1903-04-16 Jack Johnson W-PTS10 Sandy Ferguson [Essex Athletic Club, Boston, MA, USA]

1903-04-17 Boston Morning Journal (Boston, MA) (page 10)

COLORED BOXER VICTOR OVER SANDY FERGUSON
--------
Big Jack Johnson from California Given Decision in Main Bout at Essex Show--Boxing News and Gossip.
--------

Jack Johnson, the big California colored heavyweight, and Sandy Ferguson of Chelsea, met in the main bout at the Essex Athletic Club last night. The bout went the limit, ten rounds, and Johnson was he winner on points. Ferguson bent all his efforts to staying to the end and only in one round, the ninth did he make any pretense of doing anything but clinching and hugging.

Johnson tried hard enough, but as it takes two to make a contest, he found his task very difficult. Johnson did not make a very good impression, however, although against a man who would show some spirit he would undoubtedly exhibit better. He tried hard to get his right over on to Ferguson's jaw, but Sandy protected his face very zealously.

Johnson created rounds of laughter when he climbed through the ropes, for he emulated Polly Chase. He was clad in pink pajamas. "Wot's dem tings?" yelled one fellow to another. "Ah, g'wan," said he, "dose ar' his stable clo'es." Johnson's black face showed clear above the pink. He is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. Ferguson, too, is a big man and weighed over 200 pounds.

For the first few rounds there was nothing doing at all. Johnson started on the aggressive, but on every lead he found Ferguson ready to block, and then clinch and hug. That went on for four rounds, when to the surprise of all Sandy essayed to lead. It was a tame bout till the seventh, when Johnson cut loose and shook up the Chelsea strong boy with lefts and rights to the head. Previous to that most of his attack had been directed to the body. After that he varied his leads more, but Ferguson was too cunning to mix it up with him.

Sandy was less cautious in the ninth and made a brave showing in swapping punches. He did well, too, only he was repaid for his exertions by more activity on the colored man's part. The tenth and last round was also fairly lively, but Johnson led at a big rate, as he had through all the preceding rounds, and got the verdict without a whimper.

Sam Langford, colored, and Bob Allen, colored, made a laughable bout. Allen swapped with Sam in the first round, and also the last, but Langford had a clear lead. Some of the members asked for a draw, but Referee Donnelly told them they should be ashamed of themselves. Young Lawless won from Young Bernstein and Eddie Carr and Young Lynch went a fast draw.


1903-04-17 The Boston Daily Globe (Boston, MA) (page 8)

JOHNSON'S JABS
--------
They Rather Worried Sandy Ferguson.
--------
Chelsea Boxer Could Have Drawn, but He Lost.
--------

Jack Johnson was given the decision over Sandy Ferguson in 10 rounds at the Essex A. C. last night. Johnson was the aggressor all through the contest, and he landed many a hard left and right on Sandy's stomach and face. Ferguson appeared to be afraid of Johnson until the ninth round, when he cut loose and reached Johnson's jaw several times.

Johnson's showing last night was not that of a champion, and had Ferguson more heart he would have easily evened matters with Johnson. It was a fast bout, and Ferguson was the receiver general of about all the punches that landed.

In the opening preliminary Eddie Carr and Johnny Lynch boxed a six-round draw. Young Lawless forced Young Bernstein to quit in three rounds. Sam Langford and Bob Allen put up a hot six-round bout, and Langford was declared the winner. Dan Donnelly was referee and Denny Murphy was timekeeper.


1903-04-17 The Evening Times (Pawtucket, RI) (page 2)

SANDY FERGUSON STAYED THE LIMIT
--------

Boston, April 17.--"Sandy" Ferguson of Chelsea, who is as well known by several other titles disappointed many of the followers of boxing when he stayed with Jack Johnson, the "Pauline Chase" of the ring, also of California, for 10 rounds at the Essex A. C. last evening. When the bout was arranged for it would have been an easy matter to pick up any amount of money that the big fellow from Chelsea would not go the distance, and many went to the club last evening firm in the conviction that the mill would not last long.

But they were mistaken, for "Sandy" managed to stay the 10 rounds and on only 1½ days' training, and he was comparatively fresh at the end of the contest. True, he did little boxing, his specialty being stalling and blocking, but at one time he got real angry, and did swing on a few blows. Johnson, too, failed to show as well as was expected, and though he did all the work for the distance, he was unable to phase "Sandy," and many are wondering how he earned his title of colored heavyweight champion.

Johnson made his real hit of the evening when he entered the ring just before 10 o'clock, gayly gowned and dollied in pink pajamas, and wearing a highly checked gold cap. He was followed by Joe Walcott, resplendent in diamonds, and smoking a long black cigar, forming a combination hard to beat. Ferguson's attire was more modest and less attractive.

Previous to the bout it was shown by the referee that the best of feeling prevailed between the pair, and it seemed so for a while, until Ferguson forgot himself and cut loose. The contest could hardly be called good, as the work was rather slow. Ferguson absolutely refused to mix it up for a while, and Johnson did all of the forcing and leading. "Sandy" was content to get into a clinch, and the referee had hard work to separate them.

In the first few rounds "Sandy" did not hit a clean punch, Johnson all the while sinking lefts into the stomach and rights to head, which did not seem to bother the Chelseaite in the least. Ferguson landed perhaps half a dozen clean punches during the 10 rounds. Johnson finally received the decision.

In the semi-final bout Bob Allen and Sam Langford, a couple of colored boxers, mixed it up fast for six rounds, the latter giving the old-timer a bad gaffing. "Stonewall" was game enough, but clearly out of the running, for it was only exercise for Langford. The Young Lawless-Young Bernstein bout was stopped in the second round as the latter persisted in rushing in, football style, instead of boxing.