BRITTON'S AGGRESSIVENESS WINS HIM SHADE OVER TED LEWIS IN ROUSING BATTLE
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Jack's Snappy Hitting, Fast Left and Forcing in First Five Almost Evened Up by Englishman's Rushing Finish--Crowd on Tiptoes in Fierce Rallies.
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KING MANUEL SCORES K. O.; FORREST AND BAKER DRAW
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THE WINNERS
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Jack's Snappy Hitting, Fast Left and Forcing in First Five Almost Evened Up by Englishman's Rushing Finish--Crowd on Tiptoes in Fierce Rallies.
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KING MANUEL SCORES K. O.; FORREST AND BAKER DRAW
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THE WINNERS
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Jack Britton, 144¾, shaded Ted Lewis, 142. Ten rounds.
Eddie Forrest, 138½, drew with Sammy Baker, 142. Six rounds.
King Manuel, 160, knocked out Indian Jamieson. Second round.
Joe (Kid) Marr, 120, defeated Young Brown, 122. Six rounds.
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Jack Britton came through with all the class and fighting knowledge he ever knew to win a narrow shade over Ted Lewis, the title-chasing Englishman before a yelling mob of 4,000 at the Broadway auditorium last night. It was a good thing for Britton that he was in fine shape to go a terrific clip the first six rounds of the battle, for it was in those sessions that he won the margin given him. At that there were many who thought it a good draw.In the final five rounds Ted Lewis showed the stuff that has made him a great fighter. He knew that Britton had a bit on him and piled on every ounce of steam. He boxed like lightning, swung and hooked and jabbed from every angle, rounding out a rally that had the crowd on its toes and left many shouting that he was entitled to a draw. It was close, but Britton had been the constant aggressor, had hit truer and harder and, most marvelous of all, electrified the crowd by actually beating Lewis to a straight left hand. Which, is something to do, neighbor.
Great Battle to Witness.
The battle was a pippin to watch. Lewis was the flitting, pyrotechnic, high-class boxer. Britton stood in close to his man, hands down, but when he started them they leaped like a whiplash. He just moved his head a fraction of an inch to make Lewis miss, and when he hit it was snappy and true. His body punching bothered Lewis, and in many of the rounds had Ted holding. Three times Britton missed haymakers that might have ended the battle. Lewis also missed a couple of well-meant clouts that had the sleep-producer behind them.
Lewis gave a wonderful exhibition of speed and stamina when he started his spurt in the sixth round. He was strong at the finish, while Britton was a bit tired. It was a sensational battle, one of the classiest between top-notch battlers that was ever staged anywhere.
The preliminaries were a sensational lot, barring the first, in which Joe Marr, substituted for Billy Kennedy, outclassed Young Brown, who gave a splendid exhibition of gameness.
King Manuel Scores K. O.
Kid Manuel showed further improvement when he knocked out Indian Jamieson in the second round with as clean a punch as ever won a battle. It was fairly even and full of rough going up to the second minute of the second round when Manuel met Jamieson with a right flush to the point of the jaw as the Indian swung off the ropes. He went down in a heap, legs under him, and although in a half-sitting posture, partially supported by the ropes couldn't move a muscle while Dick Nugent counted the ten over him. Manuel then assisted his fallen foe to his corner. The round went two minutes and 38 seconds.
Eddie Forrest and Sammy Baker had the crowd shouting every minute of their six-round tilt, which was full of action and heavy wallops. Once Baker dove through the ropes into the press row when Forrest cleverly side-stepped. Baker caught Forrest some pile-driving punches, but Eddie covered well and outboxed Sammy at long range. In the last two rounds the boys let their punches fly like shrapnel in the trenches, with both doing the same execution. It was a corking good draw.
Dick Nugent refereed the preliminaries and Joe Suttner handled the main bout, both performing faultlessly. The club staged the main bout at 9:50, as had been promised, and the entire show was over before 10:45. The announcement that Jimmy Duffy and Knockout Brennan had been matched for January 31 drew a tremendous cheer.
