1910-05-27 Stanley Ketchel W-KO2 Willie Lewis [National Sporting Club, New York, NY, USA]

1910-05-28 The Evening Telegram (New York, NY) (page 6)

LEWIS DROPPED TO THE MAT IN SECOND ROUND
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Ketchel Swung Over a Right Chop and the Bout Ended in a Hurry.
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Well, there was nothing to it. Stanley Ketchel just landed on Lewis' jaw with a right hand chop, and "Willie" took the count last night in the second round of a scheduled ten round bout at the National Sporting Club, in West Forty-fourth street.

After sparring for about one minute in the second, Stanley hooked a left to "Willie's" midsection, and he doubled up like a jack-knife. Then the middleweight champion stepped back a foot and measured his distance very carefully, then shot over a short right hook to the point of the jaw.

Lewis fell to the mat like a log, turned over on his back, rolled his eyes, then closed them as Referee O'Rourke counted ten. His seconds rushed over and carried him to his corner, helpless.

In the opening round Lewis seemed to have a slight lead at the finish, but it could be plainly seen that Ketchel was only trying his opponent out. "Willie" landed a fierce left jab to the face and in the close quarters Stanley worked a short uppercut to chin and missed two right swings in the breakaway, which, had either reached its mark, would have ended the fight.

Ketchel made his appearance through the aisles first in a long black overcoat and seated himself in the northwest chair, where he stripped to black trunks and was looked after by his manager, "Jimmy" Smith and "Joe" Ferguson, followed in a few seconds by Lewis, who received the lion's share of applause, as his followers were on hand in large numbers.

"Willie" took the southeast corner and was handled by "Dan" McKetrick, his manager; "Danny" Morgan and "Jim" Stewart. After donning the gloves the boys stepped to the centre of the ring to receive instructions and agreed to fight until ordered to break by the referee.

While waiting for the gong Lewis looked a bit nervous and shuffled his feet in the rosin, while Ketchel chatted with friends around the ringside and shook hands with each of his seconds. He looked in good shape and appeared to be well trained for the occasion.

Long before the time set for the fight to begin 2,500 enthusiasts, who came from all directions and included many whose faces have been familiar in and around ringside events for many years, were seated in the boxes and chairs anxious for the bell to start the boxers on their journey.

"Jim" Savage, "Jim" Stewart, Sailor Burke and "Tommy" Maloney were introduced to the members while the principals were getting ready for their contest.

"Jim" Smith, Lewis' sparring partner, met "Sailor" Carter, a negro middleweight, champion of the navy, in the semi-final bout, scheduled for six rounds, but it did not go the limit, as Smith had the sailor all but out in the first session, when his second threw up the sponge.

It was a good fight and furnished the crowd with plenty of excitement. Smith floored Carter twice in the first round, but he came back and fought hard and took a severe beating up until the time his second called a halt.


1910-05-28 The New York Times (New York, NY) (page 11)

LEWIS LASTED LESS THAN TWO ROUNDS
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Champion Ketchel Wins at National Sporting Club Without Damage to Himself.
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Willie Lewis, with a halo of Parisian ring victories around his devoted head, but a knockout in three rounds by Papke in the French capital to his discredit, was put soundly to sleep last night by Stanley Ketchel at the National Sporting Club one minute after the second round of their ten-round bout had started. Nor was there any doubt about the manner and completeness of Ketchel's victory. Lewis was out for fully five minutes after being hit on the jaw by a short right-hand swing, and had to be carried to his corner by his seconds and Referee O'Rourke.

The first round was a sparring contest. Ketchel assumed a style absolutely new for him of boxing with his opponent at long range. Only two or three blows were landed in these first three minutes, and at their conclusion the bout had every appearance of going its scheduled distance. A half minute before the gong sounded in the first round Ketchel landed a light right to the face, and coincident with the clanging of the bell Lewis put a straight left on Ketchel's mouth.

Apparently cheered by his ability to land in this wise, Lewis started the second round by jabbing three times with his left to the face. Ketchel's defense was wide open at this time, but he was constantly the aggressor. Lewis was, as he had been during the first round, very nervous and fidgety, frequently covering up hard when his opponent was completely out of range.

Soon after the second round started Ketchel forced Lewis into a neutral corner and landed right and left to the face. The second blow, a clean half swing, landed on the jaw, and it seemingly dazed Lewis, for the latter started to mix it up with his heavier opponent. Ketchel, carefully measuring the distance, then shot a terrific right half-swing flush to the point of the jaw.

Lewis lurched forward and fell on his knees and then toppled slowly over until his shoulders touched the floor. He lay on his left side, his left arm under his head, as completely out as a fighter ever was. Referee O'Rourke slowly tolled the seconds over him, but Lewis's involuntarily twitching his legs were the only signs he gave of life.

