1907-05-24 Abe Attell W-PTS20 Benny Kid Solomon [Naud Junction Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA, USA]

1907-05-25 Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, CA) (page 8)

ATTELL PLAYS WITH SOLOMON FOR 20 ROUNDS
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Local Boy Never Has Even Look-in
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Whatever Credit Given to Solomon for Staying Until the End Is Due Attell--Two Rattling Preliminaries
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Poor Kid Solomon stayed twenty rounds with Abe Attell last night at Naud Junction pavilion, but to Abie must be given credit for Solomon's extended sojourn between the ropes. Nothing less than a slaughter ensued with Solomon acting as the sacrifice.

Maybe Abe Attell did not have it in him to send his opponent away, but there are few who witnessed the farce that believe Solomon remained on his merits. Abe fought a cruel battle. A knockout would have seemed more humane from and standpoint. But Attell was content to tantalize and cut his man, sneering and mocking as he jabbed and uppercutted.

When the final gong sounded and Solomon had shuffled to his corner bleeding and tired, Attell stepped to the ropes before removing his gloves.

"My hands are so sore I can hardly stand it," remarked Abe.

But if Attell's hands are sore, how must the poor Kid's face feel this morning? For twenty rounds Abe peppered the Sonoratown pride until it seemed as though the limit of endurance had been reached.

But Attell was not trying for a knockout. This was amply confirmed in several instances when Solomon did something to displease the curly headed youth before him. At times Solomon in a vain attempt to raise excitement rushed Attell. The latter backed to the ropes, covering, while the crowd yelled for Solomon.

Back to the center would come Attell, grimacing and feigning grogginess. Then his sparkling eyes gleamed with wickedness, the little demon stung his man with vicious rights and lefts, which if continued would surely have resulted in a knockout.

At such moments Solomon's head rocked and his eyes closed with weariness as he weakly stumbled about. But Attell was not carried away by savageness. He wanted to leave a remembrance upon Benny's features.

Attell Is Cruel

Time and again Abe rasped his glove over Solomon's ear as though bent upon printing the "cauliflower." At the ringside they begged Abe to go in and finish his man. Nothing of the sort. Abe was minded to be cruel and if vengeance for Solomon's audacity in challenging him was sought he surely gained sufficient satisfaction.

A remarkable feature of the affair and one which would tend to prove that Attell was out for an exercise gallop only, lies in the fact that Attell absolutely had no sign of perspiration on his body when the final gong sounded.

Without doubt Solomon was weak and fearful of what lay in store for him. His footwork was way to the bad and half of the punishment he received came from his own wild rushes into Attell's waiting gloves.

Several times during the performance Solomon fell to the floor, once half way through the ropes. In one instance the difference in strength became more than ordinarily manifest.

During the second round Attell put a right to the stomach. The blow was not overly severe, but as Solomon attempted to back away he stumbled and fell. Attell in a rush also slipped. As the boys landed Attell in some manner went beneath the sorely pressed kid.

It was not Solomon, however, who came up first. Like a lizard Attell twisted out and flashed to his feet in time to tender Solomon aid. There was not a moment during the wearisome affair when Solomon looked to have a chance. Attell felt him out in the first few rounds and then made fun of him for the remainder.

Desperate at his inability to land, Solomon became wild. The woozier hee waxed the more patronizing became Abe. Stumbling half blinded about the ring Solomon was a sorry sight. Early in the fray his nose resembled a robin red breast, and at the end it might not have been likened to anything in particular.

Delay at Start

Not altogether smooth was the manner of starting. For some reason or other Attell delayed the proceedings for forty minutes after Solomon had entered the ring. Rumors were to the effect that Attell looking over the house decided that at least a goodly guarantee be made before he climbed between the ropes.

Evidently he came to satisfactory agreement as a smile of contentment hovered over his features as he at last made an appearance. The wait proved wearisome to the fair crowd in attendance and resulted in a late hour conclusion of a frosty affair.

The men went gingerly about their business, Attell trying to draw his opponent out. From the start Attell simply made a fool of the kid. As early as the fourth he was laughing and kidding about the ring, stabbing with rights and lefts that wreaked havoc among Solomon's features.

But for Attell helping him Solomon would have fallen at the end of the fifth as he swung wildly with a wooly left. Solomon let nothing get by him, for if there is any kind of a blow which the champion failed to plant those in direct view of the proceedings failed to make note.

Solomon cannot be touted as a game ringster judging from last night's affair. He accepted an awful beating but was not there with the stiff lip. In the seventh he endeavored to claim a foul and sank to one knee after Attell had put a right to the body and a left to the head. He remained in a stooping posture until Eyton had counted seven. Then came the gong.

Again in the eighth Solomon flirted with the foul. Eyton was forced to warn him against hitting low. The only round in which Solomon could claim partial recognition was the ninth in which he landed several blows that had little or no effect.

It was biff bang and jim jam for Attell until the final gong. Referee Eyton raised Abe's hand, though Manny Lowenstein could have made no protest had Eyton forgotten to render a decision.

Two good six-round preliminaries furnished excitement. In the first go Young McGovern took a decision from game little Jimmy Erwin. Some objection was entitled to Tommy Walsh's verdict, though McGovern seemed to have a nice shade.

Early Saine did not know sufficient about the game, but Kid Webster, who gained the decision, fought a rather mediocre battle.