The Fight by Rounds.
Round 1--Britton stepped from his corner and met the dancing Britisher in the center of the ring. Jack feinted and sent left to the body. Lewis moved slowly and registered a short, snappy left to the jaw. Jack returned a hard left from the shoulder that jarred Lewis. After prancing away from Jack's left, Lewis clouted his left twice, but his "tin ear" felt the effects of a counter smash and they clinched in Jack's corner. Ted missed and Britton surprised him with a left and right that placed him on the defensive. Ted realized he was in the ring with a boxer whose left was not inactive nor devoid of power and he backed up, pranced a few feet but failed to avoid a terrific uppercut. Britton continued with a right and left to the body while Ted was covering. Lewis moved his left wildly, but it struck a soft spot in Britton's stomach and the Chicagoan ended the round with a pile-driver that missed Lewis's jaw by a hair.
Round 2--Lewis lost little time jabbing his left and rushed Britton to the ropes but was halted by a sound tap to the head. As they broke Lewis's left, his hardest try thus far, went wild as Jack crouched. Ted pasted another glove in Britton's face. He stuck out his right and Jack found an opening big enough to hook a left. Britton missed as Lewis ducked, but Jack was quick to return a left that struck its mark. Lewis was shaking off the effects of the blow only to meet the aggressive Chicagoan in the center of the ring with a left. Ted reserved his right. He did not raise it to block his opponent, but he was forced to bring it into action at close range to stop the rain of body blows that were coming thick and fast. Lewis delivered three lefts and as Britton was straightening out Ted hastened him with another left.
Britton's Body Punching.
Round 3--Britton was lauded as a body puncher before he came into the ring and it was in this round that he drove both hands to Ted's body and stopped him in his tracks. Even the dance of Lewis, that was so classical in the opening round, was changed into a slow waltz. Britton drove left and right to body without receiving a return and then pelted the Britisher's stomach with blows that were firm and hit the mark every time. Ted's left was not so prominent and Jack was able to outbox Lewis at long range and outslug him when they were close. Jack missed and they clinched. As they broke away Britton dazed Lewis with four blows that came and went with tact and precision. He was Ted's master up to now.
Round 4--Lewis walked over to meet Britton in his own corner and they exchanged lefts. Jack tried hard to punish Ted with body blows and succeeded until the referee stepped between them. Lewis chased Britton across the ring and attempted to hook his left, but it was avoided. Britton was the aggressor and made Lewis miss. He jabbed Ted seven or eight times and a red hue replaced the blonde complexion on the Britton's face. Lewis's judgment of distance was poor. He again fell a victim to the slugging Chicagoan and took a beating in a terrific exchange in Britton's corner. Lewis slipped down in the melee and Jack raised his hands as if to help Ted up. Jack landed again with his right, which was his trump card and Lewis's nemesis.
Round 5--Lewis was not as wild as in the previous round. His straight left was working but lacked power. Britton drew him in closely with a left feint and then peppered him with both hands. Lewis backed to the ropes, tried to put over a haymaker that was feet away from Britton and then Jack drove him to the ropes with a one-two right and left. Lewis appeared to be trying for a knockout as the bell rang but his effort was a sweeping left that passed over Jack's head.
Lewis Coming Now.
Round 6--Ted came back strong and waded in. He took more chances in this round than at any time thus far. He managed to keep Jack's left away but could not sidestep the blow that menaced him in every round. Lewis struck his first good blow of the fight with his right, a short hook that rocked Britton. They clinched and Britton landed to the body. Lewis landed three straight lefts to face before the bell.
Round 7--Lewis was the aggressor. Jack was driven to his corner with a fusillade of short jabs. He missed twice and Lewis again telegraphed a brace of lefts that carried considerable power with them. Britton fought cautiously and let his opponent lead while he blocked and countered. Jack missed three tries for Lewis's head. Ted rushed and tried hard for Britton's jaw but missed it by inches.
