That New Orleans Verdict Britton Got Over Lewis Still Unsolved Mystery
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BY JERRY.
Quite a number of local boxing fans, who have seen both Ted Lewis and Jack Britton in action, went down to Cincinnati, Monday night to see for themselves just how the champion manages to get decisions over the Englishman. Lewis is the big favorite with the Dayton boxing fraternity while Britton has never been a scream here and the folks in these parts simply couldn't understand how Britton got that verdict in 20 rounds at New Orleans and was awarded the title. And now they are more puzzled than ever for in the Monday night encounter they saw Lewis give Britton one of the neatest trimmings handed out in a ten round go in a long while and win the popular decision by a mile. If one did not know the boxers he would never have dreamed Britton was the champion, as the latter showed little nor nothing but that old familiar left jab and the knack of keeping his jaw away from those rights and lefts which he knows Lewis possesses. Fighting just the same way he did when he battled Young Neil and Eddie Moha in this city,
Lewis went out and made the fight and he was the first boxer seen in these parts to make Britton try something besides stand off and jab. Realizing the decision was going against him Britton tried everything in the closing rounds, but barring the eighth he was able to accomplish little. At the end of the mill Lewis had four rounds, Britton two, and four were even with Lewis having the hair in all of them. Britton won the eighth by a mile and had a shade in the ninth, but the third, fifth and sixth were easy for Lewis and in the tenth he outclassed Britton, hammering the champion around the ring and apparently having the latter very tired at the finish. While Britton seemed to be the favorite with the Cincinnati folks during the bout practically all of them admitted the fight belonged to Lewis at the finish.
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LEWIS, REAL MARVEL.
The more one sees of Ted Lewis the better one likes his work. The Englishman is a real wonder for his weight, and he is the one lad with a reputation who is willing to fight all the time he is in the ring. After watching him it is easy to figure why he is so popular with the fans, and as Frankie Mantell, witnessed the bout, said, "That kid surely likes to fight." After the men had been weighed and examined in the afternoon, Lewis was asked what he was going to do with Britton, and he said: "I was never in better shape and Jack Britton might just as well take that left hand and throw it out of the window for all the good it is going to do him tonight. He hasn't got a chance to beat me and you people will admit tonight that I am not boasting just to hear myself talk." Well, the conversation did sound a little bit like that usual stuff before the mill, but the scrap put up by Ted in the evening showed he knew whereof he spoke. He not only defeated Britton, but he was the one responsible for giving the fans of Cincinnati one of the best bouts they have ever witnessed. It was not the usual contest between two clever men, but at times took on the aspect of a real slugging match, with Lewis doing practically all of the heavy work. Ted's foot work was brilliant and he never slowed up save in the eighth and ninth, when he seemed to be suffering from a low blow delivered by Britton at the start of the eighth. In the ninth Lewis was content to rest and clinch to get back his steam, and he surely recovered it, for his finish in the tenth was of the whirlwind order. It was a tired Britton who walked to his corner at the end of the bout.
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TED TALKS OF MOHA.
Asked what he thought of his bout with Eddie Moha in this city next Monday evening, Lewis was very frank, "I ought to trim him again, but whether I knock him out or not is a different manner. Eddie is not nearly as clever at avoiding punishment as Britton and for that reason I ought to be able to hit him a good deal oftener, but at the same time he is as tough as they make them and he has to get a good wallop to go down. Then there is another thing to be considered and that is Eddie can hit a good crack with either mitt and when you are battling a boy of this kind you can never be too careful. He was a much harder nut to crack the last time than I expected and the result will likely depend on whether or not he has improved. Just the same I expect to win, but I would be foolish to say I look for a cinch with the lad, who sent me to the floor the last time we fought. I don't go into any of these matches looking for a cinch. I always try to fight my best and if the other fellow is willing to do the same, there is bound to be plenty of action for the fans." All of which was said in anything but a boasting manner by a lad who talks just as sensibly out of the ring as he performs in it.
