1910-03-18 Abe Attell ND10 Johnny Marto [National Sporting Club, New York, NY, USA]

1910-03-19 New-York Tribune (New York, NY) (page 5)

ATTELL ON JUMP.
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Outpoints Johnny Marto in Ten-Round Bout.

Abe Attell, the featherweight champion, outpointed Johnny Marto, the rugged Italian lightweight, after ten rounds of hard boxing at the National Sporting Club of America last night. Marto had the advantage of ten pounds in weight, and forced Attell to fight every inch of the journey, boring in and trying hard for the body. Attell jabbed Marto repeatedly and shot left hooks and right upper cuts to the jaw and face in a most confusing way.

Attell outfought Marto in every round except the eighth. In the second round he shot over a short right hook to the jaw that rocked Marto and made him clinch. On the break Attell came back with his right and missed an upper cut that would have ended the bout then and there.

Attell had no trouble up to the eighth round, when Marto's superior weight told. The Italian landed a hard right hook on Abe's eye, cutting the skin and causing the blood to flow. Attell came back in the last two rounds and jabbed Marto all over the ring.



1910-03-19 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page 8)

ATTELL OUTCLASSES MARTO.

Abe Attell made Johnny Marto look like a veriest kind of a novice during the greater part of ten rounds at the National Sporting Club, in Manhattan, last night. Abe gave away fully ten pounds in weights, but a little handicap like that didn't seem to bother him in the least, and judging from the way he danced in and out on Marto he might have let the New Yorker weigh a ton and at the same time have suffered no inconvenience. Marto is a clever boxer and a good puncher, but he had never a chance with the champion. Abe feinted him into all kinds of tangles and made him miss continually. Johnny landed only an occasional punch. Attell looked to be in fine shape and his work was the best the local followers have witnessed in a long time. It was easily Attell's fight.


1910-03-19 The Evening Telegram (New York, NY) (page 8)

Attell Defeats Marto at National Sporting Club
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Featherweight Champion Too Clever for West Side Boxer in Seven of Ten Rounds.
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"Abe" Attell, the featherweight champion, proved to the members of the National Sporting Club in West Forty-fourth street last night that he has not lost any of his old time form, as in the main event against "Johnny" Marto, a west side lightweight, Attell had the best of seven of the rounds, and with left jabs, hooks and right short swings to jaw and body, also a few short uppercuts, had the Italian chopped to pieces.

In the eighth round Marto started to rush matters and shot over a few stiff right hand swings to the champion's face and jaw that cut his left eye, and at the bell had Attell willing to hold. It was Marto's best and only round so far during the fight.

Marto came back strong in the ninth and tenth rounds and tried hard to land a knockout, but was wild and would rush to a clinch after missing and pound away at "Abie's" kidneys and body to great advantage, which was not pleasing to Attell.

At long range Marto had no chance, as Attell used a stiff left jab and hook that made "Johnny" look like a novice for several rounds.

It was the opinion of a number of those present that if the fight had gone five rounds more Marto would win, if he continued to fight the way he did in the last three rounds.

Marto was much heavier than his opponent and used his weight in the early rounds to wear him down, but Attell kept away by sidestepping and shifting, and in the sixth round by his cleverness let Marto go through the ropes after making a wild rush for him.

Attell made his appearance through the crowd first and received his share of applause, and took the southeast corner, where he stripped to white trunks, and was followed a minute later by the west side boxer, who was cheered by almost everybody in the house as he seated himself in the northeast chair, seconded by "Paddy" Moran.

The bout between "Johnny" Walsh and "Jack" Richie, scheduled for six rounds, was stopped in the second by Referee "Joe" Hess, as Richie was an easy victim and willing to quit. "Dick" Peters and "Young" Favrick went six rounds, and at the end Peters, who was a foot taller than Favrick, had the best of the bout. "Eddie" Toy beat "Smiling" Kelly in six rounds, and "Billy" Kramer and "Richey" Ryan went six rounds, with honors in favor of Ryan.


1910-03-19 The New York Times (New York, NY)

ATTELL OUTPOINTS MARTO IN 10 ROUNDS
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Featherweight Champion Takes Grueling Punishment Near End of the Fight.
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Abe Attell, featherweight champion of the world, faced Johnny Marto, a lightweight, for ten rounds in the main bout at the National Sporting Club of America last night, and, based solely on the work within those rounds, Attell earned the decision. But had the fight gone five rounds more it is very questionable whether the smaller man could have stood up under the grueling punishment that Marto handed out in the eighth, ninth, and tenth rounds.

