately clinched. The call of time saved the champion from a knockout.

Round 9.--Ryan was very groggy, while McCoy was fresh and strong. McCoy rushed right at his opponent, hitting him right and left. Ryan tried to land, but could not, and was finally floored with a right on the jaw. The Syracuse man was down nine seconds. When he arose the "Kid" smashed him hard on the jaw. Ryan only scored twice with the right on the body. Ryan was bleeding and groggy when the bell rang.

Round 10.--Ryan's seconds did heroic work for him during the minute's rest, and he toed the mark considerably refreshed. McCoy went right at him and landed his left hard on the jaw. Ryan scored several times on the body, but his blows lacked steam. The "kid" finally cornered the champion and smashed him right and left. The fighting was terrific, McCoy having all the better of it. Ryan's face was bruised and bleeding when the round closed. As they walked to their corners McCoy laughed at Ryan.

RYAN VERY TIRED, BUT GAME.

Round 11.--Ryan was still very weary and tired, while McCoy appeared to be quite fresh. The "Kid" was again the aggressor. He led off with a hard right hand swing on the jaw, and quickly followed it with a terrific left swing on the mouth, again making the blood flow. Ryan made a desperate attempt to land his left, but missed and landed his right on the "Kid's" right eye, closing that member. Ryan was bleeding badly. He took an awful punching in this round.

Round 12.--Ryan came out of his corner weak and bloody. McCoy was chipper and fresh. Ryan led off, landing the left lightly on the body, and receiving a left swing on the jaw for his pains. For a time McCoy knocked his man all around the ring, pounding Ryan unmercifully. The latter got in two blows but they were mild. A moment before the bell rang McCoy again measured Ryan's length on the floor.

Round 13.--Ryan was still in distress, but as plucky as ever. McCoy forced the issue and landed on the jaw with the right and received a left counter on the mouth. McCoy gradually backed Ryan to the ropes, where he up cut him twice with fearful force. Ryan fell twice from weakness. The Syracuse boxer's face presented a revolting appearance. It was covered with blood, and looked like raw beef.

NEAR THE END.

Round 14.--Despite his poor condition, Ryan took the initiative in this round and landed his left on the mouth mildly, receiving a hard right swing in return. Ryan again scored, landing the right over the heart. Just as the bell sounded Ryan landed heavily over the kidneys, with the right and got two hard left swings in the mouth in return.

Round 15.--Ryan made quite a spurt for a moment, but it was a dying man's effort. McCoy feinted Ryan into a terrific left on the jaw. The blow sent Ryan to the floor. He arose after an effort, which must have caused him great pain, only to be knocked down and out. Time of round, 1m. 15s.

FOUGHT TO A DRAW.

The Ryan-McCoy fight was preceded by an encounter between "Jack" Downey, of Brooklyn, and "Larry" Burns, of Cohoes. The bout was announced for eight rounds. On points Downey had the better of it up to the third round. In the fourth round Burns held the other safe, while in the fifth round the Cohoes man knocked the Brooklynite down and almost put him to sleep. Honors were even in the sixth round. Burns was clearly the better in the seventh round, landing four blows to Downey's one. The eighth and last round was comparatively mild, with honors even. The referee declared the contest a draw.


1896-03-03 The New York Times (New York, NY) (page 6)

RYAN KNOCKED OUT.
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"Kid" McCoy Did It in Fifteen Rounds at Maspeth.

The boxing bout between "Tommy" Ryan and "Kid" McCoy attracted a big crowd to the Empire Athletic Club at Maspeth last evening. When the boxers entered the ring there were fully 2,000 persons in the building. "Tim" Hurst was referee, and Frank Freeman timekeeper.

The contestants received quite an ovation when they entered the ring. "Charley" White, "Tommy" Cawley, "Kid" Lavigne, and "Sam" Fitzpatrick looked after Ryan, and "Steve" O'Donnell, Maurice Hagerstron, and "Jimmy" Carroll were in McCoy's corner. Ryan weighed 148 pounds and McCoy 155 pounds.

