1905-05-22 Abe Attell ND6 Battling Nelson [National Athletic Club, Philadelphia, PA, USA]

1905-05-23 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 10)

ATTELL SHADES BATTLING NELSON
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At the Distance, Corbett's Two-Time Conqueror Was Under a Serious Handicap
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Attell, Instead of Tin Canning as Was Expected, Mixed It Up Whenever Asked To
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Battling Nelson is not a six-round boxer. That was clearly demonstrated in his wind-up with Abe Attell at the National Athletic Club last night.

There is no use of going into speculation as to what might have happened had last night's engagement been a twenty-round affair. It wasn't. The boys were scheduled to go six rounds, and the popular verdict was to be determined upon what they did in that time. And taking everything into consideration, looking at the boxing from every angle, whether it was aggressiveness or pure science, Attell lost nothing by comparison. Were decisions permissible here it would have been his.

In clean punching, in outfighting and cleverness he made the Battling One look like a novice, and when the disparity in the weights are considered, allowances may be made for Attell's somewhat poorer showing in the mix-ups. In a long-drawn out affair Nelson's superior ruggedness and natural doggedness would doubtless carry his colors to the front. He's got the power at the expense of speed; Attell has the speed, but it is doubtful if, hooked up the way he was last night, he could go a route at the same clip.

From the very start Nelson adopted the tactics which Terry McGovern brought into vogue, and his style suggested that of Terrible Terry when the latter was good. He kept boring in from bell to bell, but only at rare intervals did Attell show any disposition to decline the issue, and then only to feint Nelson into trouble. The boys agreed to box under straight Marquis of Queensberry rules, a style of game which is to Nelson's advantage, but the rules did not seem to bother Attell a little bit. In the clinches he was at a disadvantage, but even there his cleverness in slipping away from Nelson's weall-meant, and, if they had landed, damaging short-arm punches, put the Dane all at sea. In the third and fourth rounds Attell's cleverness carried the house by storm. Even Nelson's rooters joined in the applause, and Nelson himself plainly showed the vexation he felt at his inability to land the one punch needful. It must not be supposed that Nelson did not inflict damage. He did notably in the fourth, when his body compelled Attell to cover for the first time in the bout. It was a great exhibition of both sides of the boxing game, and though on points Attell would have to be declared the winner, Nelson, whose style is so obviously different, only deepened the good impression made by the reputation which preceded him.

Rounds

Round One--As they shook hands Nelson seemed to have a slight advantage in height and weight. Both were eager, but Abe landed the first blow, a jab to the face, which caused the crowd to yell. Attell followed up his aggressiveness with two straight lefts, and Nelson assumed a crouch, apparently to escape his opponent's jabs. The Dane failed to land after trying to swing right to face. Abe jabbed at will, most of the blows getting to Nelson's face squarely. They clinched repeatedly, but Attell on the breakaway generally landed left and right to Nelson's face and body before the Dane could get into action. It was all Attell's round and the crowd was cheering wildly as the bell rang.

Round Two--Nelson started the second with a rush, but his awkwardness and the clever foot work of Attell made the Dane look like a novice. Attell swung right to face, and followed it up with three straight jabs without a return. Nelson swung right and left to Attell's body, but took a stiff left in the face in return. Abe brought the blood from Nelson's nose with a right and left to face, and followed this with two successive lefts to the nose. He then landed four straight rights and Nelson was holding as the bell rang. The round was all Attell's.

Round Three--Attell got home two rights to the body and jabbed a straight left to the face. Nelson missed a wicked swing for the head, but landed on the body when coming in. Attell swung a right to the head and followed with a clever left to the face, which made Nelson's head rock. The Dane put two light lefts to Attell's body, but missed many right-hand swings. Attell set the crowd wild by his clever foot work and by landing his left three times in quick succession on the Dane's face. This round clearly belonged to Attell.

Round Four--Attell opened up hostilities by getting home a left and right, but in the mix-up which followed Nelson swung a right, which landed on Abe's head just as the latter slipped in Nelson's corner. The Dane was fighting furiously and Attell gave away before the cyclonic speed of his opponent. Nelson swung right to the body and Attell was holding to escape the furious fighting of the Dane. Abe jabbed left to face, but Nelson, boring in, was gradually wearing down Attell by his vicious fighting. This was Nelson's round.

Round Five--The Dane opened the fifth with a rush and landed a left to Attell's chin. Nelson kept boring in and whenever he was in a clinch his head frequently butted Attell. The latter did not make much of a protest, but his seconds were yelling. They exchanged punches in a half clinch and on the breakaway Abe landed left to face. Nelson kept following up Attell persistently and landed right to body whenever they got together. Attell was breaking ground to escape Nelson's wind rushes, but generally came back with a left after being forced to a standstill. Nelson did not appear to mind the jabs, but simply kept boring in to get into close quarters. The round favored Nelson.

Round Six--Nelson either failed to see Attell's extended hand for the hand shake or else avoided it on purpose. This brought forth a groan of hisses. Attell seemed angered by Nelson's actions and he waded in, swinging left and right to face. Nelson was wild and missed two rights to face. The Dane landed a left to the head and Abe was holding to escape Nelson's rushes. Attell jabbed two straight lefts to the face, but Nelson retaliated by swinging right and left to face. Attell jabbed cleverly to face with his ever-ready left and escaped a wicked right hand punch by clever side stepping. Nelson kept forcing Attell, but the latter's cleverness kept the Dane from inflicting any punishment. The bell ended the round with both men boxing at a distance.