The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-02
IN SEVENTEEN ROUNDS.
Heavy Punching From the Start
That Greatly Delighted the
BritiSherS.
KID" MAKES THE BUSHES.
Plucky Work That Causes the Knock.
out of England's Lightweight
Champion.

LONDON, ENGLAND, June 1.-The match
between Kid Lavigre and Dick Burge, the
light weight champion of England, was
fought tonight st the National Sporting
Club, and resulted in victory for Lavigne
in the seventeenth round.
Burge scaled 1876 pounds and Lavigne
134. The Englishman was good favorite
at odds of to on. The fight was for the
international lightweight championship of
the world, purse of $500 and side bet
of $500.
In the first round Lavigne made dash
at his opponent and landed heavily on his
body. He tried the same tactics the sec
ond time. but Burge lodged and Lavigne
went head long against post, striking his
face and injurng himself badly. This,
however, did not prevent him forcing the
fighting, and he rushed again at Burge
and rapidly landed several blows on his
body. Burge was driven against the
ropes. Thereafter he travelled all over the
ring, meeting several rushes in good style,
but was kept very busy in defending him
self.
In the second round Lavigne resumed
his rushing, but Burge held him off and
lodged cleverly. Then both became eau
tious and neither did any scoring for some
time. Then Burge landed heavily with
his right and left on Lavigne's eye and
mouth, the latter responding with heavy
body blows.
In the third round Burge assumed the
offensive and landed several times on
LaviGne's face, but his blows lacked force
and did no harm. Then Lavigne began
again to cut out the work and punished
Burge severely on the chest and other
parts of the body. He then aimed a blow
at Burgess head and missed him. and his
sparring then became wild and he received
a couple of blows in the face.
There were q series of great rallies in
the fourth round, which ended in Burge's
favor. The supporters of the English
champion were now jubilant at the pros
poets of their favorite
In the fifth round Burge was cautioned
for holding to Lavigne. Fast fighting fol-
lowed and Burge was still improving.
In the sixth round Lavigne forced the
fighting, pressing his rival to the ropes
and putting in several heavy blows.
In the seventh and eighth rounds
Burge came up very cool in the ninth
round and repeatedly jabbed his opponent
severely.
At the beginning of the tenth the fight
ing was very fast, Lavigne driving the En-
glishman to the ropes. Burge worked all
around the ring, lodging Lavignes
rushes. Eventually the Englishman
landed with terrific force on Lavigne's ear.
Rapid exchanges followed.
There were fast exchanges in the
eleventh round, but neither man had much
advantage.
The twelfth was slightly in Lavignes
favor. He landed first but was we'll coun-
tered. This round was fast and exciting.
At the end of the round both men sprawled
upon the floor.
Lavigne renewed his rushing in the
thirteenth round, but was well met. The
round was hotly contested, but Lavigne
finished the best.
In the fourteenth round Burge led the
attack, but fell short. The KID failed
to rush, but in his second attempt he
landed twice on Burgess ribs. The ex-
changes were then much slower than in
the previous round. Just before the end
VI tIe IOuuu DuiSe ldHueQ al ugly DlOW
on his opponents arm, which caused him
to vince.
In the fifteenth the men were frequently
locked and there were some heavy ex-
changes. Burge drove his opponents arm
very low. The supporters of Lavigne
claimed foul, but it was not allowed.
At the beginning of the sixteenth round
'avigne made furious rush at the
.lns iishman, but missed hin: and slipped
through the ropes. Burge awaited his re-
turn to the ring. After this Burge was
knocked down, and when he got on his
feet he was very groggy. Later ne slipped.
but recovered himself and was again
knocked down.
In the seventeenth and last round Burge
acted on the defensive and recovered
some, but the "Kid" cut out the pace at
tremendous rate. His body blows began
to tell. Burge Uniformly resisted until
he was knocked down by long right
handed blow, falling face downward. The
Englishman was counted out and Referee
Angle declared Lavigne the winner.
The fight was exciting throughout, but
with the exception of one or two rounds,
Burge never looked like a winner. The
fight he put up surprised every body, as he
was thought to have soft thing.