1916-05-16 Johnny Dundee W-PTS12 Matt Wells [Armory Athletic Association, Boston, MA, USA]

1916-05-17 The Boston Daily Globe (Boston, MA) (page 8)

WELLS GETS LACING FROM JOHNNY DUNDEE
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New Yorker Too Fast for the British Boxer
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Battle Becomes One-Sided Affair After the First Round
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Johnny Dundee, the New York Italian lightweight, gave Matt Wells, the ex-champion of England, a bad whaling last night in their 12-round bout at the Armory A. A., and Dundee was given the decision.

It was a one-sided affair after the first round, and it is doubtful if the old ring warrior, Wells, was ever before handed such a mauling. Dundee was too fast and clever for Wells, and in every round jabbed and hooked him in the face, jaw and body repeatedly. Wells stood up under the fusillade of punches fired at him, and was always willing to give Dundee an argument.

Occasionally Wells landed a jab, hook or counter on the body or face. In the opening and seventh sessions Wells landed some stiff left and right hooks on Dundee's jaw, but the latter paid him back tenfold. Dundee paid a great deal of attention to Wells' sore ears and body, and when at close quarters or at long range landed some punches on these spots that made Wells wince.

Dundee showed he was a good infighter and blocker. His footwork was also fine. Time after time Dundee was in such positions that it looked certain that Wells would be able to land a stiff punch, but Dundee's fast footwork got him away from them.

In the opening bout Johnny Downs of South Boston had easy game in Tommy Fox of Charlestown and got the decision at the end of six rounds.

Johnny Donovan of South Boston had a soft thing in the next six rounds. His opponent was Jim Gray of Chelsea. Donovan got the decision.

George Torchy of Milwaukee was another mark. He met George Robinson in the semifinal and was so badly off in the second round that Referee Flaherty stopped the bout and declared Robinson the winner. After the bout Dundee took the 11:15 train for Buffalo to meet Johnny O'Leary tonight.

Johnny Griffiths of Akron will meet Willie Beecher in the feature bout next Tuesday night. Johnny Downs will box Jeff Gallant in a six-round bout. Jim McDonald, the ex-amateur heavyweight, will meet Rob Hardy of the U. S. S. Chester in one eight-round contest, and Charley Byers will clash with Tommy McFarland in another eight-round bout.


1916-05-17 The Boston Journal (Boston, MA) (page 8)

Dundee Gains Award Over Veteran Matt Wells
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NO 50-50 TO THIS BOUT
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"Scotch Wop" Beats Briton All the Way in Twelve Rounds.
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By Jack Malaney

Old Matt Wells is a game old Englishman and a tough old battler for anyone to fool with. But he goes away out of his class when he tackles a fellow like that 'Scotch Wop," Johnny Dundee. He went out of his class last night and tackled the Wop and with painful and unsuccessful results. Fifty-five Flaherty couldn't help but pass over the official decision to Dundee at the end of the main bout at the Armory A. A. show last night. There was absolutely no chance for an argument on the question.

To Wells, Dundee was somewhat like money last night--extremely hard to find or get, at times. Whenever Dundee felt that he didn't want to get near enough to Wells to allow old Matt to connect, he gave an exhibition of his eluding ability. And when Dundee starts to hop around, to jump up and down and in and out and around, he is a difficult proposition for anyone like Wells.

Gives Matt Beating

It was not by eluding Wells nor by his clever ducking and dodging that Dundee came out on top. Quite to the contrary, Johnny handed poor old Matt as merciless a beating as an ordinary man could stand up under for any length of time. In every manner known to modern fistiana did the 'Wop' slam Matt and even though Johnny must have had some feeling for the poor old timer, he failed to show it by his boxing.

Dundee mighty well known to be a boxer of exceptional merit. There never has been a doubt that he was one of the fastest and cleverest men in the country at his weight. But that he was a puncher also never occurred to the fans because they have had little opportunity to see Dundee punch as he would like to. Practically all the way through last night's mill, however, Dundee worked hard to emulate his Chicago rival, Charley White, as a hitter of note. The way he sent blows at Wells was a caution. Whether they were real punches or just feather duster wallops can only be told by old Matt and it is to be doubted that Matt is going to tell.

Dundee All the Way

From the opening session through to the final bell it was just a succession of Dundee wallops, hooks, jabs, uppercuts and everything else. Occasionally Matt did get in a kick or two and again occasionally there appeared to be a little steam behind the wallops which landed pretty clearly. But these scores served a bad purpose. They principally served to bring the Latin in Dundee to the surface. It was a rather wild Dundee who sought to even little mix-ups after Wells, had landed any kind of a blow.

