Johnny Kilbane

 1911-12-24 Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) (page C1)
BY J. P. GARVEY.
The Clevelander was White's master at close range fighting. With all his experience and boxing ability, Charley was seldom able to keep Johnny from belting him when they drew together after missing or after Kilbane had connected with a jab, which in nine cases out of ten he followed up by getting in closer and lifting left uppercuts and hooks to head and jaw. Johnny seemed able to twist White into most acceptable positions for the use of these uppercuts, most of which were stingers.


1912-02-23 Buffalo Courier (Buffalo, NY) (page 1) - quoting sporting editor of Los Angeles Examiner
(BY H. M. WALKER)
Four separate and distinct features illuminated Kilbane's winning battle for the championship. A straight left jab which he must have landed 100 times on Attell's mouth, nose and eyes. A side-swiping left which he fanned to the champion's chin coming out of the clinches. A short right uppercut that plowed its way to Abie's face whenever Johnny found this arm free. Last of all Kilbane's perfect defense. No sooner would Johnny's scoring infuriate Attell into making a rush than Kilbane would duck, sidestep or clinch and pin Attell's two arms in such a way that he was helpless.


1912-02-23 Los Angeles Evening Herald (Los Angeles, CA) (page 9)
By JAY DAVIDSON
Attell did not put up his usual classy exhibition and failed to show within 50 per cent of the same great boxer who so frequently drew with Owen Moran and defeated Ad Wolgast and other great fighters. He seemed wholly lacking in the speed that in other battles caused the fans to marvel, and his conqueror was able frequently to beat him to his own famous punch, a left jab. Friends of the former champion were amazed at his slowness and ineffectiveness in matching wits, speed and punches with the Cleveland boy.
Kilbane fought his best battle and showed superior generalship and all-around cleverness. He won the championship with his left hand, by continually jabbing it into Attell's face and hooking it with great regularity to his head. His right hand seldom counted for much during the fight, with the exception of what work he did in the clinches, when he hooked it time and again in swift uppercuts.


1912-02-23 The Chicago Daily Tribune (Chicago, IL) (page 13)
BY HARRY GILMORE JR.
For the first time in Attel's remarkable career he was outgeneraled. Kilbane would not be nursed along to fall into the traps of Attel's trickery. Instead, he waited and allowed the champion to set the pace, meeting him repeatedly with lefts to the face and quick exchanges to the body.
Kilbane had figured wisely before jumping through the ropes that he must not crowd Attel but await his onslaught, and in this way he peppered the champion with straight lefts at every meeting. Attel seemed content to go along teasing his opponent and coaxing him to come to close quarters, but Johnny waited amid the hoots and howls of the immense crowd and Attel was compelled to force matters. Attel's great cleverness has been to judge distance, to slip and counter with terrific body blows and inside punches when the other fellow is coming in. Kilbane worked just the opposite and Abe was lost.


1912-05-15 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 9)
Burns employed rushing tactics practically all the way, but he found it a puzzle to reach the conqueror of Abe Attell. Kilbane's footwork and blocking were too much for the Jerseyman. The champion feinted him into all sorts of awkward positions and then punched him practically when and where he pleased. Kilbane was fast at long range boxing and also showed that he knew a lot about hard infighting. He used short punches with much effect and in the eighth round he had Burns in some trouble when he reached the jaw with a solid hook. Burns under fire showed real gameness and for that reason he deserves credit, but in other respects he was no match for the Cleveland boxer. Kilbane made an excellent impression as far as cleverness was concerned. He had a clean advantage in every round.


1912-05-15 The Brooklyn Daily Times (Brooklyn, NY) (page 11)
Kilbane's every movement denotes speed. He is remarkably fast on his feet and his footwork alone is enough to bewilder anybody. He bounds around the ring as though on springs and just when he seems in the way of a heavy swing he is out of range. Besides being wonderfully fast, his judgment of distance is splendid and every punch is timed to perfection. While in action, both arms are held straight out, his elbows resting against each side of his body. There are few punches that work their way inside this guard, and every lead that Burns started either faded away in the air or landed on the champion's arms. Class fairly bulged out all over Johnny.


1912-05-15 The New York Times (New York, NY) (page 12)
To the credit of the little Jerseyite, it may be said that he was game to the finish. He was always trying, but he had little success in getting his punches over, as Kilbane showed an almost perfect defense and ability to glide skillfully away from Frankie's leads. At every stage of the bout the Clevelander showed himself the master of the Jerseyite. Burns has always shown to especial advantage as an infighter, and most of his battles have been decided in his favor by the rapid-fire punches which he drove almost ceaselessly to an opponent's stomach. Against Kilbane, Burns was helpless at infighting. When he tried it in the early rounds he found that the champion carried the proper defense for these tactics, and he had to try something else. An occasional hard swing to the head proved his most effective blow, but Kilbane permitted few of these punches to land.


