The Boxing Bulletin History Corner: May 21 - 27, 1910 & 1920

By Andrew Fruman

We're back with another edition of the History Corner.  Today, we've got news and fight reports from May 21 to May 27 for the years 1910 and 1920.  In a couple days, we'll be moving on to 1930, 1940 and 1950.

Check out last week's editions of the History Corner: May 14-20, 1910 & 1920
& May 14-20, 1930, 1940 & 1950

In this edition...

• George Memsic vs Lew Powell - May 21, 1910, Vernon, California
• Philadelphia Pal Moore vs Jem Driscoll - May 25, 1910, Philadelphia
• Stanley Ketchel vs Willie Lewis - May 27, 1910, New York
• Eddie Fitzsimmons vs Lew Tendler - May 24, 1920, Philadelphia
• Jimmy Wilde vs Patsy Wallace - May 24, 1920, Toronto
• Plus plenty more fight reports and pugilistic news of the times...

1910

May 21…

At the Vernon Arena in California, a scheduled twenty-five round battle between lightweight contenders Lew Powell and George Memsic (pictured, Los Angeles Herald) ended after the latter suffered a broken right forearm in the fourth round.

The accident occurred during one of their mixups at close range, when Memsic swung his right and caught Powel on the point of the elbow, the bone snapping just about the right. Notwithstanding that he was suffering intense pain, he gamely fought out the round, and went to his corner with a long lead on total points over his opponent.

– Jay Davidson, Los Angeles Herald

Referee Charles Eyton stopped the contest between rounds on the recommendation of the ringside physician and awarded the bout to Powell. Sportingly, the San Francisco fighter walked over to his hard luck rival, and informed Memsic that he could have a return bout as soon as he was ready.

May 23…

Police broke up a rough battle between Bill Hurley and the Dixie Kid in the eighth round of a scheduled ten in Glen Falls, New York.  At the time the law intervened, the Kid (pictured, Cyber Boxing Zone) was winning the contest...

Hurley was inclined to rough it throughout and although he received several stiff blows from the negro boy, one of which left an inch-long gash over his right eye, he was strong at the finish. During the mix-up both men were hurled among the spectators four different times, and when the end came only two ringposts were left standing. Hurley was aggressive all the way, but it was Dixie Kid’s fight.

– New York Times

May 24…

Billy Delaney (pictured, Los Angeles Herald), the man that guided Jim Jeffries to the heavyweight title, agreed to join the training camp of champion Jack Johnson…

Johnson figures that Delaney is the very best man in the business to have close at hand while he is preparing for this, the greatest effort of his life. There are several reasons for this, chief among them being that Delaney brought Jeffries out and was with him for every one of his important battles. There is no other man in the world who knows Jeff as Delaney does.

– William J. Slattery, San Francisco Herald

May 25…

Rising star Pal Moore won the newspaper decision over a less than fully fit Jem Driscoll (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) at the National Athletic Club in Philadelphia. The highly anticipated bout between the young phenom and brilliant Welshman was described as one of the classiest seen in the city in some time, though Driscoll’s form was reportedly not up to prior standards…

Driscoll seemed tired at the end of the bout, while Moore appeared able to have gone six more rounds without any trouble. The Philadelphian surprised his many friends by the manner he fought and he also surprised Driscoll by his fast work, especially at long range. The Englishman did not show the form he did when he fought Abe Attell in New York, although he kept at Moore all through the six rounds.

– Philadelphia Inquirer

Having arrived two weeks earlier from Britain, the bout with Moore was the first for Driscoll in preparation for his title challenge of featherweight king Abe Atell, set for July 2 in San Francisco.

• A few days after the Moore bout, Driscoll collapsed in training and it was revealed that the British champion had been ill for several weeks.

May 27…

Middleweight champion Stanley Ketchel (156) scored a devastating second round knock-out of Willie Lewis (154) at the National Sporting Club in New York. The scheduled ten rounder was the first bout for Lewis (pictured, Library of Congress) since returning home from a six month stint in Paris, during which the New Yorker made two unsuccessful welterweight title challenges.