The contest began at 10 o'clock. Ryan started in well and landed several times on McCoy in the first two rounds. McCoy, however, showed remarkable cleverness, and in the third round landed twice on Ryan. From that round McCoy gradually got the best of the contest. In the fifth and sixth rounds he punished Ryan severely.

Ryan did better in the seventh round, playing for his opponent's "wind," and his body blows told. In the eighth round, McCoy knocked Ryan down, and again in the ninth round Ryan went down. McCoy kept on punishing Ryan, and in the fifteenth round knocked him out.

"Jack" Downey of Brooklyn and "Larry" Burns of Cohoes, boxed eight rounds, and the contest was declared a draw.




1896-03-03 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 4)

CLEVER WIN FOR M'COY.
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THE WESTERN BOXER KNOCKS OUT TOMMY RYAN AT MASPETH.
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Layers of Odds Lose Their Money--The Syracuse Man Holds His Own at First, but Succumbs to Heavy Punishment--Burns and Downey Fight to a Draw.

MASPETH, March 2.--Charles, better known as "Kid" McCoy, the Western middle weight, knocked out Tommy Ryan, who has held the welter-weight championship for some years, in the fifteenth round, at the Empire A. C. to-night. It was one of the biggest surprises in prize ring history, as Ryan was looked upon as a sure winner, and carried the money at odds of 4 to 1.

McCoy was wonderfully clever and a great hitter, and escaped without a mark. Ryan was fearfully punished, and from the eighth round he was staggering around the ring, trying to save himself. McCoy's fighting powers were offset by Ryan's gameness, and the victim didn't lose many friends by his exhibition. When he had been knocked down twice in the fifteenth round he was so weak that when he got to his feet he was unable to stand, and a hard push was sufficient to make him tumble down a third time to be counted out.

McCoy was elated over his victory and was pronounced a wonder by the talent.

It was evident by the jam on the first train leaving Long Island City at 8:50 o'clock that there would be a big crowd at the ring side. The cars were packed, and those sports that came late were forced to endure the icy blasts while hanging on to the railings of the platforms. The second train was also overloaded so that long before the sport was ready to begin all of the choice seats had been snapped up and the bleachers which sloped toward the roof were filled.

The event of the night was a twenty-round contest between Tommy Ryan of Syracuse and Charles "Kid" McCoy. Ryan was well known to the short-haired fraternity, as he has taken part in a number of battles in local clubs. His science and hitting powers were not disputed, and with the "Fancy" he was a general favorite. McCoy, however, was not without supporters. His reputation had made him famous, and his friends expected him to win. It was conceded that while a hard hitter, he was not so skilful with his hands as Ryan, and that his chief strength lay in his ability to land a heavy chance blow. When the sports began to take their rolls out, it was found that the prevailing odds were 4 to 1 on the Syracuse man, with considerable coin placed on the short end.

The preliminary "go" was an eight-round affair, at 126 pounds, between Jack Downey, a local boxer, and Larry Burns of Cohoes. Downey has always been a pretty tough customer, but in Burns it was predicted that he would meet his master, and Larry's adherents claimed that the bout wouldn't last over five rounds. Delegations of enthusiasts from Syracuse and Cohoes were on hand to root for Ryan and Burns, respectively, and they backed their favorites freely.

The little fellows were ready to go on at 9 o'clock. Tim Hurst, as usual, was the referee, Frank Freeman the timer, and Charley Harvey the master of ceremonies. There were about 3,000 spectators present when the men shook hands.

FIRST ROUND.--Downey led, but fell short. He swung a right that was wild and got a left in the mouth. Burns shot his left to the ear and a clinch followed. Downey then landed a left on the head and got a right counter on the neck. They exchanged lefts and Downey landed a good right on the body. Burns ran into a clinch and on the break he swung a right onto the ear, evening up the score.

SECOND ROUND.--Burns led with a left on the breast, which was followed by a rapid exchange of swings at close quarters. Burns got in a heavy left straight on the mouth, and drove his right to the ribs. Jack then came up with two straight lefts in the face and ran away from a heavy right. He also ducked away from a hard swing and laughed.