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After the bout Danny Morgan, manager of Britton, said he thought the mill was a good draw. Could any better proof be offered as to Lewis' victory?1917-03-27 Dayton Evening Herald (Dayton, OH) (page 14)
Lewis' Punch and Craftiness Too Much for Jack Britton
By TOM POWERS.
Judging from the way Ted Lewis took the measure of Jack Britton at Cincinnati Monday night, local fans will see some real slugging when the youthful Englishman stacks up against Eddie Moha at the Dayton Gymnastic club next Monday night. Fans who journeyed down to see the Queen city mill were treated to a real surprise in that the two welters, who are supposed to be the last thing in ring cleverness, stood toe to toe and slugged away for ten rounds. The second surprise of the evening was the way Jimmy Johnston's lad handled the clever Britton, winning eight of the ten rounds.
Six times before have the two met and each time Ted has given the champ an awful run for the honors. Two of the previous mills were won by Lewis and two went to Britton, while the rest were no-decision affairs. And while the Monday evening mill will go down in the no verdict column, Lewis was the real winner.
Lewis' great left hand played all sorts of tricks with Britton during the course of the evening and critics were astonished at the inability of Morgan's fighter to cope with it. The crafty Britton tried all of his tricks but they were of no avail and Ted continued to pile up his lead until he had the bout cinched. From the outset of the fight it was evident that there was no love lost between the men as Lewis opened the session with a left twister to Britton's jaw which nearly upset the champ. From then on it was a continuation of wallops and only in the eighth did Morgan's man have a shade. In that period Jack slammed the Kid on the jaw and he went down, but was up before the count started and right at work again.
At all times was Lewis able to break through Britton's defense, while on the other hand the champ, on most occasions, was unable to get by the guard set by the English lad. Again Lewis showed that the title of fighter-boxer was rightfully placed by his tremendous wallops.
Barring any kind of accidents Lewis should be in tip-top shape for his mill here next week, and can be counted on to give Moha the battle of his life. A lot of fans figure that he will put the Cream city kid down for the count in the early rounds, but Moha is a tough bird and likely to spring a surprise. Last year when the two met it was one of the first important bouts Eddie had participated in and he was naturally nervous. But with a year of hard work behind him he should do much better and the probabilities are that Lewis will be kept quite busy.
1917-03-27 The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) (page 6)
CHAMPION
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Shaded By Teddy Lewis.
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English Boxer Leads in Eight of Ten Rounds in Bout With Jack Britton.
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RESULTS OF QUEEN CITY A. C. BOXING BOUTS.
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Results of Queen City A. C. boxing bouts:
Ted Lewis won popular decision over Jack Britton in 10 rounds.
Chuck Wiggens outpointed Dummy Jordan in a six-round contest.
Al Thompson won the popular decision over Slats Gutzweiller in a six-round bout.
Young Bobby Dobbs outpointed Battling Munroe in a six-round go.
Frank Bowinkle shaded Young Camile in six rounds.
Frank Mills referee.
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There were two surprises last evening at the Queen City Athletic Club's show. First, the contest between Champion Jack Britton and Ted Lewis proved to be a real slugging match instead of a scientific bout. The second surprise was the manner in which Lewis handled the old war horse. In the first eight rounds Lewis had the shade in every round and had no trouble in landing on the elusive Britton, who seemed to be without his old-time defense. In only two rounds did Britton overshadow his crafty opponent--the eighth and ninth. The tenth round saw Lewis back on his stride and hitting Britton from all angles. The crowd cheered wildly as the gladiators left the ring, as they felt that the contest was as good as anything ever pulled off in the fistic line in this section of the country. Britton weighed 145 pounds and Lewis 144 pounds at 3 o'clock.From the very start it was evident that there was no love lost between the two men. Lewis started off by planting his right on Britton's jaw for a twister. Back came Jack, determined not to let Lewis repeat the trick, but to the surprise of all Ted waded in and piled rights and lefts on Jack's face and body without a second's let-up.