Both fighters were cautious during an uneventful first session, but things quickly opened up in the second round. After fending off a succession of left jabs, the aggressive Ketchel manoeuvred the local fighter into a neutral corner, where he unloaded with a heavy right-left combination…

The second blow, a clean half swing, landed on the jaw, and it seemingly dazed Lewis, for the latter started to mix it up with his heavier opponent. Ketchel carefully measuring the distance, then shot a terrific right half-swing flush to the point of the jaw.

Lewis lurched forward and fell on his knees and then toppled slowly over until his shoulders touch the floor. He lay on his left side, his left arm under his head, as completely out as a fighter ever was. Referee O’Rourke slowly tolled the seconds over him, but Lewis’s involuntarily twitching legs were the only signs he gave of life.

– New York Times

After being carried to his corner by the referee and his seconds, the fighter remained out for about five minutes before eventually coming to. He was able to leave the ring on his feet, though looked very shaky as he made his to his dressing room.

1920

May 24…

A big crowd of over 15,000 spectators saw lightweights Eddie Fitzsimmons (133) and Lew Tendler (132 ½) battle it out in the eight round main-event of an all-star card at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. While some papers were unable to separate the two southpaws, and issued a draw verdict, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s report indicated a late push from Fitzsimmons was enough to edge Tendler (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) in the tight go...

If there was any doubt as to Fitzsimmons being entitled to the decision it was dispelled near the close of the eighth round, when Fitzsimmons dropped Tendler to his hands and knees with a vicious blow to the chin… For six rounds the bout was a very even one and it would have been hard to pick the winner. It was Fitzsimmons’ hard fighting in the last two rounds and his splendid punching that earned him the victory.

– Philadelphia Inquirer

In the main supporting bout, aggressive local youngster Harry "Kid" Brown (125) had the better of world featherweight champion Johnny Kilbane (124 ½) in a six rounder. Losing the newspaper verdict to Brown (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) did nothing to help the veteran champion’s fading status...

It is evident that Kilbane will not long be able to hold his championship. The champion is now getting by not with what he has, but what he knows. His real fighting days seem to be at and end. If he continues to enter the ring some good puncher will knock him off. Kilbane’s defensive cleverness saved him from a severe mauling at the hands of Brown and Johnny in return handed out punishment in only one round, the fourth.

– M. N. Rawlings, Philadelphia Inquirer

* * * *

World flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde won a ten round decision over Patsy Wallace of Philadelphia at Exhibition Park in Toronto. The bout was billed as a title match, and in the days leading up to the bout, Wilde was quoted as saying his championship would be on the line - though the battle was reportedly contracted for 115 pounds, above the flyweight limit of 112. Wilde reportedly came in around 107 and Wallace "at about" 112 (Wilde believed the true number was higher), though no official weigh-in numbers were given.

It was a clash full of startling incidents, and the crowd of 11,000 people, the largest crowd that ever saw a bout in Canada, was sent home buzzing with excitement – and they certainly had something to talk about all the way from the curtain raiser to the extraordinary finishing incidents, regrettable though they were.

– Lou E. Marsh, Toronto Star

After arguably edging the opening session with a late rally, Wilde began to take charge of the bout, mixing his attack up to the head and body with both hands to batter the American all over the ring. Despite the Welshman’s aggressiveness, Wallace had a tough time landing, often missing with wild swings, though he started to find the mark in the third round, and had some success in the fourth as well, though the majority of clean blows still came from Wilde.

The bout was delayed at the end of the fourth session due to Wilde’s left glove splitting around the thumb area. A new mitt was needed, much to the displeasure of "Doc" Clutch, Wallace’s manager, who made his presence felt by demonstrating loudly that the glove had been intentionally cut. The manager, along with one of the fighter’s seconds, grabbed the glove and "pawed" at Wilde, before a policeman ushered them from the ring.

According to Marsh, the start of the fifth round was delayed only 45 seconds, but the unpleasantness showed by the Wallace faction during the incident lit a fire under the flyweight champion. Having brought steady pressure up to that point, Wilde opened up with a vengeance, driving Wallace into a corner and unloading on the challenger with heavy artillery. Wallace managed to stand up to the assault, and fire back strongly before the end of the session, only to be worked into a corner and hammered about in the following round as well.

Then came the sensational seventh. Wallace, who had been fighting defensively waiting for a chance for a heavy left or right, stepped into the fray more determinedly and after a minute’s battling finally caught Wilde flush on the mouth with a right which was a cross between a hook and or upper cut.