After the tenth second had been counted O'Rourke leaned over and started to lift Lewis to his feet. The latter's head hung limply over his left shoulder and his eyes still had the glassy stare that marked total unconsciousness. By this time Lewis's seconds had climbed into the ring, and three of them, with O'Rourke helping, carried the defeated man to his corner.

After working on him for about five minutes his seconds finally brought Lewis's senses back, and then he clambered shakily to his feet and tottered across the ring through the ropes and down the aisle to his dressing room.


1910-05-28 The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) (page 12)

WILLIE MAKES FATAL MISTAKE
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Kids Himself That He Can Trade Jolts With Ketchel.
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Special to The Post-Standard.
BY HARDY D. CASHMAN.

NEW YORK, May 27.--Willie Lewis made the mistake of his fighting career early in the second round of his bout with Stanley Ketchel at the National Sporting Club to-night. He kidded himself into the belief that it was safe for him to swap punches with the middleweight champion. Then his seconds had to carry the Lewis boy to his corner and work over him some five minutes before he recovered consciousness.

A snappy right hook flush on the point of the jaw terminated the fracas. During the first period few blows had started and the fingers of one hand would suffice to count the number that landed.

During the intermission Dan McKerrick whispered in Willie's ear that Ketchel could not hurt him. Willie gave heed; hence the fatal error. After landing a smart left on the face that shook Ketchel to his heels, Lewis discarded his caution. He whipped over a right that grazed the chin.

Stanley woke up.

Bing!

Good night!


1910-05-28 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 11)

QUICK FINISH FOR LEWIS.
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Ketchel Knocks Out Welterweight in Two Rounds.

Willie Lewis, the local welterweight, who made a reputation as a fighter by whipping second and third raters in France and England, was knocked out cold in the second round by Stanley Ketchel, the middleweight champion, at the National Sporting Club in West Forty-fourth street, last night.

After a tame first round in which neither man exerted himself, Ketchel began to fight in earnest. Lewis was a pigmy in his hands. He landed a couple of left hand jabs as Ketchel rushed, but that was the best he could do. Ketchel almost knocked the wind out of him with a body punch and then at close quarters he hung a fearful right hook on the chin that sent Lewis into dreamland.

Ketchel, barring two punches, did not half try, because he evidently realized that he was up against the easiest of marks. Very few of the spectators in the big crowd figured that Lewis would stay ten rounds, but everybody was surprised by the quick ending of the battle. That Ketchel is one of the hardest hitters in the world was the general opinion as the crowd piled out of the building.

A representative crowd of members occupied expensive vantage points in the finely appointed arena long before the fun began. Ketchel had not appeared at a local club since he beat Philadelphia Jack O'Brien in a sensational fight. Ketchel weighed 158 pounds at 6 o'clock and probably took on three or more in the four hours he rested and ate before getting into the ring. Lewis on the other hand did not weigh more than 148 pounds.

The semi-final was of interest because Chuck Carlton, colored, the middleweight champion of the navy, met Jim Smith, Lewis' sparring partner, for six rounds. In the second round Smith staggered the Jack Tar with a smash on the jaw. Carlton rallied and scored a knockdown with a right hand swing on the head. Smith did all the fighting in the third and fourth and when the bell rang Carlton was just getting up from another knockdown. Smith beat the negro to the floor with the same tactics when the fifth round began and the latter's seconds threw a towel into the ring to indicate defeat.

Ketchel showed up first and was rather quietly received as he got into his corner with his seconds.

Then came Lewis, who promptly shook hands with the champion, the latter sizing him up from head to foot with a grim smile. When they stripped for the fray they looked very fit. Both wore bandages on their hands. Tom O'Rourke was the referee. The betting was 10 to 7 that Lewis would not stay the limit.

First Round--Ketchel led with a left that went high. Lewis clinched as Ketchel moved closer, and tried a right for the head. Lewis let go a left, but it was blocked, and then clinched his man in a corner. Ketchel feinted a moment and then drove a right to the body with little force. Lewis blocked and covered up and also stepped away from a dangerous right. Just before the bell Ketchel shot a left to the eye. It was Ketchel's round, but there was little or no hard work by either man.

Second Round--Ketchel put a left on the neck and followed with a right on the side of the head. Lewis danced away from another attack and then came back with a couple of lefts in the face. Ketchel took the punches with a grin and rushed Lewis to a corner. He drove in the left to the stomach with so much force that Lewis was half doubled up. Lewis squirmed out of close quarters, but Ketchel was after him like a flash. Another punch in the stomach made Lewis hang on, but Ketchel threw him off and then shot a left to the neck. Lewis tried to mix it and in so doing he made a fatal mistake, for Ketchel cut loose a fearful right hook that caught Lewis squarely on the point of the jaw. Lewis dropped like a log and rolled over on his back. The referee counted off ten seconds and then picked Lewis up. The latter was clean out and did not regain his senses for several minutes. Then he burst into tears and was led away by his seconds. The time of the round was 25 seconds.