"Wait till Jack gets started," shouted some one in Britton's corner. And the crowd waited. But there was no evidence of Britton getting started till the contest was nearly over. Lewis was at him like a tiger and performed wonderful stunts with his great left hand. Britton tried all his tricks, but they were of no avail. Lewis continued to pile up his lead, and there was no change in the situation until the eighth round, when Britton came out of his corner with a rush and soaked Ted right square on the jaw. The blow almost upset Lewis, but he managed to stay on his feet. Jack tore in again and sent home some very effective left handers. The blows had their effect, and Ted was very glad when the round was over. Britton kept up his good work in the ninth round and earned the shade beyond a question of doubt, but in the final round Lewis took on new life and made a whirlwind finish.
The sports could not account for Britton's inability to cope with Lewis. In all their previous fights Jack proved the stronger and more aggressive fighter, but last night Lewis did all the forcing and most of the clean punching. His work was a revelation to old-time ring fans, many of whom said that they had never seen his equal. Britton put forth his very best licks, but had no excuse. He was up against it for fair, and there was no question as to the winner.
Britton went into the ring a big favorite, and the sports went broke on him. He has always been highly regarded in his chosen profession in the Queen City, but the wise ones have to admit that Lewis is a comer, and it will be a long time before a man can be found capable of knocking him out.
Besides the main event there were four six-round bouts. The preliminaries were fast and exciting. Frankie Bowinkle, the Dayton Kid, scored his first victory as a professional when he defeated Young Camiel in six rounds. This was some battle, and the result was uncertain until the last round, when Bowinkle came like a race horse and won hands down.
Two colored fighters, Bobby Dobbs II, and Battling Monroe, furnished as interesting six-round go as one would care to see. Dobbs knows a whole lot about boxing and fought like a champion. He won the decision, but Brother Munroe was there forty ways from the jack and the sports thoroughly enjoyed the fun.
The contest between "Slats" Gutsweller and Al Thompson was also a slugging match. Thompson fought an improved fight over the last time he met Gutsweller and deserved the decision, but "Slats's" showing was nothing to be sneered at.
Dummy Jordan fought the poorest fight of his ring career in his meeting with Chuck Wiggens. The latter must have hit Jordan a hundred times on the jaw, but could not put him out. There was no question as to the better man.
The show was well handled by Managers Widmyer and Shevlin, but it was an expensive one and the promoters did not bank any coin. Frank Mills refereed and his work was perfect.
1917-03-27 The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH) (page 6)
LEWIS LICKS CHAMP
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Ted Lewis handed Jack Britton something Monday night and it wasn't what Britton wanted either.For Lewis gave the welterweight champion a nice young licking in their 10-round scrap at Heuck's theater. It was the ninth fight between the two stars.
Lewis won or held Jack even in nearly every round by carrying the fight to the champion at all times and keeping Britton away from him with a left-hand that is a wonder.
Britton fought a retreating bout most of the time. He displayed rare ring generalship, but it was evident the old master is losing some of his skill.
No Knockdowns Scored
The bout was a rattling good one even tho there were no knockdowns. Both tried hard and in the eighth got real sore at each other over some low punches. Britton's corner, tho, broke even on the night. Dum Dan Morgan, Britton's manager, out-talked Jimmy Johnston, Lewis' manager, all thru the fight and claimed a decision on that point, 2698 words to 1897.
We also get it, on good authority, that Morgan outdistanced Johnston in the race to the telegraph office after the bout.
Wordy War In First
Britton's right glove became ripped in the first round and while a new one was being substituted between rounds Morgan outtalked Johnston two words to one even tho Johnston had the cleverest argument.
Johnston claimed Britton had purposely spoiled the glove to gain time, as Lewis had punished Britton a good deal in the opening session.
Morgan came back with cries of "Lucky stiff" at Lewis, claiming Lewis would have been beaten right then if the glove had held together.
Other bouts on the card went this way: Frank Bowinkle beat Young Camile, six rounds; Joe Dobbs beat Young Monroe in six rounds; Al Thompson beat Slats Guzweiler in six rounds, and Chuck Wiggins beat Dummy Jordan in six rounds.
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