Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-22
WORLD OF SPORT.
Wood Awarded the Fight on
a Foul.
Rochette Had Clearly the Best
Of the Fight.
Joe Goddard Wants to Fight
COrbett.
johnny warren Whipped-Maxim Ar
rives in America-Baseball News
From All Quarters Peter
Maher's Bold Challenge.

Politicians, doctors, lawyers, railway
magnates and many other professions
were represented in the select audience
which gathered at the opening of the
new Crib club last evening. The piece
de resistance OF the night was the glove
contest between Frank Wood, an aspir-
ing pugilist, and Charles Rochette of
San Francisco. Unfortunately the affair
did not end in very satisfactory man.
ner, and the man that got the most pun
ishment received balm by getting the
big end of the purse, while the man
that did all the fighting and had the con-
test at his mercy got what is known as
the ragged end of the rope. Rochette
did all the fighting from the start and
looked sure winner, but the fates were
not propitious and the contest was
awarded Wood on foul in the n ine-
teenth round. Needless to say, the de-
cision was commended and severely
criticized just according as the spectator
happened to be interested. There was
great difference of opinion, even
among the people not directly interested
one way or the other in the fighters, but
all agreed that Rochette played in thes
hardest kind of luck.
Everyone has a right to his opinion,
but had the writer been referee the
fight would have proceeded.
A TECHNICAL FOUL.
There was no doubt that Rochette
struck Wood below the belt. The writer
was in splendid position to see the
blow. 1t was just-and only iusr-be-
low the belt. The most partisan spec
tator must admit that it was not
malicious blow. 1t did no damage. 1t
was not turning blow in the fight. 1t
was an accidental blow, and the lowness
was due entirely to Rochette's style of
bending down when rushing in.
1t was what is known the
world over as a technical foul, and
all must admit that it was rough on Ro-
chette to give the fight to an opponent
whom he had worsted in every round.
A referee is allowed much license in the
Interpretation of the Marquis of Queens
berry rules, and in giving a decision he
must carefully weigh all circumstances.
One point in favor of the referee is that
he repeatedly cautioned Rochette and
warned him that if he again struck
Wood below the belt he would decide
the fight against him, but as any one
versed in fistic matters knows, almost
every fighter commits technical fouls in
the heat of hard-fouRht battle.
THE FIGHT.
1t was very nearly 10 O'Clock when
the principals appeared. Rochette and
Wood were matched to fight at 1875
pounds, but both were from four to
seven pounds over the required weight.
The records of both men have already
been published in the HERALD. Ro-
chette showed up in superb condition.
Wood looked as if he needed to take off
few more pounds of superfuous flesh.
Billy Shannon and La Blanche were be-
hind Wood, while Billy Manning and
several others looked after Rochette.
There is no necessity of going into the
fight by rounds. Each round was
repetition of the other. Wood acted on
the defensive, just the same as Prince
ton did in the football match with Yale.
Once or twice he tried the ag
gressive, but he made poor fist
of it, consequently he contented
jab. He got home in pretty good style
bCtCidl biLnCc III tuO ColiJ Pdlb VI bllc
fight, but Rochette got onto his work,
and as a result Woods only and favorite
blow was not very effective. Wood has
a right hand like every man anxious to
crawl up the pugilistic ladder, but last
night it might as we'll have been in San
Francisco, as he never used it even to
guard his face. Wood showed himself
to be game and took bis punishment
like veteran fighter. Rochette landed
quite often on his opponents face, and
drew the claret and even swelled up
both his eyes, but Wood showed up
fresh at the beginning of every round,
even if he did appear distressed in sev-
eral rounds.
LANDED WHEN HE PLEASED.
1t was no trick for Rochette to land on
Wood, but he could not get in q
Knockout blow, although Wood went
down in the fifteenth from a lab in the
jaw, hut he got up with CELEBRITY, and
despite Rochette's herc1lean efforts he
was unsuccessful in putting Wood to
sleep, although the latter appeared to
be very much distressed. Every round
appeared to be the last, but Wood stayed
with the racket, although it was only
matter OF little time when the contre-
ming of this story. 1t was very unfortu-
nate, to say the least, no matter how
one views the decision of the referee.
The fight was characterized by good
deal OF sameness. 1t was the same
thing over again every round. Rochette
outciasses Wood just at present. The
latter may do better with little more
experience.
BILLY MABER DoNs THE AnTTENs.
There were several preliminaries
previous to the mill of the evening. The
six-round contest between Billy Maber
of Australia and Henry Peppers did not
take place. Peppers refused to 60 on
for six rounds, but he consented to box
three rounds There was quite differ
ence in the size OF the men, Peppers be-