1912-12-13 St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, MO) (page 22)
By HARRY S. SHARPE.
Kilbane is not of the slashing, slugging type that made Terry McGovern a terror, but he has much of the speed, skill and cunning of Abe Attell, from whom he won his title. He has the body of many well-developed lightweights, but his legs are small, though strong. He blocks well and can hit from almost any position. Against Dixon he showed unbounded confidence and at times he walked in without any attempt to guard, depending only upon his skill at slipping blows or his ability to land first in an exchange.


1912-12-13 St. Louis Star (St. Louis, MO) (page 12)
BY MAL DOYLE.
It would probably have made little difference, as far as Tommy's chances were concerned, as to the outcome of the bout. Kilbane is a good, fast and shifty boxer. It will take a good boy to whip him. He can punch hard when he wants to. He has good straight lefts, he can hook. He swings or punches straight with his right. He looks like a finished boxer. His position is somewhat similar to that of old Bob Fitzsimmons. He boxes straight up. His head erect and looks like a champion. He is heavy of body and light of legs.


1913-02-05 New-York Tribune (New York, NY) (page 10)
He simply refused to take even the most remote chance, and left not even a little opening. Furthermore, he showed that he cannot hit as hard as the average paperweight. Time and again, and in rapid succession, he landed crushing wallops on the tip of Driscoll's chin, but the latter never went to the mat or even to his knees.
Kilbane boxed with remarkable skill, and there was never a moment when he was not in complete command of the situation, but, on the other hand, there was not a moment when he had Driscoll in more than momentary distress. Fiddling, feinting and stepping around his man, brushing off leads and blocking or ducking nicely the Forest City champion had Driscoll badly muddled in the early rounds. Driscoll lashed out blindly, fighting by the instinct of self-preservation, but his foe, invulnerable still, thwarted his efforts with steady skill and science.


1913-02-05 The Brooklyn Citizen (Brooklyn, NY) (page 4)
There were quite a few arguments after the bout as to whether Kilbane was under a pull. If Kilbane fought his best, then he is the poorest champion that has ever held the title. Johnny has a reputation of being a very accurate puncher, but it would be impossible to count how many punches he missed last night. In one round he went to the floor when he missed Driscoll by a foot. Johnny said to one of his friends after the bout that Driscoll's awkwardness was responsible for his many wild swings.


1913-02-05 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page S2)
By "RICE."
The greatest fault displayed by Kilbane was a lack of judgment of distance at long range that made him appear utterly foolish. Over and over again he made free swings with his right at Driscoll as the latter was coming in with his jaw wide open, and he missed nine out of every ten. With the left Kilbane swung freely, and also tried a sort of stiff arm swing, which worked with the full force of his weight behind it and was intended to do all the damage possible, but not once did that maneuver pan out successfully. Kilbane's uppercuts were as wild and futile as his swings, although Driscoll is essentially a fighter upon whom the uppercut should be used.
Kilbane's inability to land his intended demolishers upon his rival's head was by no means due to Driscoll's cleverness, for Driscoll is not clever, except for one defensive trick of bending his body backward like a contortionist and covering up in a weak imitation of Leach Cross. The whole answer was that Kilbane could not hit what he was shooting at in a clear field, with the light good and the wind in his favor, so to speak.
Only at close quarters could Kilbane be sure of landing, and then he was so crowded that he could not put enough steam into his blows to make an opponent who was obviously frightened stiff for three rounds quit coming in. He connected often enough and cleanly enough to win easily, because his own defense was entirely too much for the Italian, and it was solely a question of what he would accomplish, not what Driscoll would do. Kilbane's punches were mostly those delivered as the men were jammed together or in mixups. When he shortened his right to wreak damage upon the son of sunny Italy in such circumstances, the blow merely stung Driscoll, but did not have driving power enough to weaken him.


1913-02-05 The New York Times (New York, NY) (page 9)
Kilbane did some effective jabbing at close quarters, but in the open work he missed so often that the crowd took turns in hooting and jeering his efforts. Driscoll is a poor defensive fighter, and he left openings last night large enough for a squad of champions to pass through, but Kilbane missed them time and again. At the same time he was able to send a shower of punches against the Brooklyn boy's jaw, and he put all the power that he possessed in many of them, yet he was unable to knock Driscoll off his feet.
The lack of aggressiveness which marred Kilbane's other bouts here was more in evidence last night than ever before, and Driscoll did practically all the forcing throughout the bout. Even when the Kilbane wallops came in the fastest the Brooklyn boy often answered by swinging at the champion, and Kilbane, who a moment before seemed intent on putting an end to the bout, backed around the ring. At other times he held both arms extended and placed his gloves against Driscoll's shoulder as the latter tried to come close. At infighting Kilbane showed more speed than Driscoll, but on a few occasions the Brooklynite exchanged punches at close quarters in approved fashion, and Kilbane was the first to break ground.