Marto fought viciously as usual, with reliance not so much on his cleverness or science as in his ability to withstand Attell's attack. In this belief he was borne out by events, and he finished in palpably better condition than his opponent. But to Attell must go the credit of landing by far the greater number of clean blows--albeit they lacked steam to do the trick--superior foot and head work, and a total dimming of Marto's star in the overwhelming cleverness of the bantamweight champion.

Marto was very wild in the first round and could not land on his nimble opponent. They sparred for a while in the ring centre, after some hard infighting, in which Attell's science and coolness were entirely too much for his opponent. Attell landed three light left jabs to the face without a return just before the gong.

Attell started the second by sending hard left hooks to the jaw, and Marto became very wild, his swings passing harmlessly around Attell's neck or finding Attell grinning at a considerable distance. Attell shot a hard left hook to the face, and followed it with a right to the stomach without a return. He easily evaded Marto's clumsy rushes, and left jabbed Marto's head repeatedly. Attell shot a right hook to the jaw that sent Marto to his knees, and as he arose Attell uppercut him viciously with the right. The gong ended further action.

Marto tried long range fighting in the third and found Attell so much his master at this game that he soon quit it. Attell sent over two right hooks to the face that started Marto swinging wildly. Attell simply stepped inside and put a terrific right uppercut to Marto's jaw and the Italian hung on hard. Attell's short-arm defense in the frequent clinches that followed was perfect. Just as the bell sounded Marto landed a hard left hook to the face.

Clinches were frequent during the first minute of the fourth round. Then Attell started after Marto and soon had him hugging from the frequent left hooks and jabs that the smaller man put to the face. Attell tried hard to put Marto out, but the Italian stayed away. Attell landed a hard right and left in one-two fashion to the jaw and Marto was dazed. The bell came too soon to suit Attell and he leered at his opponent as they passed each other on their way to their corners.

Marto started roughing it in the fifth, and the referee had a hard job of it separating the men. Marto's head was worked overtime during this wrestling, and he repeatedly butted Attell, while the crowd yelled madly. Attell sent over a right uppercut to Marto's jaw that hurt, and followed it with two right hooks and a left jab to the face that made Marto hang on. Attell was as yet unmarked, whereas Marto's face was very puffy and red.

The sixth and seventh rounds were repetitions of the preceding sessions, Attell landing at will, but never with steam enough to put Marto out. Apparently the Italian was too strong for Attell, for the latter was very plainly trying for a knockout. Marto started the eighth with a dozen short arm punches to the kidneys that made Attell wince, and then they wrestled for a minute, head to head. Attell landed a light left on the body, and Marto answered it with a hard right to the face that cut Attell's left eyebrow open and made it bleed copiously.

Attell was weakening under the kidney blows Marto rained on him in the clinches, but revived just before the bell and sent over a left hook to the face that made Marto cover up.

The ninth and tenth rounds were all Marto's. He forced Attell around the ring, landing repeatedly with left and right short arm swings on the face, but never on the part of the jaw that would have meant a knockout. Attell was wobbly at the bell in the ninth, but came up strong in the tenth, and they finished the bout with Marto forcing the tide of battle slowly by surely his way, and Attell getting weaker under Marto's body punishment.

Based solely on their work in the ten rounds and without regard to the superficial condition of the men at the final gong in the tenth Attell earned the decision on points, while it was very plain that Marto would probably have won with a knockout had the bout gone a few rounds longer.

Eddie Toy and "Smiling" Eddie Kelly met in the six-round semi-final, and Toy put it all over his opponent, landing at will, but not being strong enough to win with a knockout.


1910-03-19 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 7)

ABE ATTELL IN HARD FIGHT
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AFTER TEN HOT ROUNDS EVEN UP WITH MARTO.
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Featherweight Champion Gives Away a Dozen Pounds and Has an Advantage on Points in First Half--Marto's Better Trim Then Comes Into Play.

