1908-05-14 Joe Gans W-TKO11 Rudy Unholz [Coliseum, San Francisco, CA, USA]

1908-05-15 The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA) (page 12)

Joe Gans Stops "Boer" Unholz Handily in Eleven Rounds
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Champion Outfights Clumsy Opponent
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A Right to the Jaw Brings Unequal Contest to an End
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By R. A. Smyth

The lightweight championship title, which Joe Gans has held for six years, was not menaced when he met Boer Unholz last night in the Coliseum. Gans had Unholz helpless in the eleventh round and Referee Jack Welch stopped the affair, as it was evident that the Boer could not defend himself against the alert boxer who had steadied himself for the final effort.

The fight bore out all that The Call said about it, as in no stage did Unholz have a chance with Gans. He had absolutely no boxing style and the only qualities that carried him as far as he went were his extreme awkwardness and ruggedness. The majority of the boys who take part in the four round bouts here outclass him completely in their knowledge of the game.

PLAYS FOR BOER'S EYE

Unholz fought with his shoulder held high in order to protect his jaw, and when he crouched down he presented no vulnerable part for the usually unerring blows of the champion. In order to get him to straighten up Gans commenced to play for Unholz' left eye, and this soon seemed as large to the spectators as the famous target of the Mulligan guards. It did not seem possible for Gans to miss it, and it fairly amused the spectators to see the helplessness of the Boer in protecting that point.

Gans had his man pretty thoroughly cut down in the fifth round, and after that it seemed the end would come at any time. There was some theatrical play in the seventh round which the spectators could not understand.

The men were in a clinch and Unholz was trying for the body when Gans pushed his hand aside and shot a left hook to the chin. Unholz staggered back a step and Gans put a right to the ear. Unholz tried to save himself from going down by catching Gans, but failed. He fell to the mat, and Teddy Wolff tossed a towel into the ring, signaling that the defeat of Unholz was acknowledged.

BELL SAVES UNHOLZ

Joe Thomas, Unholz' manager, and the other seconds in the corner did not try to restrain Wolff, but Referee Jack Welch refused to heed the signal and ordered the men to proceed. To the spectators it seemed prearranged in order to save Unholz from being knocked out. The bell saved Unholz in the eighth round from a knockout, as Gans dazed him with a left hook to the jaw.

Again in the tenth round it seemed the end had come. Joe sent his famous right hand to the jaw, his glove not traveling more than four inches. Unholz fell into his arms and then sank to the floor. He showed his appreciation of theatrical effect by crawling on his hands and knees to the side of the ring and lifting himself up by the ropes. He was on his feet at the end of eight seconds and showed by his actions that he had been shamming.

Early in the eleventh round Gans landed a left hook to the jaw and followed this with a hard right to the jaw. Unholz went down dazed and was down some seven seconds. When he stood up he turned his back on Gans, who was standing quietly by, and commenced boxing with an imaginary opponent in his own corner. It seemed too ridiculous to be the true actions of a man in his condition, but Referee Welsh accepted it as genuine rather than take a chance of having a helpless man injured and motioned him to his corner, giving Gans the fight.

Unholz was badly cut about his face, but the $3,000 he received for his share with the $1,000 his manager, Joe Thomas, received will compensate him for his experience with the hard hitting Gans. The latter was fighting for a percentage, and under the peculiar conditions he will receive less for winning than the businesslike Boer will get for losing.