THIRD ROUND.--Downey landed a left on the face. He rushed, but Burns got away nicely. Jack came on again and received a hot jab in the mouth. Again he rushed, and this time landed his right on the heart. Downey tried a right swing, but it was very wild, and Burns cracked him in the eye with a hot left. This was Downey's round.

FOURTH ROUND.--Downey's lead was well stopped. So was a fierce rush. Downey landed a hard right on the head and got a good left in the mouth. Burns rushed and a fierce exchange of swings followed. Downey got in a corking left on the throat and Burns's left went too high. Burns had Downey on the ropes when the bell rang.

FIFTH ROUND.--Downey's left found the neck. It also landed on the mouth, and Burns sent his right to the heart. They got to close quarters, and Burns had the better of the mix up. Burns cut loose, and with a heavy right on the neck he knocked Downey to the floor. Jack got up and by clinching and hugging stayed out the round.

SIXTH ROUND.--Burns put a right over the heart. They indulged in give-and-take slugging until Downey clinched. Downey swung a right on the neck and got a terrific punch in the ribs that made him grunt. Jack was still in it, however, for he fought back with all the strength in his body. Burns gave him a warm argument and had the round well in hand.

SEVENTH ROUND.--Downey led and landed his left. Burns cut loose, and with some great blows on the head he drove Downey to the ropes. Jack came back in good style and landed his left heavily on the neck. Burns then got into a mix-up, and with a hard right staggered his opponent, who quickly clinched. They got closer, and Burns hammered his man for keeps until the bell rang.

EIGHTH ROUND.--They shook hands in a friendly way. Downey led, and they began slugging right and left. Downey piled his left on the face until a right-hander on the neck made him clinch. Burns's rushes were for the most part stopped by clever ducking. Burns finally landed a heavy right on the neck, and Downey staggered. He recovered in a second and went at it hammer-and-tongs. They were clinched at the bell.

The referee decided the bout a draw, which was satisfactory to the crowd.

Everybody was on tiptoe now for the big battle. The building was so cold that black bottles were at a premium while the sports waited.

Both fighters were well cared for. Ryan was in the hands of Charley White, Tom Cawley, Kid Lavigne, and Sam Fitzpatrick. McCoy's esquires were Steve O'Donnell, Maurice Hagerstrom, and Brooklyn Jimmy Carroll. Ryan said he weighed 148 pounds, and McCoy tipped the beam at 155. Ryan was the first to enter the ring, followed closely by his opponent. They were ready to begin at 10 o'clock.

FIRST ROUND.--Ryan led with a left on the breast, and McCoy put both hands on the head. Ryan rushed, landing his right well on the neck, but McCoy got away cleverly from the blows that followed. McCoy tried for the wind and fell short. They exchanged lefts, and Ryan got in a right on the body. Ryan rushed, and McCoy nailed him on the ear with a great right, forcing him to clinch. It was a beautiful bit of sparring.

SECOND ROUND.--Ryan's left fell short. Tommy avoided a rush in superb style, and the crowd roared with delight. Light sparring was followed by a great right, that landed on Ryan's body. McCoy then landed a straight left on the jaw and swung his right to the ear with great force. Ryan rushed into a left that sent his head back, and then clinched. McCoy's cleverness was a surprise, and he was loudly applauded as he sat down. It was his round.

THIRD ROUND.--Ryan got in a light left on the mouth and ran half way around the ring to avoid the Kid's rush. Tommy came closer then and sent in left and right to the face and neck until the referee had to break the boxers. McCoy drove his right cleanly to the face, and Ryan then mixed it up with honors about even. Ryan avoided two hot rushes most cleverly, and then drove a hard right to the ribs. McCoy sent in a rib-roaster just as the bell rang.

FOURTH ROUND.--Ryan rushed in to a clinch. Then McCoy did the same. Ryan put his right over the heart, and the Kid smashed his man on the ear. Ryan put in both hands on the face and McCoy swung hard for the jaw, but missed. Ryan rushed his man to the ropes and crossed McCoy on the jaw with his right. McCoy's left sent Ryan's head back and drew blood from the lips.