Round 8--The fighters clinched and exchanged lefts. Ted struck Britton a terrific smash to the back of the head as he turned, but Jack was quick as a flash, came back and Ted felt his left twice, one to the "tin ear" and the other in the stomach. Ted's dance was reality again. Jack followed him into his corner, crowded him to the ropes, but Lewis waltzed away as Jack was deciding which hand he would send in. Lewis blocked a drive to the head, but he only deadened its effect. Britton's left was blocked and they clinched in the center of the ring.
Round 9--With a steady attack with his left working overtime Lewis pelted Britton and forced him on the defensive. Lewis's left appeared three times on Jack's face and they clinched. An uppercut sent Lewis to the ropes but he recovered and came back only to meet Britton's body blow. In a furious exchange Ted reeled Britton with a quartette of blows that landed solidly. Jack countered with a left to the head and as Ted started to dance away caught him with an uppercut that slowed the Britisher up. Ted clinched and the round ended with Britton trying hard to break away from his opponent's grip.
Both Staggered in 10th.
Round 10--In a sensational mixup Lewis and Britton staggered each other and every blow counted. It was no time to block and Ted tore loose and pelted Jack until he reared to the ropes. As he came to the center of the ring the flash of the Britisher was temporarily halted with a stiff uppercut and right to the body. Lewis exerted every effort and forsook his boxing knowledge for the toe-to-toe variety. He met a willing opponent and the fight ended with Lewis wading in with both hands, his dance being only a vision. Britton registered the final blow of the bout, a stiff uppercut that almost caused Ted to forget to shake hands as the bell rang.
Ed Curley Calls the Bout a Draw
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(BY ED CURLEY.)
Well, Ted Lewis, the welterweight champion, and Jack Britton fought their ten-round battle last night and everybody said everything looked even at the finish. Therefore the bout must be called a draw.
The summary of the fight can be figured up tersely. Lewis started out like a quarter horse. Britton passed him at the half. Lewis caught him at the six furlongs and they went under the wire head and head.
Joe Suttner, who refereed the fight, acted like a regular fellow; didn't miss or mar anything. Dick Nugent, Stout Old Dick, did the honors for the preliminaries in great fashion.
The club handled the fight immensely, even better than most of the scraps down our way are handled, for there were no bartenders in the press row.
1916-01-21 Buffalo Evening News (Buffalo, NY) (page 18)
BRITTON'S LEFT WINS SHADE FOR HIM OVER LEWIS
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Effective Jab of the Chicago Stockyards Lad Beats Englishman in Landing and Gives Jack Best of Exchanges--Lewis Seemed Slow.
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At the Auditorium last night Ted Lewis (142) and Jack Britton (144¾) scrapped through a left-handed "box-fight" for 10 lively rounds with no damage on either side. Each seemed to have a dangling and useless right maulie. Those wings looked like the reserve troops, but they were not called out. As stabbers and jabbers both Britton and Lewis showed themselves past masters. But they might as well have left their right arms where they last fought. It was an interesting but not wildly exciting performance. Neither boxer cared to do much thumping at close quarters and there was not enough fiddling for a barn dance. Lewis and Britton emerged from the imbroglio a trifle bumpy about the bean, but bloodless and scarless.The NEWS concensus gives Britton a shade, based on the fourth and fifth rounds which were heavily in favor of Britton according to all the four NEWS critics. The other rounds are so slightly shaded one way or the other that they offset. But the real factor in giving the shade to Britton would be in his aggressiveness as against the runaway tactics of Lewis. Britton, though of shorter reach beat Lewis to the punch repeatedly. It was not exactly the red-hot affair that the boxing fans had set themselves to witness.
