The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-30
This should not be.

/ By all means let us hold a congress and
settle this vexed question once for all
| George Dixon, the present feather
| weight champion, has caused the largest
amount OF argument In his class. 1T
has been claimed that he can fight at
| 112 pounds. This I doubt, however.
Dixon has grown considerably In the
| last two or three years. or since he
| fought Cal Mccarthy. He has hardened
| I'm every way, and II his manager says
that he can fight at 1l2 pounds 1t is char
| ity TO state that he is elongating the
| truth Dixon, however. is one OF the
most successful fighting machines OF
the century
| In the lightweight class (so-called)
| there have also been many disputes. The
/ latest argument occurred at the time
when II looked as though Jack McAuliffe
| and Dick Burge might be matched. Nc
| Auliffe held out for the lightweight limit
as he understood 1t. 1873 pounds. Burge
and his supporters although first holding
| out for 1873 pounds, afterwards wanted TO
| fight at catch-weights. II was a clever
| trick on the part OF the Burge people. but
| II did not work. Burge Is a welter-weight
| and could not, to save his "bleedn' life."
| get 10 1873 pounds.
uniformity of weights would simplify
matters and end a world Of doubt. If the
weights have mentioned were generally
duopttu HubliloAS WOuiu hlOW just NDtlt
they stood and we would have no use for
any e the half dozen or more special
classas.'
In referring TO fighting machines. the
names Of three men who can successfully
lay claim to their titles are recalled They
are first, Jack McAuliffe; second, George
Dixon, and thirdly. Billy Plimmer. These
three men are premiers In their different
classes. The first is pugilistic wonder.
can not remember the time when / saw
McAuliffe in condition-that is to say, In
such shape that his friends could con-
fdently say that he was perfectly fl.
He has led a life that would have killed
a majority OF other men not in the ring.
Just previous TO his more recent fights.
in fact, in some Instances the night before,
he has looked on the good things OF life
when they were very red. Everyone has
noted the result Of these battles. He has
whipped his men easily and quickly.
Wonderful pugilist! There has never
been one like him. Even John l.. Sulli
van. the wonder Of the fighting world for
years. was never his equal. But will he
always remain the remarkable fighting
machine OF the generation? No, not UNI
less he takes care Of himself.
Some day he will enter the ring hog-fat
and his antagonist. If well and carefully
trained. will out-point. even If he does not
whip him and Jacks reputation will be
swept away like chaff before a summers
breeze. Nature. when abused TO the Ut
most. will revolt. No one wants 10 see
McAulffe's Waterloo come in this way.
He, better than anyone else. knows that
the world especially the sporting part
OF IL. has no use for n loser.
Dixon, fighting machine. Is IN many
respects no less remarkable than Mean
life. He does not live SO hard. and in
the hands Of O'ROurke is we'll taken care
Of. He has been fighting for years, and
yet there is no depreciable decline In his
powers. He works twice n day for eight
or nine months each year. is always in
condition and fit to fight for his life at
any time. He is a bundle Of muscle IS and
energy.
Billy Plimme- also appears cut out
for a human fghtirg machine. He is
without rerves, hard as nails, compactly
built and a terrific punisher for a little
man. Even his eyelashes appear 10 add
to his capacity as a fighter. They ire
capable OF being reduced and the same
can be said Of every other part Of his |
anatomy. He is a little English build ,g
in pugilistic way-a boy, in tact, who |
will be hard 70 beat.
These three men-McAuliffe, Dixon and |
Plimmer-are the true fighting machines |
of their several classes. ! doubt # the |
sporting world will ever see their like |
again.
The money-makers OF pugilism are at |
tracing attention. / do not mean the |
men who make money out Of their fists. |
pure and simple. but the puglistic actors |
now touring the country. There have |
been two or three money-makers and |
now another has been led to he list. |
Jack McAulffe. Jack will make money |
fast, but whether he will keep it remains |
to be seen. The other two are John l.. |
Sullivan and George Dixon.
Champion James j. Corbett? Yes, he |
IS a money-maker. but 1t is a question II |
he does as we'll as Sullivan. Dixon has |
a clever manager who saves him large |
part of his winnings and earnings.
1t is a curious study, the personality Of |
the money-making pugilists. Naturally |
Sullivan heads the list, and | am sure no
unprejudiced sporting man will deny this
Sullivan possesses magnetism that Cor
bett has not He is popular with the
masses as Corbett Is not He has been |
the idol of the public so long that even
as a defeated champion he holds those
who admired him in the days when he
was on top
Corbett is entirely without magnetism.
He makes friends, but he does not hold
them. With Sullivan the reverse is true.
But comparisons of men are always more
odious than Of things.
Jack McAuliffes bread-winning capac-
ity on the stage is yet TO be tested. If
personal magnetism will aid him, he will
gain and hold friends. Aside from bis
ability as a pugilist McAuiffe is one Of
the most picturesque characters In the
ring to-day. Whether broke or possessed
Of a roll as big as his hat, he is always |
In clover.
When a man loses money or position
he Immediately finds out who are his
friends McAuliffe, while he has never
lost his position as champion in his class,
has been dead-broke more times than he
has years. In such times he did not
lack for friends or money.
Jack Dempsey and Dominick McCaf-
fiery are also built on these lines. Both
men resemble Sullivan and McAuliffe in
many ways He who says there is no
goodfellowship in the ring of to-day does
not know what he is talking about.
Pugiism in and about New York Is
not encouraging. In Newark n j. the
mayor became alarmed and refused to
permit the McBride-Plimmer fight to
come Off AS the days go by even those
interested In the Coney Island Club half
reluctantly admit that the fight will
never be pulled off at the seashore.
ARTHUR T. LUMLEY.