Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-01
PLUCKY BANTAMS.
Tommy Kelly Wins th'
Worlds Championship.
A HOT FIGHT OF TEN ROUNDS
"Chappie" Moran Knocked Out Afte1
a Contest that Surprised
the Old-Timers.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
New YORK, January 31.-The old
time pugilists who hate to admit tina
the youngsters can do anything in the
fighting line and who were present to-
night at the "mill' between Tommy
Kelly, the ''Harlem Spider" and
"Chappie" Moran, Of Jersey City, foi
the bantam championship of the world
admitted after ten rounds had been
fought that the battle was one of the
greatest they ever saw. The contest
took place on the border between New
York and Pennsylvania, and $50 of the
most prominent sporting men of this
vicinity, Boston and Philadelphia were
present. The stakes were $500 side,
and purse OF $500, of which $1o0 went
to the loser, was guaranteed.
Skin gloves were worn. An ex-pugilist,
now teacher of boxing in this city. was
referee. Jack McMasters held the watch
for Moran and Johnny Eckhardt did the
same for Kelly. Jimmy Larkins and o
friend seconded Moran, and two Harlem
sports were behind Kelly. This was the
third match that had been arranged be.
tween the men. When the others fell
through, each man accused the other of
cowardly conduct, and the personal feel
ing bet tween them was bitter.
They had trained carefully. When
they were weighed this morning Kelly
was three pounds over weight, and he had
to sweat eff in Russian bath. Even that
experience brought him down to only 1867
pounds. Moran was the regulation
weight of los pounds. Kelly's record up
to this encounter was more that of trial
horse than anything else. He had been
employed many times on account of his
cleverness TO stand up against heavy men
whose qualities prospective hackers de-
sired to bring out. He had never been
knocked out, even by men who weighed
anywhere from ten to thirty pounds
heavier than himself.
Moran, who came here from England
in 1886. won the amateur championship
of the bantam class in 1887 and 1888. |
He then announced himself as a profess |
sional, but could find no opponent and |
he returned to England While there |
he won eight battles in Birmingham, |
LONDON and Canterbury. He came back |
to Jersey City year ago and has since |
Whlpp6o THuk DOuOVhu vi Gulb Clty III |
fourteen rounds.
The fight tonight was of the most des-
perate kind from the start. Kelly was
taller by over two inches. and he had
big advantage in reach. He won first
blood in the first round by cut on
Moran's eye, and first knockdown in the
second by left-hanGer on the neck. |
Betting, which was lively and opened at
500 to $50 on Moran, became even after
four rounds had been fought, as Moran
was knocked clear off his pins for
the second time in the fourth round.
Throughout the whole engagement the
fighters indulged in rushes and clinches,
and the in-fghting was really terrific.
Moran played more for the stomach, and
Kelly kept batting "Chappie's" face.
Both were badly cut and bruised before
the end of the fifth round, but they con-
tinued to hammer away at each other
with a vigor that surprised even the old
timers.
In the ninth round Moran put in some
heavy body blows and Kelly appeared to
become groggy. In the tenth round
Moran knocked Kelly down squarely by
rigbt-hander on the jaw. The "Spi-
der" remained on his back for eight
seconds, but rose all of a sudden and
rushed at Moran. More sharp might
ing followed, and during it Kelly placed
q right-hander on Moran's neck, and
"Chappie" in falling struck the post,
and punched himself on the floor, fairly |
knocked out. 1t is estimated that about
$4 600 changed hands on the result.