The first round was a feeler with Lewis having possibly a shade the better of the tapping. The second round was faster, both working their lefts like shuttles, with honors about even. Britton beat Lewis to stab in the third, fourth and fifth rounds and acquired a substantial lead. Lewis came back strong in the sixth, and had the better of it. The seventh saw both boxers well extended with honors even. Britton had a pale shade of the eighth and ninth periods, with the final tilt even and hot. The summary of rounds, according to the NEWS concensus, gives the following result:
Round 1--Lewis a shade.
Round 2--Even.
Round 3--Britton.
Round 4--Britton, heavy.
Round 5--Britton.
Round 6--Lewis, a shade.
Round 7--Even.
Round 8--Britton, a shade.
Round 9--Britton, a shade.
Round 10--Even.
The Preliminaries.
The preliminaries showed some lively milling. In the opener Joe Marr (120) and Kid Brown (122) whaled away merrily for six rounds. Marr had the advantage in reach and was entitled to a shade. The second joust saw Kid Manuel of Erie (160) and Indian Jamieson (166). They went at it hammer and tongs and brought the crowd to its feet. The first round was fairly even, and in the second round the Indian was doing famously with a nasty right cross, when Manuel accidentally countered with a heavy right swing, which caught Jamieson on the point of the jaw, and he crumpled up and was counted out by Referee Joe Suttner.
Sammy Baker and Eddie Forest, 138½ and 142 respectively, went six rounds to a draw. Baker was the shiftier boxer, but Forest carried the better wallop. Baker had the better of the first and third rounds, while Forest might claim the second and fourth, with the others even.
1916-01-21 Buffalo Morning Express (Buffalo, NY) (page 12)
BRITTON IS THE BETTER
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Ted Lewis Shaded in Sensational Battle of the Rival Welterweight Boxers.
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QUICK LEFT DID IT
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American Kept His Glove Hard and Fast in Englishman's Face and Held Him.
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WAS AN EXCITING FINISH
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Lewis Fought it Out Desperately at the End and Well Nigh Evened it up.
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It was a rejuvenated Jack Britton who faced Ted Lewis in the Queensberry Athletic club ring last night and it was well, perhaps, for the English welter that he first defended his newly won world's championship laurels in a no-decision bout, for, had Referee Joe Suttner been called on to award the honors at the end of their ten rounds, the Broadway Auditorium would probably have rung with cheers acclaiming a new champion.There was a big undercurrent of feeling for Lewis at the end and there was a big host which could see nothing worse than a draw for the foreigner, but the consensus of opinion was that in boxing skill, fighting ability and ring generalship the American boy had shaded the British crack.
Buffalo's Best No-decision Bout.
The bout of the two great rivals turned up what was probably Buffalo's best ten-round no-decision bout. It was a match which teemed with interest from first to last and from first one side and then the other was reflected all the finer points of the great game of hit, stop and getaway.
At 144¾ pounds Britton had a bit the advantage over the Englishman, who came in ???? ???? had not fairly shaped in the ring before it became apparent that Britton had trained as faithfully as reported.
As they started it was evident that neither had lost his respect for the other and they went at it warily. But Britton showed no timidity in his attack and for the first half of the bout electrified the great assemblage in the Auditorium by forcing his man about the ring, sticking his left into the face, hard and ????, warding off attacks, mixing well and generally outboxing his man. As the bout wore on Lewis gathered strength and when, in the losing rounds he fought desperately against the engulfing tide, he well nigh evened up the score, his efforts in the concluding rounds resulting in some red-hot mixing in which Ted had none the worst of it.
Lewis Pats His Rival in Praise.
The smile which had vanished from Lewis's face in the early rounds began to come back towards the last, but it was Ted who paid the compliment of the pat on the back when the final gong sounded a cessation of hostilities and the excited spectators rose to a man to cheer one of the greatest contests in which men of the class ever participated. It was as perfect a glove contest as could be.
