Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-25

however, have noticed nothing on the part Of
| Myer to cause me to change my opinion of
| him. and his last encounter only goes to prove
that my nrst estimate OF him was the correct
one. Myer is cyclone only if there is no op-
| posing cyclone near, but when he meets op-
posing forces anything like his own, his cy-
clonic powers soon become reduced to what an
| old salt would call a capful of wind. In
| Bowen the Cyclone met an opponent who
simply beat him at his own game. According
| to the account of the battle Myer began with
his cyclone tactics and Bowen responded
similarly. As result the Cyclone spent all of
| his wind and didn't know enough about fight
ing to take care of himself. Bowen did. He
| too, was winded. but just kept lodging round
until opportunity allowed him to reach out and
| knock more wind out of the Cyclone. The latter
displayed his innocence of fighting by urging
Bowen to stand mp and fighS but to justify his
name he should have pummeled Bowen
| whether he stood up or not. l don't mean to
! say that Myer is of no account as a fighter.
simply repeat what l have all along main
by any means. He is lamentably devoid
| OF good ring tactics, and anybody
who can defeat him with pair of flye-ounce
| gloves can defeat him in any style. His en-
counters prove him TO be cyclone only in
glove contest of a limited number of rounds.
Bowen appears to be good man, and won't
De surprised II We hear of contest being ar
ranged between him and Jimmy Carroll-that
| is, if Carroll can get down to weight. But
Myers defeat by Bowen causes the contest be-
tween Myer and McAuiffe to look more sus-
! WhNt said regarding the McAulife-Myer af-
w 1t took place was right
Yankee Sullivan.
A correspondent, well informed in pugilistic.
lore. writes me regarding Yankee Sullivan.
My correspondent takes exception to state
ments made In a recent sketch of Sullivan's
life by writer who is now in San Francisco.
The correspondent says: THE gentleman now
in San Francisco evidently knows little about
Sullivan's early history, and not much more
about any particular part of his life time. He
gives US to understand that Sullivan learned
his fighting at the place where he was born,
Bandon, Ireland. and in his sketch also fails TO
distinguish any difference between things Irish
and things English. Yankee Sullivan's right
name was Francis Ambrose When but a lad
he left his home at Bandon, Ireland, and made
his way to London, where he learned what little
he knew of boxing He subsequently was con-
@ vlcsed of stealing a coat at EPSON pSitno races;
Botany Bay for seven years, not 20
years. as the sketch referred to states,
After serving part OF the time Country NC
Closky, who was a sailor and who was defeated
by Tom Hyer in battle of 100 rounds. assisted
him to escape to America. We are told that
he went to England from here the Plow
Boy to fight Hammer Lane. He did no such
thing. Lanes party knew exactly that Lane
was matched to fight James Sullivan, of
America Ambrose bad changed his name be-
cause of being an escaped convict The match
was perfectly well understood before Ambrose
left America. He defeated Lane but not by
superior fighting, because Lane broke his arm
rounds with one hand. l also question the
statement that Ambrose, alias Sullivan, was
the the first champion Of fuusa America He He
championship and Hyer defeated him
Hyer won by incessantly throwing Ambrose to
the ground. The San Francisco writer init
mates that Ambrose knew he wouldn't be
hanged for his offense of ballot stufing. This
Is wrong. He certainly knew he would be exc
cuted just as Casey was for similar ofense,
and he, Ambrose: committed suicide rather
than go to the scaffold. There are many mis-
statements in the sketch in question, but these
are some of the leading ones. l may mention
that Am orose, or Sullivan, brought Heenan to
prominence and was instrumental in arranging
the light between Heenan and Morrissey"
Not Accomplished, but Tricky.
Would space permit would like to say many
things regarding Ambrose simply because
there are so many false notions existing re-
garding him. There is well grounded opinion
that he was q great boxer, when he was nothing |
of the kind. Jem Ward, who probably had as |
good chance to judge him as anybody, and |
was as good Judge as anybody, declared that |
he was 'vicious and tricky man, but no |
boxer" Ward also added that Ambrose would |
defeat anybody who could not box any. |
In word, Ambrose seems to have |
been Howsyar nfebi0T hi wa. type
considering the times in which he lived. He |
had no model here to copy, because, even |
when Morrissey and Heenan were matched, |
one had a foot runner as trainer and the other |
had to import Euglishman. This shows |
how backward the science of the "manly art''
was then. Of course Yankee" Sullivan, the |
name he is generally known by, deserves all |
credit as being great man in his day and amid
his surroundings. But the correspondent
quoted above tells some truths about him.
SIavin's Refusal.
Doubtless there was considerable sur
prise among sporting people the other day
when Slavin's declaration to the effect that he
wouldn't fight Joe McAuliffe was learned.
After all it seems that pugilists and profess
sional bruisers have great notion of dignity.
Sullivan hesitates about Jackson because the
latter's skin is black and Slavin fatty refuses
to meet McAuliffe because he has been beaten
by jackson. But Slavin will condescend to fight
Corbett, who will neither fight Sullivan, |
Jackson nor McAuliffe. This woud all be hard
to understand if one word. a common street
corner word, did not fully explain It, Doodle"
is the kew to the situation. l had some al
miration for Slayln's manliness. but l confess l
am disappointed is his fat refusal to meet Nc
Aullffe. 1 firmly believe that the McAuliffe
party think their man as good as anybody and
are prepared to match him against anybody.
True. money is the obiect;.,money to be gained
in exhibitions gotten up on the strength of be-
ing matched, but that's how the business is run
all round now. Nowadays the managers in
terests are paramount to that of the principals.
The latter are merely employees and the former
ire the bosses of the business PRINGLE.