Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-12-25
BOXERS GOSSIP.
SOMETHING ABOUT TEE GODDARD AND MAHER
CONTEST.
Peter Should Leave the Ring for the Brewery.
jim Corbett Still Fights Shy Of Peter Jack
son, but Is as Bold as a Lion With
Charley Mitchell.

records OF the ring fully attest the DraV-
cry of the sons OF old Erin. Ihey ana
their sons have been the worthy foes OF
the best men that ever pulled of shirts
in the squared circle. There are ex-
ceptions to all rules, however, and Peter
Maher, whom that pugilistic bunBolst,
Billy Madden, had the impotence TO
dub 1.-THE Irish Champion" is the ex-
ception to this one. He has yellow
streak down his back OF the most
pronounced saffron hue. L wit
messed Peter fight Joe Goddard be-
fore the Coney Island Athletic CLUB,
and / saw that he was over
matched before the first round was
over. He put up lively fight until
the second round was about hall over.
Then he began to tire, and the instant
Goddard started throwing the gait into
him he began TO weaken. When he was
sent to his knees the second time L
would have bet small bottle that he
would quit. He rose to his feet, then
Goddard went at him like a wild pull
and Peter made for the ropes. Had
they been six inches lower l believe
he would have jumped over them In
his desire to get away from his pursuer.
In the third round he was smashed
squarely on the jaw by Goddard's right,
and down he went face first. lie threw
out his right arm, and he fell on 1t In
such way that his face was kept from
contact with the canvas covering the
rubbered floor. think he was half
stunned, but he certainly made no Ell
fort TO regain his feet until he was
counted out. He left the ring despised
by nearly every man in the room. de
had better leave the ring forever and re-
turn to his JOB in the Dublin brewery
that is, if he can get it back again.
When John l.. Sullivan said that as
'between the average Australian fighter
and the kangaroo the difference is all
in favor of the kangaroo" l think he
had Joe Goddard in his minds eye. lie
is the most conceited scrapper | have
ever encountered, and l have run up
against Charley Mitchell and num-
Der Of other peacocks in my time. he
Is as strong as bull, and thong b as
awarkward a fighter as Jim Fell, he Is
a punisher, too. He got rafting
good smashing from Maher, and had
Peter known how TO "bunch his
hits" as a baseball player would say,
and put them where they would do the
most good, he should have won in the
first minute. Then he had golden OPP
portunity. The men had exchanged a
few blows, when Goddard, in attempting
to body his man, overreached himself
and stuck his head out in the most
tempting manner. His jaw was exposed
perfectly unguarded for fully two Sec
onds. He was in such position that
he could not have parried or stopped an
upper cut. Every one on my side OF the
house expected to see Maher
finish him then and there, but
he didn't see his chance until it
was far too late, and hundreds OF his
friends "ohed" in a deprecatory way
that told more eloquently than any
words their disappointment. Had John
Sullivan or Paddy Slavin been in
Makers place the antipodean would
not have had that chance of mis- life
to make good his boast that no man
can knock him out; l think he would
have altered this opinion as he re-
covered consciousness. He gave Peter
a terrible butt with his bll-like head
over the heart in a rush to close quar-
tiers, which might have been accidental,
for he is so clumsy in his movements
that he keeps you guessing as to his
intentions: but If l had been in
Johnny Eckhardt's place l would
have given him warning then and
there. Twice in the second round he
turned away from Peters punishment,
and he put his hand to his face in
manner that seemed odd for a man with
his reputation as glutton for punish
ment. He knew that he was far strong
er than Maher, and that Peter would
quit as soon as ne was hurt, and he did
soak him right and left on the ropes.
He is not a knocker-out as Sullivan was,
but he is a sore puncher, and the man
who has to exchange hit for hit with
will surely come to grief. think Sulli-
van, in his best days, would lick him in
two rounds. Jim Corbett, fit as he was
when he defeated Sullivan, can cut him
into ribbons. He is as easy to hit as
barn door, and any quick man can evade
his rushes with ease. He thinks that
Corbett can't hit hard enough to hurt
him, but either he or is badly mis-
taken. Naturally think he is the one
that is In error.
Jim Corbett; by the way, has caught
on to new scheme TO avoid lighting.
He wants Joe Goddard, and Peter jack
son to get together and determine
which is the real representative Of
Australia before he will take any &C.
tion," which, in this case is his euphon-
ism for match1 TSking. He says: las
a matter Of fact, England is without
a champion, and so is Australia. !"
Nevertheless he will make match
with Charley Mitchell, and cover any
deposit that that incarcerated pugilist
may make with any reputable Lews-
paper in America. Jim shows good
Judgment in preferring Mitchell to
Peter Jackson, but his argu-
ment Ia defending his stand Is
lamentaoly weak and as transparent as
window glass. The long and the short
of the matter is this, he is champion OF
America through defeating Sullivan.
The title is worth thousands OF dollars
a season TO him. He does not propose
TO ieopardize it by lighting such dan
rerous man as Peter Jackson. He is
willing to box Charley Mitchell next
fall because he firmly believes, as do,
that he is Charley's master in strength,
size, skill and activity. He knows that q
victory over Mitchell, who is almost as
unpopular here as he is in his own coun-
tay. would be worth q hundred thousand
dollars to him at least. As soon as he
defeats Mitchell and pockets the usu-
fruct of his victory in stakes and theat-
ricaI profits he caa get his father TO ask
him not to fight any more, and then,
like the dutiful son that he is, when
obedience is a pleasure, he can comply
with his fond parent request and retire