FIFTH ROUND.--Ryan rushed fiercely and McCoy clinched at once. McCoy sent in a right upper cut on the jaw and Tommy's teeth chattered. Ryan put his right over the heart and got a heavy counter on the nose. McCoy then landed a great right on the neck and sent in two terrific swings on the jaw that almost knocked Ryan down. Ryan made up for this with a punch on the jaw that made McCoy see stars. It was a hot fight.

SIXTH ROUND.--Ryan fell down while avoiding a rush. When he got up he sent his left flush into the mouth and received two heavy swings on the head. McCoy jabbed his left into the face, and Ryan came to close quarters. McCoy's blows were so hot, however, that Ryan ran away and was chased around the ring. Ryan tried the wind, but McCoy showed a clever defence and was smiling when he took his corner.

SEVENTH ROUND.--Ryan got in a great body punch and made McCoy wince. Ryan then rushed his man to the ropes and landed left and right on the body. McCoy did not like this and clinched. hard. Ryan rushed with both gloves, landing on the neck, but McCoy sent back his left hard on the mouth. Ryan shot in a left on the jaw and McCoy slipped down. He took a couple of seconds to get up and then clinched. He was not groggy, but far from strong. The body blows were telling.

EIGHTH ROUND.--McCoy's rush was neatly stopped. Then Ryan got in a terrific right on the cheek an inch above the jaw. McCoy sent in his right to the stomach and then rushed, but Ryan ran away. Ryan staggered McCoy with a left on the jaw, but the Kid came back with a heavy one on the mouth which made Tommy see stars. McCoy then caught Ryan on the jaw with a right and knocked him flat. He got up within the limit and the bell saved him.

NINTH ROUND.--McCoy sailed in and landed a tremendous left on the jaw. Ryan came back and got a right in the body, his own left finding the neck. McCoy rushed again and with two fearful rights on the jaw he knocked Ryan down. Tommy got up in eight seconds and fought like a madman. But he got some terrible blows and was groggy when the bell rang.

TENTH ROUND.--Ryan rushed his man to the ropes. McCoy, however, got in a left uppercut on the throat, and banged Ryan all around the ring. Tommy rushed, but McCoy gave him a left under the ear and sent his right across until Ryan was so dazed that he didn't know where he was. McCoy came again, and slugged his opponent until Tommy's face was covered with blood, but Ryan was as game as a pebble.

ELEVENTH ROUND.--McCoy's rush was blocked, but after the break he drove his left straight to the mouth and drew a fresh supply of blood. Ryan worked at the body well and hit McCoy on the head, but the Kid only laughed. Ryan rushed in to two swings, and his face was a sight. McCoy didn't have a mark. Ryan was still strong on his legs and game to the core. He was taking an awful punishing.

TWELFTH ROUND.--McCoy landed a hot right on the ear, cutting it open. Then he drove his left to the neck and stopped Ryan's left. Ryan was desperate, but he was evidently up against it. McCoy slugged him again on the jaw, and the Syracuse man was all but out. McCoy rushed him to the ropes and sent him down with a left hook on the point of the jaw, but Ryan got up and was ready to continue when the bell rang.

THIRTEENTH ROUND.--Ryan ran away when McCoy rushed. Then he landed a good right on the head. He tried it again, and got a right on the head from McCoy that made him real. McCoy also sent in a heavy right over the heart, and Tommy ran away. Ryan stopped a moment and McCoy caught him on the jaw with a right, but still Ryan was on his feet. McCoy rushed once more, and Ryan ran until he slipped to the floor. He was trying to stay the twenty rounds.

FOURTEENTH ROUND.--Ryan's left eye was closed and his mouth was twice its natural size. McCoy opened with a right on the ribs, and then banged the jaw with a left. McCoy drove his left into the stomach at least a half a dozen times, and Ryan could not return the compliment. McCoy came to close quarters, and they exchanged short arm punches on the head. McCoy knocked Ryan against the ropes just as the time was up.