Three corking six-round matches led up to the final affair. Young Marr, 120, substituted for Billy Kennedy, who did not pass the doctor, and boxed Young Brown at 122. Marr had the better of the bout. King Manuel, 160, knocked out the Indian champion, Jamieson, 166, in the second round. Eddie Forrest, 138½, and Sammy Baker, 142, boxed a slashing draw.
All Keyed up.
There was every indication that the battle would be bitterly contested. The rival managers, Jimmie Johnston for Lewis and Dan Morgan for Britton, hurried to Buffalo in the morning from Saint Paul and New York, respectively, and the downtown sporting resorts fairly quivered with excitement as the bout was discussed. What betting was indulged in about town favored Lewis slightly. Although he had gained two decisions over Britton in Boston it was appreciated that they were close affairs and the fine work done by Britton in training in Buffalo had an impression that fairly equalled that won for Lewis by his Kid Graves victory on Monday night in Milwaukee.
The electric spark of rivalry sprang up at the weighing-in time, when, although the match was at catch weights the men squabbled over fractions of a pound like school-boys.
When they shook hands Johnston complained about oil on Britton's skin and the referee took a towel and rubbed him down a bit, while Jack sneered at Johnston and Lewis laughed aside. Johnston slapped his hands together, shook his head and stalked the ring, glaring from his corner at Morgan in the Britton corner.
"Put those two New York game cocks in with the gloves on and let's have an impresario contest," yelled one of the fancy.
Both Johnston and Morgan laughed.
Britton Forced in.
Britton forced right in on his man when the gong rang and opened hostilities by sticking the left to the face. Ted bobbed in, but caught another left and danced back. Ted was alive on his toes as he retreated, feinting, and Jack went in for him flat footed. Both went through the round, depending entirely on the left, though Lewis sent over a wicked right swing at the bell which Jack ducked. Britton opened with the second with left to the face and then, as he forced Lewis along the ropes, there was a series of splendid changes. Jack, standing straight as an arrow, sent home the left and crept close in with right and lefts. Lewis crouched, ducked and came up with left and right in short arm jolts for the head. Both tried rights just before the bell and missed at eyelash range and, as Lewis came in, Britton lifted a right uppercut just a second too soon. It was a good even round, with great action.
Exchange followed exchange as Britton waded in and cornered his man in the third. Lewis, on his toes, with lightning left and rights, was fairly sailing, though on the retreat, when Britton got home two hard rights in quick succession, shaking Lewis, and forcing him about the ring with Jack's left continually in his face, hard and plump. This was a Britton round.
The fourth round had the house wildly applauding and cheering on Britton, who shone brilliantly. Three good lefts in succession by Jack found lodgment on the Lewis face and Ted angrily swung the right, open glove, to face. Britton then popped no less than five lefts hard to the face, ducked a swing from Ted and tore into his man, Lewis going wild in his delivery. Jack was boxing beautifully and fairly pasted them home to the Lewis countenance. Ted fell backing up and Britton motioned him to his feet in his eagerness to hustle matters. The round ended with some wicked leading and Britton blocking Lewis's hard leads.
Britton forced Lewis to a corner and planted left, short, to the jaw in the fifth and popper three more lefts to head, but Ted got home a corking left swing to the head.
Lewis Starts to Whale.
Lewis came out to force matters in the sixth and it was a merry round. Britton met the attack with vigor and both men using the right with the left they battled over the ring and back. Lewis got a long sweeping right home to the head and it shook Jack, but he went in hard. Ted boxed it out wickedly and had the round. Lewis came right out on the attack with two long sweeping lefts, but on a third attempt he brought up against a stiff left jab. They were mixing hotly at the end and Lewis's good left to the jaw did not help Jack. Lewis, crashing left to the jaw, sent Jack back at the start of the eighth, but he came right on and in a series of exchanges outfought Lewis and had him retreating and holding in the exchanges. Lewis made a desperate round of the ninth, continually urged from his corner to "swing the right." A right to the jaw sent Jack teetering on his heels, but first one then the other excelled in the exchanges and Britton was boxing hard at the end. Jack got a fast left to face in the tenth and then Lewis rallied and swung right and left hard and, at cries "you've got him," hurried along with a shower of good blows. One by the right shook Jack, but he was boxing in hard and edging his man to the corner at the bell.
