Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-31
FOUGHT FIFTY FUTILE ROUNDS
The Greggains-Costello Contest
Declared a Draw.
Half a Hundred Rounds Without a
Knockout.
The Buffalo Had Rather the Worst of 1t,
But Might Have Won-Greg-
gains Foul Tactics-The
Police Interfere.
pr the As,nciated press.l

San FRANCISCO, Aug. 3d. The glove
fight between Alex Greggains, the San
Francisco middle-weight pugilist, and
Martin Costello, "The Buffalo," who re-
turned to this country few weeks ago
after five years residence in Australia,
attracted large and enthusiastic crowd
to the Pacific Athletic clubs gymna-
sium tonight. The fight was viewed
with interest, for it was announced that
the winner would challenge Bob Fitz-
simmons to battle for the middle-weight
championship of the world. Despite
the good opinion entertained here of
Greggains ability, having defeated Billy
Mccarthy and George La Blanche in
short order, Costello was the favorite in
the pool rooms at odds of 10 to z.
The fight was for a purse OF $4,000.
Costello's seconds were Young Mitchell
and Sam Fitzpatrick: Greggains', Mar
tin Murphy and Joe King. Thomas
Chandler, the veteran boxer, acted as
referee. 1t was 9 :15 when the men en-
tered the ring.
Costello appeared in good form, while
Greggains' tall figure appeared thinly
drawn.
The first three rounds were fought
warily, Greggains doing some clever
feinting and ducking. Both men scored
good lefthanders in the mouth. Costello
evinced desire to bore in, but had a
wholesome respect for Greggains' left.
Greggains WAS somewhat nervous, but
did better at close range than his op-
ponent.
From the fourth round the men
warmed up, and in the fifth Costello
nearly dropped the San Francisco boy
with right handlers on the head. Greg
gains did some hot in fighting, however,
and at the end of the fifth round the
Buffalo was rather groggy.
The sixth to ninth rounds were little
slow. Costello made a number of wild
left swings, but his respect for Greggairis'
left was too great to allow him to do
effective work.
In the ninth and tenth, Costello got to
closer quarters, and scored some hard
blows on Gregg aims wind and cara, the
latter occasionally throwing in LETT
hand jib in the mouth as caution to
the other; he seemed disposed to save
his strength.
Costello forced the pace in the elev-
enth.
In the twelfth Greggains played for
Costello's kidneys with telling effect.
Costello tried hard to land his right, but
failed.
In the thirteenth Greggeins was
Missed for trying to back-heel Costello
in clinch.
From the fourteenth to the seven
teenth the men made the same cautious
fight. Costello tried for every apparent
opening, but Greggains's blows were
more effective, end, barring s'aluke, he
seemed the winner. He staggered Co.'S
tello in the fifteenth with straight left
in the face, and dropped him to sitting
posture with another. He got the Buff
falo on the ropes in the sixteenth, and
tried to upper-cut him, but failed Cos
tello then staggered him with a right
handler on the head. Greggains was
frequently Missed for giving Costello his
shoulder in clinches.
At the beginning of the seventeenth
round Costelloss ribs were swollen from
Greggains's left-handers. He had lost
some blood from the ear, and his face
was swelling aGreggains sent him to
his knees with half swing and half
push, and pushed him over the ropes in
the nineteenth.
The next four rounds were more
noticeable for feinting and leads, falling
snort, than for clean hitting.
In the twent ty-third both n2en landed
hard blows on the head.
Costello scored two stiff let's on the
jaw at the opening of the twenty-fourth,
and got Greggains on the run, all but
sending him through the ropes with a
left on the face. He slipped to the
floor, however, and Greggains pulled
himself together.
Except for an occasional rally, Co.'S
tello hugged the corners, as he had for
a dozen rounds past. Greggains was
content to let him escape withnothing
more serious than pushing his head
back with the heel OF his glove: until
the twenty-sevepth, when he hit him
two hard left-handers, and later pushed
him to the floor.
In the twenty-eighth, Greggains
rushed him and sent him spinning with
two-handed swings. Costello fought
desperately, however, and scored a
couple of good half-arm blows. Costello
slipped to the floor and was sent sprawl
ling on his back, with left-hander
little later.
Costello appeared ehaky on his legs,
but retaliated about as often ae Greg
gains led, and the end of the thirty
second round found the men in ap-
parently about as good condition as
when the battle commenced.
Nothing was done in the next ak
rounds; then the spectators urged the
men to go in and fight. They made q
show of doing so, but accomplished lit
tie. 1t was reported that Greggains'
hands were injured. The men ex-
changed several blows in the forty-sec-
ond and forty-third rounds. Greggains
was using his right hand charity.
After several rounds more, the referee
cautioned the men, and they made
another effort, Greggains sending Cos
tello half way across the ring with
left-hander. Greggains stabbed Cos
tello with his left in the forty sixth, and
Costello scored some lsft-handers on the
chest.
About dozen blows, and noae of
them effective, were struck from the
torty-seventh to the fftieth ronnd.
Costello seemed to think Greggains was
holding his right hand in reserve, and
was moreover apparently willing to
have the fight declared draw.
In the tiftieth Greggains landed
straight left hard on the chin, getting
Costello,s right on the ear. Greggains
Inferior Goods,