1913-02-20 The Evening World (New York, NY) (page 20)
The showing made by Kilbane in this battle was so different from that when he met Frankie Burns, Johnny Dundee, Eddie O'Keefe and Young Driscoll that the spectators could not held but give him a great ovation after the mill was over. Kilbane cut out all fancy boxing, sidestepping, feinting and blocking and waded right into Kirkwood from the tap of the bell until the bout was stopped. So fast did the little champion fight that he had Kirkwood completely bewildered, and he had no trouble in landing punches in his face, body and jaw.


1913-02-20 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 10)
Kilbane was a revelation to those who saw his poor exhibitions here in the past. He bristled with speed and aggressiveness. He showed a heavy hitting power with both hands and cleverness that outclassed Kirkwood from start to finish. Kirkwood landed maybe a dozen blows, but missed half a hundred.
Kilbane possessed the accuracy of a sharpshooter and landed practically when and where he pleased.


1913-06-11 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, CA) (page 10)
(By THE TIMEKEEPER.)
Again and again he held back the old poppy wallop when the bewildered San Franciscan offered a target as big as the barn door. Fox landed just about six light blows during the five and a third rounds, and showed 20 seconds after the bell rang that he didn't have any more chance than a jack rabbit at the north pole. It was hardly a test of Kilbane's real ability as a fighter, for his stamina, endurance, nerve and absorbing power were not called into play at all. Of footwork, feinting ability, dexterity with both mits, and ability to time his blows, Kilbane is endowed wonderfully. It is small wonder that there are no boys of his weight left and that he must seek other realms in which to conquer.


1913-06-11 San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, CA) (page 15)
By HARRY B. SMITH.
Kilbane made an impressive showing, strong in every particular, save one last night, and that was his ability as a finisher. It is likely, as has been said, that he wasn't in a hurry and wanted to give the Oakland fans an opportunity to watch him in the ring. He is the fastest man on his feet in the ring today, he has good judgment of distance, not only in hitting, but in ducking swings, and he is an infighter of no mean ability.


1913-06-11 The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA) (page 10)
By JOE MURPHY
Kilbane is a wizard for speed, as he gets around the ring like a flash and he is a faultless boxer.
Kilbane is built on the Fitzsimmons style. He has very light underpinning, but he is a might husky fighter around the chest, and he has an unusually long reach. He is a wicked infighter and can rough it as well as box.
It was apparent after the first round that Fox did not even have an outside chance. Kilbane danced around his man and jabbed him at will. In the clinches he pounded Fox about the head and body and the latter seemed content to defend himself instead of fighting back. Fox, who is regarded as a mighty shifty boxer himself, could not land an effective blow.


1913-09-26 Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY) (page 23)
The champion was clever, he was cunning, he ducked, he dodged, he stepped back just at the right time; Kilbane displayed class footwork throughout the bout.


1914-02-12 Syracuse Journal (Syracuse, NY) (page 10)
Despite the fact that Kilbane's wonderful cleverness and hitting ability made his opponent seem like an amateur and even if Bresnahan hadn't put up the really sensational battle that he did, it was worth the price of admission to watch the champion in action. His footwork, his hair breadth judgment of blows and distance, his wonderful timing of wallops and his ability to land a punch through the smallest of openings was a delight to those who could appreciate the extreme science of his work, while to the others who liked only the clean hitting and hard fighting he gave all that was desired. It was a wonderful exhibition and required a close follower of the fistic game to really appreciate the work of Champion Kilbane.


1914-04-17 The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) (page 14)
Wonderful footwork, the ability to gauge distance perfectly and a hard punch in either hand whenever he landed, marked the Westerner's struggle against the aspirant for titular honors. Kilbane was so clever that Julian could not locate him at intervals, and the crowd hooted its disapproval of the side-stepping methods which permitted the champion to keep away from the little Roman's desperate lunges.


1914-04-23 The Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) (page 13)
Kilbane showed about everything any man of his standing could be asked to display. He pumped both hands into every spot allowed for punches by the rules, carried the going to his man all the time, shook him up repeatedly and hardly turned a hair. He didn't put the lights out for Reynolds, though, and there was the opening for the disgruntled.
Aside from McFarland, Kilbane unquestionably is the most brilliant glove swinger ever to display his skills in the ring across the river. What he doesn't know about boxing hasn't been invented.


1914-05-30 The Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) (page 9)
BY MAX MELVILLE.
In the eyes of every spectator of the fight, Kilbane appears as a real champion in the light of his showing against the best Colorado had to offer. Quick thinking combined with a wonderful cleverness and agility was plainly apparent in and characterized every move Kilbane made. There were no wasted blows, every one finding its mark. Not over a dozen blows were struck, and every one of these was placed to the account of the winner. Five of them did the business.
Even in the clinches, where Chavez usually gets in his best work, he was unable to land. Every trick of infighting known to him was tried, but without success. To suit the occasion, Kilbane merely moved his head or body a trifle and the blows were rendered harmless. It was a great exhibition of skill on his part, and showed plainly what gives him the right to the title to the best man of his weight in the world. It was a question of generalship throughout, and the titleholder simply outclasses his man at every angle.