From the point of action there was no fault to find with the mill. Its one-sidedness was not relished though. There was a generous scattering of Italians among the spectators who came for no other purpose than to cheer for their fellow-countryman and cheer they did. To these fans, Dundee's performance was a fine one, but it no doubt got a bit monotonous to the disinterested to see Wells fooled and humiliated so much.

McCarthy Stable Busy

Two (not one as expected) members of the Joe McCarthy stable performed in the preliminaries and, as usual, both came through with victories. Something happened to Dan McCormack so Johnny Donovan was called upon to supply the breach. Donovan had no cinch either for Jimmy Gray, whom he was pitted against, proved to be a tough little husky who could bother.

Gray is a rushing, slam-bang, mauler and one inclined to use his head and elbows through not knowing how to handle them. Donovan's clean hitting and coolness won out for him even though a couple of far-sighted fans thought differently.

His brother members, Johnny Downed, won an award over still another Johnny Munice boy, Tommy Fox. In his last start, Downed beat Red Kelley, Fox's partner.

George Torchy landed in this city from Milwaukee with quite a record to recommend him. But in last night's semi-final bout George Failed to show that he was entitled to any such record. George Robinson, the colored Cambridge battler, handled him so roughly that Flaherty stopped the mill in the second and sent Torchy to his corner.

As has been announced, Johnny Griffiths of Akron, O., will show to Boston fans for the first time next Tuesday night in the main bout with Willie Beecher, that tough New Yorker.


1916-05-17 The Evening Times (Pawtucket, RI) (page 8)

DUNDEE LACES MAT WELLS
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Briton Takes Bad Beating at Hands of New York Lightweight.
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ITALIAN BOXES CLEVERLY.
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After Sixth Round of Boston Bout Wells Has No Chance.
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DONOVAN BEATS GRAY.
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BOSTON, May 17.--Johnny Dundee, the Italian lightweight, beat Matt Wells, the English lightweight champion, every way from the deuce in a 12-round bout at the Armory A. A. last night, and won the verdict of Referee Maffit Flaherty by a mile. Any other fighter but Wells, whose gameness and willingness to take everything that ever came his way has never been questioned, would have quit any time after the sixth round.

The Englishman looked anything but a champion boxer against the wonderful Italian. But all through he kept at it and he was in there at the finish battling just as hard in the final round as in all the others. It was Dundee's fight from the opening to the closing round. Wells returned almost as good as he received in a few frames, but he rarely took the lead. His best round was the fourth. In this inning he connected with several good rights and lefts to Dundee's jaw, and between blocking and sidestepping the flying attacks he managed to make his best showing.

That little advantage was wiped out completely in the succeeding round by Dundee in one of the most furious rounds in the battle. The Italian directed his assault to the midsection, and the hardest fighting ever seen in a local ring took place. Wells weathered the session, and although beaten to every punch and outpointed at every turn, he came out surprisingly fresh for the sixth round.

Dundee Always Busy.

Dundee never missed an opportunity to score. He was as good at long range as he was at short, and Wells was a sorry sight at the finish, while Dundee left the ring unmarked.

Both men weighed in under 136 pounds yesterday afternoon, an agreement they had made. Wells had a few hours in which to take on weight, and he showed his advantage in this respect.

George Touchie of Milwaukee, who met George Robinson in the semi-final bout, never got any nearer the Cambridge boxer than to shake hands with him at the start of the contest. After that Robinson went to work in his usual systematic manner, and in two rounds the visitor from the Cream city was invited to take his corner, a loser.

Johnny Donovan, the champion disposer of set-ups developed in this vicinity in some time, bumped into a sturdy piece of property for once in his career when he faced Jimmy Gray of Chelsea in a six-round bout. Gray knew little about the finer points of the game, but he was willing enough and took a defeat fighting every inch of the way.

Johnny Downs didn't have to extend himself a great deal to outpoint Tommy Fox of Charlestown in the opening six-round bout.

Next week's programme was announced as bringing together Willie Beecher and Johnny Griffiths in the 12-round bout; Charley Byers and Tommy McFarland for eight rounds; Jim McDonald and Robert Hardy of the U. S. S. Chester for eight rounds, and a six-round bout between Jeff Gallant and Johnny Donovan.