FIFTEENTH ROUND.--McCoy's left found the stomach. Ryan's left fell short. Then he landed it on the neck, but too low. McCoy drove a heavy left to the jaw and right to the eye, and Ryan fell down, almost out. He got up inside of the limit, and McCoy caught him with a right on the jaw and knocked him down again. Ryan got up once more, but was so weak that when he came in contact with McCoy's gloves he fell down for the last time and was counted out.

The referee gave the fight to McCoy amid great cheering.


1896-03-03 The World (New York, NY) (page 10)

M'COY WAS A SURPRISE.
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He Knocked Out Ryan in Fifteen Rounds in the Empire Arena.
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BEATEN MAN THE BETTOR'S CHOICE.
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From the Start the Memphis Boxer Took the Lead, and Several Times the Gong Saved the Syracuse Man.
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DOWNEY AND BURNS FOUGHT A DRAW.
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The Attendance Not Large, but the Crowd Was Furnished with Some Very Lively Work.
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To the profound surprise of all the gentlemen who go down into the wilds of Long Island to see men fight at the Empire Athletic Club, Mr. "Kid" McCoy knocked out Mr. Thomas Ryan last night with great thoroughness, after fifteen fierce rounds.

It was generally believed that Mr. McCoy, who comes from Memphis, Tenn., would prove an interesting mark for Mr. Ryan, and the little betting that went on was 2 to 1 in Ryan's favor.

The Tennessean was a revelation, however, and during the fifteen rounds set a swift pace for his adversary. In the tenth round Ryan was only saved by the gong. He was finally finished by a right and left punch in the jaw.

Ryan was the first to show up. He jumped into the ring at 9.55, accompanied by Charley White, "Kid" Lavigne, Sam Fitzpatrick and Tom Cawley, of Syracuse. McCoy followed thirty seconds afterwards, accompanied by Steve O'Donnell, Maurice Hagerstrom and "Brooklyn" Jimmy Carroll.

The betting was pretty brisk and all in Ryan's favor. Several bets were made at odds of $200 to $100 and $75 to $100. There was plenty of money on both sides, and each seemed to be confident. The men weighed 154 pounds each. They shook hands at 10.05 o'clock.

Round One--Ryan led off with a left tap on the face. After sparring for half a minute, McCoy landed left on face. In a rally McCoy put his right on the face. Ryan rushed McCoy in the latter's corner, and McCoy again got his right to the face.

Round Two--Ryan led off with left very light on body. McCoy sent in a very hot right on body after a lot of fiddling and then landed right and left on face. McCoy followed up with his right on neck and left on face. Ryan sent his right to the body, and McCoy was chasing him round the ring when the gong stopped the race.

Round Three--Ryan put his left on body. In a hot rally Ryan got in right and left on McCoy's face, putting him to the ropes. McCoy put his right on the body and left on the face. Infighting followed, but no damage was done. McCoy chased Ryan twice around the ring and landed three times with right on back of Ryan's head. He then put a stiff one on the body, and at the end of round Ryan got his right in on wind.

Round Four--Ryan led right on body. McCoy countered with right on face. Ryan landed right on body and McCoy crossed right on side of head. McCoy landed right on body; both countered on body and face. Ryan led left for body and McCoy countered left on neck.

Round Five--At the opening both rushed matters, landing rights and lefts on body and face. Ryan sent his left to the wind and McCoy sent his right back on body. McCoy landed left on face and right on body. Ryan swung right for head but McCoy ducked cleverly. Ryan landed right on body. Ryan ran around the ring, with McCoy hitting him with right and left until Ryan fell. They were in a hot rally when time was called.

Round Six--Ryan began by running around, and fell down. McCoy fell on top of him. Ryan led left for body, and fell short. McCoy put left on neck; then he landed right and left on face, and the crowd cheered. Ryan rushed at McCoy, who met him with a left-hand jab in the neck. Ryan then ran into a straight left, on the face, and the bell ended the round.