"Told you--Britton was the toughest in America at the weight," puffed Lewis as he leaped out of the ring.
"Think he won it, but got no worse than a draw. Had it not been for Lewis's right in none too good condition w'd have duplicated Boston easily," stoutly declared Johnston.
"First time I was right for this baby and I taught him something tonight," ejaculated Jack, proudly, in his dressing-room.
The Preliminaries.
Young Marr (120) and Young Brown (122) figured in the opening preliminary of six rounds, with Marr the better throughout. Young Brown, though, displayed more willingness to make it an animated bout. Marr, while jabbing out a victory, proved a lazy worker.
While the second preliminary scheduled for six rounds, between King Manuel (160) and Indian Jamison (166), went only two rounds, with a knockout to Manuel's credit, it was a crackling, sizzling affair that kept the crowd's attention every second.
Right off the reel both sent over a rapid fire of blows. Manuel took the first round by a shade. The second round found the Indian running up the points for cleverness and more frequently heavy scoring to head and body. After Manuel was well shaken up by a heavy body punch, he leaped into the Indian with a heavy left to stomach, followed by a right swing that landed flush on the Indian's jaw, sending him crashing through the ropes. The Indian gamely endeavored to collect himself, but his head was the heaviest part of his body, and try as he would, he just about succeeded in raising it off the mat as the tenth second was tolled off. Manuel's victory was an impressive one.
The semifinal bout of six rounds, between Eddie Forrest (138½) of Philadelphia and Sammy Baker (142) of Lockport, was a hotly contested one throughout, with the tide of advantage shifting to and fro. At the end a draw would fit the summarizing appropriately. Forrest, while showing more ring craft, found a willing, persistent worker in Baker, who, despite being the receiver of many sound smacks to body, never ceased to force matters, and in the mixes well contested the close-range work. The bout proved a good vehicle to usher in the main bout.
Ed. Curley's Lewis-Britton Decision a Draw
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Ed Curley, the New York American sporting editor, was an interested spectator at the ringside of the Jack Britton-Ted Lewis boxing last night. At the conclusion of the bout Curley found for a draw. "It was as pretty a ten-round match as I have seen," said he, "and, while there are points in favor of both men, I find that the consensus of opinion is that the battle was a draw."1916-01-21 The Buffalo Commercial (Buffalo, NY) (page 6)
BRITTON HAD SHADE ON LEWIS IN GREAT BATTLE
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Jack Britton fought like the Britton of old against Ted Lewis in the Queensberry ring last night. Britton didn't whip Lewis decisively. It was one of those stubbornly, hard fought contests, the sort of a battle that leaves both boys claiming the winner's spoils. Britton says he won all by himself. Lewis is carting home the impression that he beat Britton on points. The writer awards Britton a slight shade.Here's the way we figured the progress of the battle, round for round. The first was even up, the second Lewis's, the third Britton's, the fourth was Britton's, the fifth was even, very even; the sixth Lewis's, the seventh another even-stephen, the eighth was Lewis's, the ninth was Britton's by a wide margin and the tenth was Britton's round by a slight advantage.
Lewis, wonderful fighter and boxer, but a trifle stale, we fear, need not feel ashamed of his showing against Britton. Lewis, for five rounds, showed all the pep and aggressiveness and cleverness he exhibited against Brennan, but in the last five rounds of the match his polish began to diminish and he lost that touch of class necessary for a battler to possess in order to sweep on to victory over a cunning veteran of Britton's type. Lewis was in there every second, fighting for all he was worth, but Britton, an old fox from the ground up, had the edge and he pressed his advantage, cautiously, but with the skill of a ring master.