Wilde staggered back and a torrent of blood came from his mouth. His lower lip and tongue were both cut and he was groggy. Wallace steadied away and it looked for a minute as if it was just a question of another punch and Wilde’s crown would be jolted down over his ears. Wallace tried hard to find an opening, but Wilde propped his legs and covered up carefully. The American tried all he knew for another jaw punch and drove Wilde back to the ropes, but the Atom covered up and the bell saved him from a decidedly dangerous predicament.

– Lou E. Marsh

With Wilde’s mouth bleeding profusely, Wallace (pictured) forced the issue throughout the eighth, landing several hard shots on the backpedaling champion, only for Wilde to come back very strong and have much the better of the final two sessions.

At the conclusion of the bout there was a scene of wild disorder. The Union Jack and Stars and Stripes had been provided at the ringside. It was the intention to hand the winner the flag of the country he represented. Referee Marsh grabbed the Union Jack with the intention of awarding it to Wilde, but in the confusion in the ring, which was by this time crowded with a lot of people who had no business there, it was snatched by Wallace. When the referee attempted to regain it Wallace and his seconds declined to surrender it. It was torn in the struggle, and some of the spectators were heard to remark that the flag had been subjected to an indignity. Cool heads prevailed. Eventually Referee Marsh got through the crowd to Wilde, and hoisted the boxer’s right hand as a token of victory.

– The Globe & Mail

According to Marsh, it was not Wallace, but one his seconds that grabbed the flag. Marsh had harsh words for the individual, as well as for Cutch, who protested the decision vehemently…

The conduct of little Wallace was in direct contrast to that of his manager and rubber. If they had been left at home in Philadelphia, Wallace would have been welcomed back here at any time for another bout and given great support.

Wallace is a gentleman, but the less said about the other pair the better. A boxing commission would have black listed them for life.

– Lou E. Marsh

Marsh might not have been less enthusiastic with his praise for Wallace had he known the fighter indeed was more than complicit in the taking of the flag. Upon returning to Philadelphia, Wallace displayed the Union Jack to the Philadelphia press while insisting he’d been robbed of the title by the Canadian referee. He had quite a tale as well as to how he and his manager had successfully escaped with the prize…

After the fight and after we had regained the flag which was put around me we rushed for the dressing room. I had to make a break for the hotel, as the crowd threatened to set fire to the little shack. It took some jumping to get to the hotel in my bath robe.

– Patsy Wallace

His manager added his two cents…

I grabbed for the flag just as the referee did. It was still partly draped around Pat, but I got it and during the tussle and struggle, in which my shirt was torn to ribbons and my trousers almost pulled off, I got it out of view and stuffed it down my trouser legs.

– "Doc" Cutch

• On December 8, 1922, the Union Jack was returned to Toronto by Wallace and his new manager, Herman Taylor. Taylor presented the flag to Marsh in the ring before Wallace battled Bobby Eber at the Coliseum in Toronto. The flag was handed over to the Ontario Athletic Commission, to be forwarded to Jimmy Wilde. Wallace told Marsh that he never felt good about the incident, and wanted to apologize for what happened, adding, that the prize, "certainly belongs to Wilde and not to me. He got the decision and I guess outpointed me plenty."

* * * * 
Memphis Pal Moore (116) won a decisive newspaper verdict over Joe Lynch (117) at the Armory A. A. in Jersey City in a 12 rounder that was short on thrills...

Moore had an advantage, and at times he showed considerable superiority over the New Yorker, but there was never the wide margin which indicated a knock-out punch was coming. Lynch appeared in the ring drawn and a big haggard from having reduced weight. He certainly was not as his best.

– New York Times

The Times report indicated Moore had a 6-4 edge in rounds, with 2 even. The bout was supposed to have been fought the previous week, but Moore refused to go on when Lynch (pictured, Antiquities of the Prize Ring) failed to make the contracted weight of 118.

For more great boxing photos of the past, make sure to visit Antiquities of the Prize Ring.

Check back in a couple days for more of The Boxing Bulletin's History Corner as we move on to the years 1930, 1940 and 1950 for the week of May 21 - 27.

e-mail Andrew Fruman