1916-04-25 Mike O'Dowd W-TKO9 Joe Eagan [Armory Athletic Association, Boston, MA, USA]

1916-04-26 The Boston Daily Globe (Boston, MA) (page 9)

O'DOWD MAKES JOE EAGAN QUIT
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St Paul Boxer Wins in the Ninth Round
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Staggering Rights to the Jaw Decide the Contest Here
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Westerner Goes After His Man Hard From Start
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Mike O'Dowd, the St. Paul welterweight, lived up to his reputation last night at the Armory A. A., making Joe Eagan stop in the ninth round.

O'Dowd came into the ring wearing his harp-covered green robe. He was serious all the time and he kept after Eagan so hard that the latter did not have much of a chance to display much cleverness, except in using his feet to keep out of danger. He clinched repeatedly, but O'Dowd managed to get in some stiff wallops with both hands. He landed some stiff rights and lefts on Eagan's stomach and ribs and then shot both hands to Eagan's jaw and face.

It was plain to the fans that the bout would not go the limit. Only once did Eagan try his right, getting it over to O'Dowd's jaw, but it did not bother the St Paul boxer.

Twice O'Dowd staggered Eagan with rights to the jaw. In the ninth round, which lasted only 35 seconds, O'Dowd went after Eagan from the tap of the gong. As Eagan started to back away O'Dowd caught him on the jaw with the right and Eagan went to the mat. He got up after Referee Flaherty counted 10 and O'Dowd again went after him, but the referee stepped between the pair and Eagan again went to the mat. O'Dowd was declared the winner.

O'Dowd made a good impression on the fans by his aggressive style of boxing and he will be seen here again in a few weeks. He left for his home after the bout to fill an engagement in that city.

In the semifinal Dave Powers was given the decision over Chick West. Young Cosmos of New Bedford won the award over Johnny O'Brien in the preliminary.

Willie Beecher and Johnny Harvey will appear in the feature bout at the club next Tuesday. In the semifinal Billy Nixon will meet Johnny Noonan. Frank Simmons and J. Morris and Willie Shea and J. O'Brien will box in the preliminaries.


1916-04-26 The Boston Journal (Boston, MA) (page 11)

DROPS EGAN IN THE 9TH
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Mike O'Dowd of St. Paul All That His Press Agent Predicted.
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By Jack Malaney

The story-book climax, which generally has a man crashed under the chin, lifted off his feet and knocked out, was what the crowd saw at the Armory A. A. show last night at the Arena. It isn't often done, but it surely was in the ninth round of the feature bout between Joe Eagan of Dorchester and Mike O'Dowd of St. Paul.

It was O'Dowd who swung the mighty punch, and Eagan performed the "elevator" stunt. Joe didn't stay down for the allotted 10 seconds; he tried to get back on his feet and continue, but he was so wobbly that Referee Flaherty stopped the bout.

It was not an unexpected finish, sensational as it was. Eagan was not in his usual form, but this was due to the work of the newcomer. It looked early in the battle as if O'Dowd would get him before the half-way mark was reached, but for various reasons he couldn't do so. Then, again, O'Dowd had let up a bit a couple of rounds before perhaps to catch Eagan napping when he was ready to swing the big punch; so the finish came very suddenly. It was shortly after the ninth got under way that it happened.

Critics Will Notice Him Now

It can be said after seeing O'Dowd perform that the critics have neglected him to date. In some mysterious manner he has escaped notice, but he is bound to be heard of much more in the very near future. It was general opinion among the fans, the Eagan rooters included, that he is a "bear."

If there is anything in the boxing line that this "Fighting Harp," as he is called, cannot do, the fact didn't develop last night. He is positively the busiest battling machine that has been seen here in many a month. Never for a second does he stop to rest, to stall or for anything else. He's busy from bell to bell. His two hands are equally good. He hooks with triphammer precision; he uppercuts with a vengeance; a little short chop from his right battery can do a pile of damage. Not often is a man possessed of this kick also a boxer of the fancy style, but O'Dowd showed Eagan more than once before the finale that he, also, has a left-hand jab that is both fast and stiff.

It took about one minute for O'Dowd to get in solid with the crowd. His businesslike methods were promptly accepted, and by the time the second started, the rooting was mostly for the visitor.

Eagan Holds on as Usual

Had O'Dowd been able to go along in his rushing, go-get-him style without being handicapped by his opponent hanging onto him continually, and by the referee interfering in clinches where O'Dowd had a right to punch, but was prevented from doing so, Eagan might have been stopped earlier than he was. Joe always does hold in a bout, but last night that was about all that he did, especially in comparison with the work of his opponent. But that holding kept him on his feet longer than he would have normally stayed.

O'Dowd's work in the first four rounds was of an order not often seen here. He was like a cyclone, letting blows go for both body and head. And Eagan didn't like the style, either. Joe couldn't jab, as he usually does, for he couldn't find O'Dowd. He couldn't sidestep or duck because Mike wouldn't let him get away with it.

At no time during the tilt was there anything to it but Mike from St. Paul. When the eighth finished, Eagan walked back to his corner and looked longingly at the round sign. He hopped out for the ninth, and then--bingo--it was all over. They met in the center and exchanged a couple of punches. Eagan had just delivered a punch, and was getting away when the mighty right crashed under his chin. Up he went and then down he went. Nine counts were tolled off, and he struggled to his feet. He was all done, however, and the referee had turned around to motion O'Dowd to his corner as the winner when Eagan staggered and fell flat. Whether he was as weak as his act showed is only known by Joe.

Powers Earns It Over West

Dave Powers of Malden beat Chick West in the semi-final bout, but the fans didn't like the decision. Dave earned his right to the award in the early part of the bout, when he, incessantly jabbed West, and also scored a clean knock down. There was only one preliminary, and in that Young Cosmos, the New Bedford hitter, beat Jeff Gallant of Roxbury. Gallant rallied in the last round, but only because the other boy had punched until he was too tired to do so any more.

Johnny Donovan of South Boston didn't box because the mysterious Johnny Marns didn't show up. Although there were quite a few boxers of Donovan's weight about the building, none would take him on.