The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-24
TO FIGHT IN BOSTON.
JOE wkLCOTT AND BILLY SMITH
TO MEET ~ THE RING.
WnIcOtt's Chances Are Good-Ilec-
Ords "a the COIored One Hundred
and Forty Pound Champion of
america and Of ''Niysferious'' billy.


america and of .'Mysterious" BiIIy.
Copyright
New York. Feb. 2S.-The next great
prize-ring encounter TO take place in this
country is the battle between Joe wal
colt, the eolored li0-pound champion of
America. and Billy Smith. OF Boston,
Mass, better known ia prise-ring circles
as Mysterious" billy Smith. The con-
test is to be decided in Boston, the first
week i'm March. and owing to the great
reputation Of the pugilists it is looked for
ward to with eager interest
Walcott so far during his prize ring
career has proved himself as great
wonder in his class as George Dixon,
Frank Craig. and the world-renowned
Peter Jackson. who are all Ike Walcott
colored pusilsts Since the latter has
been battling for the championship he has
defeated home and foreign champions
and proved that ne possesses all The
qualifications necessary TO "A champion
OF the fstic arena.
Billy Smith has gained a great repu-
tation by his battles with welter-weight
champions. and while he has not shown
the form. or anything like the hitting
powers of his dusky opponent he has
clearly demonstrated that he possesses
science and stamina.
Smith has legion of admirers. who
think he can defeat Walcott but VA
my opinion there is not a pugihst IN
America or England at Walcotts weight
who can conquer him Yet it Is impossi-
BILE TO foretell the result Of a glove night
for the greatest pugilists that have ever
stood IN the orthodox 2i-foot ring have
bowed TO defeat, when 1T was least eN-
pected
Tom Sayers the greatest pugilist az
his weight. 15i pounds. had TO acknowledge
himself out-generaled by middle
weight-Nat Langham-aftcr having
fought slNty-one rounds in hours and 2
minutes for 1900 aside. II was Sayere
only defeat in his long hstic career. which
began I'm tSAa and ended April H. 1850. when
he fought his famous battle with John
c. Heenan. the champion of America, az
Marlborough, England.
Jem Mace, the most scientific pugltst
who ever stood i'm a prize ring was beaten
just az the time when hts friends Were
confident he would win. Mace, after dee
featng Tom King for the championship
Of England. Jan. 2S, 1852, In forty-three
rounds, lasting one hour and eight min
utes, was beaten by King Nov. %. 1852 for
400 pounds and the championship of Eng
land, i'm twenty-one rounds, lasting thirty
eight minutes. IL was only accident that
caused Maces defeat In the nineteenth
round. for. after landing his left, he
leaned forward and slipped. King seized
the opportunity and delivered a cross
counter with his right, directly from the
shoulder giving fun weight of his frame
to the blow. which fell on Mace's nose
and left eye with the force of a batteriug
ram. Mace doubled up before the shock
and fell.
Maces friends knew his defeat was ow-
ing to his slipping In the nineteenth
round, and they agreed to match him
against King for $1,000 but King
refused 10 meet him. King must have
known that he defeated Mace only by II
fuke. for while ne refused to- face Mace
he consented to fight John G Heenan
for f2,00o, and they met on Dec
10. 1869, at Wadhurst. England. and King
won IN twenty-five rounds, lasting thirty
five minutes. ManyS claim that Heenan
ana King fought for the championship. but
such Is not the case, for Mace held the
championship belt when King arranged
the match with John c. Heenan.
In America, prize ring champions. after
a long run Of success finally meet with
defeat
Sam Collyer, champion in the six
ties. who had beaten every opponent
matched against him. had to succumb 20
Barney Aaron and later to SILLY Edwards.
Mike McCoole, Of 81. Louis. the heavy
weight champion OF America IN 1853
after surviving one defeat by Joe Co
burn, defeated every pugllist he met To
ST. Louis, after he defeated Aaron Jones.
a puglist who had fought Tom Sayers
twice. he was styled the king Of St.
Louis" and he had backing for $1,000.
Just at the time when it was supposed
there was no man in America able to best
| him Tom Allen defeated him.
Jack Dempsey won nearly fifty battles
and met his overthrow when t was least
expected, at the hands Of George la
Blanche and Bob Fitzsimmons. Who ever
supposed that John l.. Sullivan, who had
stood champion against al corners from
1882 until 1851. when he retired, and again
! became champion In 1889, by defeating
Jake Kilrain for $4,000, would go down be-
fore Corbett?
But so it goes, and while Walcott might
be booked for a sure winner, or Smith
may be backed with hundreds Of dollars,
TO defeat him, there cannot be 50 much
as an intelligent guess as 10 the result
Of the impending battle
Walcott has fought twenty-four battles
and has had a decision given against him
| but once, and then I'm the next encounter
with the same boxer he defeated him.
His opponent, Billy Smith, has engaged
] IN nlnteen battles, or Whlch ne has won
! eleven, and seven have ended in draws
Only once has he met with defeat; that
was in a contest with Tommy Ryan, the
welterweight champion Of America
whom he has fought three times, two Of
| the contest being draws.
| Smith has fought better men, on the
whole, than Walcott, but his victories
cannot be compared with Walcott's tri-
umph over.the Australian champion, Tom
| Tracey Then, too, the colored champion
| is constantly improving, while Smith
since he was defeated by Tommy Ryan
| has gone back, and / should not be sur
| prised to see WalcOtt win.
In nearly every city in the United States
heavy bets have been laid on the result
and now one man and now the other
has been made the favoritc with the
huctuating Of the betting market The
battle promises to be a close and excit-
ing one, although Walcott appears to
| have the best chance, for 20 far during
his prize ring career, he has demonstrate
ed that he is the most wonderful pugilist
at his weight that has ever stood in the
prize ring.
Waloott win have to face however, IN
the arena a pugilist who possesses in
domitabie courage. wonderful hitting pow