GRIFFO AND GANS.
The Feather Smothers the Clever Colored Baltimore Lad.
The Feather Smothers the Clever Colored Baltimore Lad.
The fifteen round bout between Young Griffo and Joe Gans, the clever colored boy from Baltimore, before the Olympic Athletic Club at Athens last night, was declared a draw in accordance with the agreement made between the club and Gans' manager. Before the bout began, however, Griffo announced that he was willing that a decision should be rendered. So far as the bout went, it was like all in which Griffo appears as one of the principals. He simply smothered Gans by his cleverness, and in two of the rounds had the colored boy on the edge of Queer street, but on both those interesting occasions his own manifestly lack of condition made it impossible for him to follow up his advantage. Gans is a far better lad than his work last night would suggest. He was visibly rattled at Griffo's tactics, and in the first five rounds there was a constant look of almost amused embarrassment on his face. If he had put up the fight of which he is really capable--gone in hammer and tongs particularly after the tenth round, he would have made a far better showing. As it was the only time he showed the stuff of which he is really made, were when Griffo, departing from his usual custom, would start rushing as though he meant to finish the business in jig time. Then Gans would mix it up in a way that aroused the enthusiasm of the spectators.
In the preliminaries Dan Dougherty got a deserved verdict over Kid Madden, and Young Mahony bested Danny McMahon. The latter bouts were of ten rounds each.
1897-09-22 The Philadelphia Record (Philadelphia, PA) (page 11)
GRIFFO AND GANS DRAW.
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Mahoney Defeats McMahon and Dougherty Wins From Madden.
The lovers of boxing were given a rare treat at the Olympic Athletic Association, Athens, Delaware County, last night. There were two ten-round and one fifteen-round bouts scheduled. The last was between Young Griffo and Joe Gans, the colored boxer, of Baltimore. The club was placed at a disadvantage because Griffo would not box unless the bout was at catch weights, and Gans would not consent to anything but a draw if both men were on their feet at the end of the fifteen rounds. Gans took his time and made Griffo do most of the work for the first seven rounds. Occasionally the Baltimore lad would send in his left in a hooked fashion, but he did not seem to distress Griffo in the least. Gans settled down to work in the seventh, and from that to the twelfth the boxing was as fast as has ever been seen in this vicinity. The twelfth was especially hot, and the crowd cheered the boxers to the echo. In this round Griffo did some very clever punching over the colored boy's heart. Gans' work tired him, and for the next few rounds Griffo found him pretty easy.
In the fifteenth round Gans was sent in to make a grand stand finish, but the Australian was there every time and gave as good as he got. No decision was given, but a draw would have been fair to both boxers.
Young Mahoney got a well-earned decision over Danny McMahon. The latter was the cleverer of the two, but Mahoney had the advantage in height and reach. McMahon tried all his famous rushes and right-hand swings, but Mahoney met him with stiff left handers in return, and several times rushed him around the ring, having Danny in tight places which it took all his skill to get out of.
Danny Dougherty defeated Kid Madden in the opening bout. It was a very good contest and both lads did some clever and hard punching.
1897-09-22 The Sun (Baltimore, MD) (page 6)
Gans and Griffo Draw.
Philadelphia, Sept. 21.--Young Griffo, of Australia, and "Joe" Gans, the colored boy from Baltimore, met at the Olympic Club at Athens tonight in a 15-round fight.
Up to the seventh round the bout was tame, Griffo only fighting when pushed by Gans. The seventh was a hot one, during which both landed viciously upon each other. Matters became uninteresting again until the twelfth round. This was also full of ginger, and there was one mix up after another. The next three rounds were tame, and when time was called at the finish both men were standing on their feet.
1897-09-22 The Times (Philadelphia, PA) (page 3)
GANS AND GRIFFO DRAW
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In Their Fifteen Round Go at Athens Last Night.
It is seldom the good game sport's good fortune to witness the equal of the boxing show given at Athens last night. Only a fair crowd was present, but they were well repaid for the journey down the country. The fifteen round wind-up between Young Griffo, of Australia, and Joe Gans, of Baltimore, was about as good as could have been ordered. By a prearrangement between the two fighters, the bout was to have been declared a draw if both men were on their feet at the end of the go. As it turned out, the prearranged decision was unnecessary, as no fair-minded referee could have declared anything else but a draw judging on the bare merits of the go. Gans showed the least bad effects of the engagement, though his eye was swollen somewhat. Griffo showed nothing but a trifling swelling of the nose and a few abrasions of the skin on the cheek and neck. Griffo had the best of the weight and Gans had the other physical advantages. All the bouts went the limit and the decisions met with universal approval.
1897-09-23 Baltimore American (Baltimore, MD) (page 3)
Gans Home Again.
"Joe" Gans, the clever light-weight colored pugilist, who has been up against some of the best men in his class, arrived home last night from Philadelphia, in company with his manager, Al Hereford. Gans fought a fifteen-round draw with Griffo, the Australian, at Athens, near Philadelphia, on Tuesday night. The accounts published in the Philadelphia papers yesterday stated that Gans had all the best of the contest.
1897-09-23 Morning Herald (Baltimore, MD) (page 5)
Gans Vs. Griffo.
Manager Al Herford is very much pleased with the showing that Gans made against Griffo at Athens. According to those who saw the fight and the Philadelphia newspaper men, Gans had all the best of it, and Griffo was playing in dead good luck to get a draw.
1897-09-23 The Sun (Baltimore, MD) (page 6)
Gans and Griffo Fought Hard.
Reports from Philadelphia say that the Gans-Griffo fight, which took place at Athens, Pa., near that city, Tuesday evening, was a hurricane affair all through. The fighters agreed that if both were on their feet at the end of the fifteen rounds it should be declared a draw.
Little was done in the first round. Gans staggered Griffo with a left in the second. In rounds 3 to 9 both fought fast and hard and were both tiring.
Gans opened the ninth round fast and hard and had the better of it. In the eleventh Gans looked like a winner. Twice during the round he staggered Griffo. Slugging with equal honors marked the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth rounds.
William Rocap, the ex-amateur champion boxer, is reported to have said after the fight that Griffo was lucky in even getting the decision of "draw."
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