Round Seven--In a rally, both landed rights and lefts on body. Ryan once more pushed his face into McCoy's left-hand jabs. McCoy hit him twice more on the face with the left. Ryan landed right and left on body. McCoy slipped to one knee and took his time in getting up. The men were clinched when the gong sounded.

Round Eight--Ryan led left on face, and McCoy sent a good left back on the same place. McCoy put in four straight lefts on Ryan's body. Ryan got his right on the wind. McCoy got his right and left to the neck in a mix up and then sent his left on the jaw. McCoy sent his left hard to the chin and Ryan went to his knees. He took his full time in getting up and gong sounded after he got up. The crowd cheered loudly for McCoy.

Round Nine--Ryan rushed and McCoy hit him flush on the face twice. McCoy landed right and left on face and fought Ryan all over the ring. Ryan fell from the effects of a right hand blow on the head. McCoy rushed and tried to land a knock-out. McCoy punched Ryan right and left on face and body and had him bleeding from the mouth and ear at the end of the round.

Round Ten--McCoy began by jabbing his left twice in the face and then punched Ryan right and left on face and neck. Ryan then received some fearful blows right and left on the face and jaw. It looked as if McCoy would put Ryan out with a right and left hand smash, but the gong still found Ryan on his feet.

Round Eleven--McCoy kept up his right and left hand jabs. Ryan's face was puffed up and his mouth was bleeding profusely. McCoy was as clean as when he began, and there was not a mark on his face or body. Ryan managed to get in a right on the neck, but McCoy had it all his own way.

Round Twelve--McCoy led off with right and left on head and then sent his left twice very quickly on the neck and his right on face. Right and left hand swings from McCoy on Ryan's face made the Syracuse man groggy. McCoy knocked him down with a right-hand upper-cut. Ryan stayed down nine seconds. He hugged McCoy until the end of the round.

Round Thirteen--McCoy landed a right-hand upper-cut on neck and put his left on side of head. McCoy kept chasing Ryan around the ring and hit him on the head and neck repeatedly. McCoy was still without a scratch.

Round Fourteen--Ryan landed left on body and McCoy did the same. McCoy jabbed his left twice on body and right on jaw. Ryan ran away once more, but McCoy cornered him. McCoy sent his left twice to the wind and right and left on neck twice over.

Round Fifteen--McCoy jabbed his left three times on the wind and swung his right on head, and after this it was all over. He landed a left on the jaw, and Ryan went down at the ropes. He got up as the referee counted ten, but it was his last attempt, as McCoy sent right and left on face and jaw, putting him down and out. He tried to get up, but he was done for, and the referee counted him out.

Ryan was carried back to his corner in a badly battered condition and had to be helped out of the ring.

Referee Hurst declared McCoy the winner. Time of last round, 1 minute 54 seconds. McCoy, when he returned to his dressing-room, did not show a mark on any part of his body.

Sporting men as a rule will brave all sorts of discomforts and dangers to see a good fight. There was almost a blizzard on Long Island last night, but even this circumstance did not seriously interfere with the attendance. The Syracuse men were Ryan badges, while the Troy delegation had on strips of blue ribbon, upon which the words "True Blue is Larry Burns" were printed.

Larry Burns's opponent in the first bout, Jack Downey, of Brooklyn, appeared to have few admirers. The boxers were very polite to each other. Burns by accident drove his elbow into the other fellow's eye during the first round. It was not until the third round that the young men warmed up. This was most natural, since it was exceedingly cold in the arena. Downey had an advantage up to the beginning of the fifth round, when Burns was instructed to cut loose. Politeness gave way to slugging, and Referee Tim Hurst had a hard job keeping the boxers apart. Burns scored one clean knockdown and was otherwise rude. Downey was full of fight in the sixth round, and he made a good impression. Burns did some effective work with his right hand in the seventh round. He might have left the other one at home for all the damage it did.

There was plenty of excitement during the concluding round, the eighth, and the contest was declared a draw. The up-the-State celebrity was rather fortunate, everything considered, for Downey did nearly all of the leading and certainly had a shade the better of the affair.