LOUISIANA NOT IN CLASS WITH HERMAN
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Local Bantam Wins Fifteen Out of Twenty Rounds--Bout One-Sided.
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Kid Herman, the little New Orleans bantamweight, fighting in the best form that he has ever shown in a local contest, completely outclassed "Louisiana," the Philadelphia bantam, in a twenty-round bout at the Tulane Athletic Club last night, and thereby regained his old-time position on the pedestal of popularity from which he slipped a trifle some time ago through poor showings against rather mediocre fighters.--------
Local Bantam Wins Fifteen Out of Twenty Rounds--Bout One-Sided.
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Herman won fifteen out of the twenty rounds by greater or less margins, three were classed as even and two went to Louisiana.
The latter two were the thirteenth and fourteenth and in these the visiting boxer made his only real hearty bid for the verdict. Finding that he could do nothing with the local youngster in the straight boxing and fighting game, Louisiana in the two rounds mentioned cast care to the winds and tore in. He completely disregarded the rain of short jabs and hooks that Herman poured in on his face and body, took them and smiled and kept boring in, at the same time swinging wildly to face, ribs, stomach and kidneys. His efforts, though wild, were earnest and in refreshing contrast to the one-sidedness of the greater part of the battle.
Herman went into the ring carrying a large sized and angry looking boil on his chin just at the point of the jaw, and when this was seen, many of the fans present thought that Louisiana would be sure to make a target of it. Possibly he tried to do so, but so far as was seen from the northeast corner of the ring, he has yet to hit that target.
'TWAS ALL HERMAN
It was practically all Herman and though the little fellow was under the handicap imposed by the boil, he fought a great fight. The aggressor at practically all times, he made Louisiana look like an amateur in the boxing game. The visitor was as much at sea as though he were midway between San Francisco and Australia. He willingly started punches, hard ones, too, but they landed nowhere. He tried it at long range, he tried to get in close. He tried swings, hooks, uppercuts and jabs. All failed. The only thing that he could work, and these were only occasionally, were long side-arm hooks to the ribs and stomach. When they landed Herman flinched, but they landed too seldom.
From the first round to the last it was almost the same thing. At the first Herman was going at so rapid a pace that many thought he could not last, especially as it was thought that the boil must have weakened him, but last he did. When he won the first four rounds by a wide margin, it was thought also that Louisiana was simply biding his time, waiting for Herman to work himself out, and then going out with a rush to finish things up. However, this, too, proved to be the wrong "dope" on the situation, for never for a moment from first to last, did Herman let up in the terrific pace that he set and this pace was many, many notches too great for Louisiana.
The latter, it appears, is a fighter, pure and simple. He knows little and cares less for the boxing end of the game. He relies on his ability to hit and hit hard. But it seems also that he must be set to deliver a telling punch. Well, when his opponent would not stay still long enough for him to get set to deliver, he was simply "up in the air."
Herman boxed beautifully and slugged, at times, on even terms with his opponent. Of course, there was nothing to it in the boxing department, but Herman, and when it came to the slugging, Herman surprised even his most ardent admirers by outfighting and outslugging Louisiana.
The latter would tear in, miss one, take a couple of sharp jabs on the face, become rattled at the way Herman was on him and out again, then fall into a clinch. Now, it was generally thought that in the clinches Louisiana would get in some telling work, but not so, not so. Herman landed four to one in the clinches, as in everything else.
VISITOR OUTCLASSED
In short, the phrase, "Herman outclassed Louisiana," describes the contest completely. It leaves little to be told. Louisiana finished the bout trying hard, but he could accomplish no telling effects.
Quite a little blood was spilled. In the very first round the boys bumped heads and Herman's face, over the left eye, was cut. In the latter rounds Louisiana suffered from a cut under the right eye coming from a vicious left jab and later still an old wound in the side of his head was opened and bled profusely.
The contest was viewed by only a fair-sized crowd, the rival attraction at the Dauphine undoubtedly having its effect in this respect.
Dick Roche, a local lad who has been out of the game nearly two years, punctuated his come-back with a victory over George Sirey, a boy who has been winning by knockouts recently. Roche was beaten nearly the whole way through, but was game and tough and in the final round wore Sirey down and punished him so that the referee stopped the bout about a minute before the end. There were two four-round preliminaries.
1915-07-03 The New Orleans Item (New Orleans, LA) (page 8)
HERMAN CLIMBING TOWARD THE TITLE
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Peter Herman's punch is in process of development, and when it is well developed Peter will be the fight fans' pick to take the championship away from Kid Williams.--------
Herman earned a decision Friday night over "Louisiana," Philadelphia bantam, who recently gave Williams quite a mauling. The bout went 20 rounds, and at the end of the 20th there was no other decision possible than a verdict for the little New Orleans boxer for he had outpointed "Louisiana" nearly all the way.
"Louisiana" was a distinct disappointment. He wasn't good enough to even extend Herman, who was second in the betting because the sports thought that the boy who had twice knocked down the sturdy Williams was good enough to defeat Pete.
"Louisiana" Over-Rated
"Louisiana" was a stronger betting favorite at the ringside than he had been all the week because of a boil that had appeared on Herman's chin some 36 hours before the fight.
So big and troublesome was this boil that Herman's manager, "Red" Walsh, tried to have the bout postponed, and it would have been postponed but for the refusal of "Louisiana's" manager to remain longer on the scene. He said he had to get back East and wouldn't agree to put off the mill.
Walsh remembered what happened to Herman when he fought Frankie Burns with a boil in his nose, and he practically made up his mind that Pete was in for another trouncing.
Pete Used to Boils
But "Louisiana" is not the boxer that Burns is, and not near the ring general. Burns lamped the boil first thing and aimed every other jab at the spot where it blossomed. "Louisiana" wasn't boxer enough and he wasn't smart enough to see the advantage he might have gained.
And Herman, too, showed that he had become used to boils. At first he was very careful to guard the infected spot but when he saw that "Louisiana" wasn't wise to his opportunities Pete forgot the boil and at times set in to slug with the Philadelphian with wonderful success. And in the finer points of the game he excelled to such an extent that a comparison is out of the question.
Moore Defeats Coster
While Herman was winning from "Louisiana," Young Pal Moore was turning a little trick at another fight mill. The young Memphian took Young Coster into camp. Neither affair was very profitable.
Dick Roche, who has been out of the game a good while, wore down George Sirey in the semi-final at the Tulane club. Sirey had Roche outpointed in the majority of the rounds, but Roche was tough and game.