Britton, when he is in good physical trim, conditioned to the minute, as he was last night, is without question one of the world's greatest light welterweights. Lewis, too, is knocking at the door that leads to the classroom wherein are assembled the best of his brigade, but Lewis, judging him on his stride of last night, has gone stale. He has lost his snap. He tried in vain to spurt, but the old kick was lacking. He knew what he wanted to do and he tried to do it, but his legs wouldn't carry him as fast as his brain worked, and his fists didn't come from all directions, as Lewis's fists fly when he's all set. Lewis has fought four exceptionally hard matches within three weeks and he needs and should take a brief rest. He admits himself he burned his vitality licking Ritchie. Lewis followed that match by engaging in a rough and fast battle with Brennan, and only last Monday night Lewis fought Kid Graves at Milwaukee, the latter hailed as a champion in the middle west. On top of those three stiff scraps, Lewis stepped into the ring with Britton last night, encountering Britton in the best form Jack has showed in many, many months, as Dan-Yell Morgan acknowledged.
Britton has mastered a style of boxing all his own. He stands flat-footed most of the time, always set for a leap-frog type of boxer. He reserves his strength. He doesn't waste his energy chasing his rival. He edges in close, crowding his man at all times, pulling back just far enough to avoid a blow and he hooks his punches from short angles, fast and snappy. Britton doesn't appear to hit hard, but his long string of knockouts proves he punches with a cruel sting. He stung Lewis, not once, but several times. Lewis stung Britton, we'll admit, but if each were to tell the truth we'd bet Britton hurt Lewis more than Lewis hurt Britton.
In the eighth round, for instance, Britton hooked Lewis on the jaw with a short left stab. Lewis's knees knocked together and he wabbled, but past masters of the ring like Lewis and Britton instantly cover up any trace of distress, unless knocked kicking. Lewis clinched, stalled and wasted just enough time at close range, with Britton's arms well locked, to avoid disastrous results. Britton knew he had hurt Lewis and he tried to break away and add more damage, but the gong clanged too soon to permit Britton to inflict additional jolts.
Toward the tailend of the battle Lewis gave plenty of evidence of his respect for Britton's skill at infighting. From the seventh to the end of the tenth, Lewis, barring flashes, jabbed and swung and clinched. Of course, that's boxing--hit and prevent the other fellow from striking back. But Lewis's idea, no doubt, was to avoid Britton's short, well timed and beautifully executed wallops to the short ribs, blows that hurt, though one looking on may not think so.
In the fourth round Lewis made a wild swing at Britton. Foxy Jack pulled back just a few inches. Lewis, with all his weight behind the blow, was carried off his feet by the momentum of his body. Lewis sprawled on the mat, but he was up before Referee Suttner could count "one." It wasn't a knock down. Britton didn't even hit Lewis. That's genuine cleverness--when a boxer can make the other fellow miss and fall from his own effort.
From a spectator's viewpoint, last night's scrap was a corker. It pleased the fan who delights in watching two past masters employ all the tricks known to the ring. And the fan who loves old-fashioned slugging was in his glory. There was plenty of excellent boxing and hard fighting. Neither boy spared himself. Each was out to win and win decisively. Ed. Curley, sporting editor of the New York American, a man who has reported all the important boxing bouts here in the East during the past twenty years, told the writer that Lewis and Britton fought one of the best all around battles he had witnessed in years. The writer agrees with Curley that it was a remarkable contest, samples of which we see too seldom.
There was a big crowd on hand, a very cosmopolitan gathering. The preliminaries were good, even the opener, which gave promise of being a flivver at the beginning. Kennedy, the steel plant youth, was denied the privilege of boxing. The doctor refused to pass him. Joe Marr was substituted. Young Brown was Joe's opponent. They stepped six rounds and Marr won easily. Brown is a strong, willing lad, but not well posted in the art of hit and miss.