Before a packed house at the National Sporting Club in West Forty-fourth street last night Abe Attell, the American featherweight champion, boxed ten rounds to what seemed a good draw with Johnny Marto, a rugged lightweight. Marty was all but a dozen pounds heavier and was in much better physical condition. For six rounds Attell showed his usual cleverness and had the advantage on scientific points. But after that he became weary and Marto by incessant rushing and heavy slugging evened things up.

Attell's left eye was split for a supply of blood and Marto came out of the battle with a cut mouth. When the fight was over the rival partisans claimed victory, but a draw would have been eminently fair to both men. If Attell had been fit to go the route he would have carried off the honors no doubt. The next time he'll probably train harder.

When Marto and Attell got on the scales at 6 o'clock the former, stripped, just got under the 133 pounds limit. Attell in his street clothes tipped the beam at 128. Getting into the ring more than four hours later, Marto probably weighed 136 and Attell 122, a big handicap for the featherweight champion. There was a full house when the men drew on the gloves at 10:45 o'clock.

First Round--Attell backed away from a rush, blocking several swings. Marto rushed again with the same result. Then Attell jabbed the face with lefts and drove his man to the ropes with some body blows. But Marto came again with a heavy left on the neck, though Attell outpointed him the rest of the way. Attell's round.

Second Round--Attell put in three quick lefts to the face, but Marto shook him with a hard swing on the neck. Marto rushed, Attell blocking and clinching. Attell resumed his left hand jabbing then and at the same time stopped a number of heavy swings. They got into a mix and Attell missed the jaw with a terrific upper cut. He ran in with some solid jabs, however, and had Marto on the run at the gong. Another round for Attell.

Third Round--Attell shot in two lefts and staggered Marto with a right on the neck. More lefts shot into Marto's face and as the latter rushed Attell hooked him on the jaw with a right. Marto was as strong as a bull though, and went into a mix which ended in a hard clinch. Marto rushed again and Attell staggered from a lucky right on the jaw. But the latter recovered quickly and stalled to the end. Attell's round on points.

Fourth Round--Attell tried a left for the jaw, but it went too high. He was more successful with another left, but Marto stood in close and hammered the ribs. In a half clinch Attell landed four or five hooks on the face with a free left hand. On the break Marto's swings were wide of the mark, Attell half clinching and pounding the stomach with a right. Near the end Attell shot in both hands as Marto bored in and had a big advantage.

Fifth Round--Attell clinched as Marto came with a wild rush. Marto then came to close quarters and did a lot of rough work in the clinches. As Marto rushed again Attell hooked him on the jaw with a right hook and the Italian was jarred. Marto continued to force the fight, both handing hard wallops on the head and neck. Attell put a right over the heart that hurt and then blocked Marto's rushes until time was up. Attell had the round.

Sixth Round--Attell jabbed quickly, but Marto was still rushing with dangerous swings. Marto finally got his man on the ropes, but the latter suddenly dodged away and Johnny almost fell out of the ring. Attell danced away from another hard rush, only to turn quickly and received a left hook to the neck. Both reached the head with swings and then came a clinch. Attell's round by a shade.

Seventh Round--Marto ran into a clinch. Marto roughed his man in another one and the referee tore them apart. Marto kept on trying and finally got the right into the stomach. Marto came again, but this time Attell sidestepped and drove a solid left into the stomach. Marto had the better of several mixes and also had the round with not much to spare.

Eighth Round--Marto plied into a clinch and pounded the kidneys with a right. Attell blocked and countered, but his blows lacked the usual power. Marto mixed it and with a heavy right hand swing he cut Attell's left eye open. Marto kept on coming and Attell began to tire. Yet the featherweight champion was full of fight and fought back as hard as he could. Marto had the round by a safe margin.

Ninth Round--Marto rushed and a mix in a half clinch followed. Attell jabbed the nose and mouth with several hot lefts, but Marto kept in close, fighting with both hands and making Attell back away. More lefts from Attell could not keep Marto off, and the latter soon staggered Abe with a right upper cut on the jaw. Marto had the round and Attell was very weak when he sat down.

Tenth Round--Attell's left shot to the jaw and Marto began to slug. Attell blocked, but he could not break up the Italian's attack. The latter jumped in with more heavy swings on the head, Attell jolting him with quick counters and then skipping away. Marto followed with sledgehammer blows and with a left on the jaw he made Attell reel. But Abe went back gamely and scored numerous points. It was anybody's fight at the bell.