King Manuel scored a knockout over Indian Jamieson. A solid poke on the jaw sent Jamieson to the mat for the count in the second round. Manuel is a very much improved boxer.
Eddie Forrest and Sammy Baker boxed six rounds at a merry clip. There was plenty of excitement in this bout. They boys were unusually rough at times.
1916-01-21 The Buffalo Enquirer (Buffalo, NY) (page 6)
LEWIS IS SHADED BY BRITTON
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FAST BOUT
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Two Crack Welterweights Give Brilliant Exhibition--Aggressive Jack, Slippery Ted--Jamieson Knocked Out.
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Two masters of the art of boxing--Ted Lewis of England and Jack Britton of New York-Chicago--gave a brilliant exhibition of professional fisticuffs last night in the presence of a large audience at the Broadway Auditorium. The bout was replete with sensational expectancy. By virtue of persistent plugging and conscientious endeavor Britton earned a slight shade over the foxy and elusive English Jew. Not that Lewis is to be robbed of any of his glory as a boxer and fighter par excellence, but he managed to face a Britton last evening who strongly resembled the Britton of old and a chap who was in splendid physical condition for an exchange of healthy swats.In fistic events of the character of this bout there is bound to be a diversity of opinion. Some of those who watched with keen interest every movement of the men in the ring unhesitatingly declared the contest was a great draw at the conclusion of ten bitterly fought rounds. Not a few had a leaning toward Lewis, but this is to be expected by partisans. The close student of boxing could not help but notice that Britton was always forcing Lewis to back ground and that the New Yorker's left was continually being shoved in the face of the welterweight king. True, Lewis would counter with wonderful style and prove as slippery as an eel just when Jack had it all figured out to land a crushing blow. There were times when it looked as though either one or the other would get over a blow that would disable his man, but resounding whacks landed by Lewis upon the face of Jack did not make him falter, and some of the punches that Jack handed to Lewis did not seem to slow up the bouncing speed of the heady Britisher.
This was the fourth meeting of Lewis and Britton. They are so evenly matched that another encounter would be as interesting. When they first met they fought a ten-round no decision bout. In their second and third contests, held in a Boston arena, Lewis received the decision each time from a referee. No referee, who saw last night's fight, could honestly give Lewis anything over Britton.
How It Figured.
The rounds were sized up as follows:
First--Britton by a slight shade.
Second--Lewis.
Third--Even.
Fourth--Britton; Lewis went to the floor in a mixup but not from a blow. While he was on one knee Britton told him to arise.
Fifth--Britton.
Sixth--Lewis.
Seventh--Even.
Eighth--Britton, slightly, or even.
Ninth--Britton.
Tenth--Even, or Lewis a shade.
Anyhow, it was a great fight and everybody was pleased. The prelims were up to the usual standard. Young Marr, 120 pounds, shaded Young Brown, 122 pounds, in a fast six-round bout. He jabbed his way to victory.
King Manuel of Rochester and Indian Jamieson of Buffalo, two husky middleweights, gave the crowd some real fireworks while the bout lasted. The Indian was delivering some good punches in a scientific manner when he stopped a left to the stomach and a right cross flush to the jaw. The latter punch knocked him halfway through the ropes, and he could not arise at the count of ten.
The semi-final of six rounds between Eddie Forrest and Sammy Baker pleased the audience. A draw was the consensus of opinion, although Forrest's friends loudly clamored for a shade in his favor. He did land some smashing blows to the mid-section of Baker, but found Sammy a willing battler. It was a splendid bout, and these boys in a ten-round engagement would furnish plenty of exchanges that would excite admiration.
Dick Nugent refereed the preliminaries and Joe Suttner handled the main bout. Ike Klipfel was timekeeper.
