The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-24
FOUGHT TWENTY ROUNDS
LIVELY CONTEST BETWEEN GEORGE
DIXON AND DIAL HAWKINS.
HoROrs Were Fairly Even All
cree Declared the "AIiII" Draw.

Dixon, champion bantam weight of the
world, tonight. 1t was fast fight from
start to finish but was remarkable in that
neither man struck his opponent a dan
gerous blow. For the first ten rounds
Dixon was the aggressor and did most of
the leading, keeping his bigger antagonist
constantly on the move. About the twelfth
however, Hawkins, who had apparently
gained confidence, went after the colored
midget and to the end of the fight more
than held his own. Hawkins's weight and
strength was too much for Dixon, and al
though Dixon landed several wicked lefts,
he could not knock Hawkins out. Hawkins
also got in some of his wicked lefts, but as
general thing Dixon managed to block or
duck out of danger. Dixon while he had
all Of his old-time speed, lacked accuracy.
When he would swing his left, he invaria-
bly, fell short or overreached himself Dixon
was very quick on his feet, but Hawkins
kept well out of danger. Dixon gave
beautiful exhibition against the Califor-
niah. There was little work for the referee
to do any stage Of the fight, and his de-
cision of draw was received with uni
versal approval.
The crowd in attendance was equal
to that which witnessed the Fitz-
the last hour was 800 to $40 in favor of
Dixon. A great deal of Dixon money came
in this afternoon and the odds were slightly
cut, but betting was lively at the figures
above named. Hawkins weighed in this
evening at o'clock at 127 pounds and Dixon
at 124. Hawkins entered the ring at least
four pounds heavier than the little colored
champion.
The arrangements for seating the great
crowd in the pavilion were admirable. The
ring was surrounded by boxes, several hun
dred in number, each Dox seating six per-
sons. Behind the tiers of boxes the seats
arose In gentle terraces to the extreme
back of the luilding, enabling every spec
tator to get a good view of the boxers.
The great gallery was the popular place
with the masses. AS early as 1880 o'clock
it was jammed on every side.
When Referee Hiram Cook entered the
ring he was greeted with a storm of min
gled Kisses and cheers. The Hawkins men
have no love for Cook, and Spider Kelly,
Hawkinss second, protested against him.
There was a long wrangle, and finally Cook
entered the ring and ordered the men to
their corners. Hawkins refused to go, and
Kelly yelled, Anybody in the house but
Cook" Tom ORourke tried to talk, but
Ltl6 OlB crown WOuIQ IlOL lSltI jim Ne1l,
another of Hawkinss adherents, shouted
that when the betting began on the fight
the betting was 500 to SIS in favor of Dix
on, but it was now 500 to $40. Something
was wrong, he asserted. The announce
ment was finally made that the manage
ment of the club had selected Cook and the
men must fight under him. Finally, after
one hours wrangling, Cook withdrew in
favor of Jack Welch as referee. Both men
then prepared for the fight. Time was
called at $3.50 D. m.
In the first round both men were very
careful. Dial swung his left on DiXon's
head and missed another at the same spot.
George countered with his left on body.
Dial sent his left hard on the head George
swung his left on body. Dixon rushed and
Hawkins clinched Dial tried his left for
face but was blocked. Dixon put his left
jab on the head Dal staggered George
with straight left on the face. Dixon's
eye shows signs of blows. Dial jabbed left
on face as the round ended. 1t was Hawk
mss round.
The second round was also fast and fu-
rious, with Dixon on the aggressive.
In the third Dixon was very wary. Dial
swung his left on the body and ducked a
left swing from the little co,ored man. Dial
gaDDed let nara on neck and tried with
right on head. As the gong sounded Dial
swung a terrific left, squarely on Georges
stomach. The fourth round was even. In
the fifth Dixon did most OF the leading. In
the sixth Hawkins swung his left on the
body Hawkins jabbed Dixon hard in the
wind and got a left swing on the body Dial
Jabbed George in the face and ducked a
left swing. George .jabbed Dial on the face
with his left. Hawkins rushed and George
clinched Da! swung his left but was
blocked. Dial missed straight left for the
chin
In the seventh round George rushed and
Dial swung his left on the body. George
jabbed Dal on the face. Hawkins swung a
hard left on the body, lifting George off the
floor. Dixon jabbed his left on the face
lnftG mo
Hawkins rushed, but missed left for the
jaw. George rushed and swung his left on
the b body Ral rushed and swung his left
Dixon rushed but Dial jabbed him in the
face and swung left on the body. George
swung his LETT on the head lightly and
clinched.
The next few rounds were repetition of
the previous ones-fast and furious. In the
eleventh Dial jabbed his left lightly on
Dixons face. Dial swung his left on the
wind and George countered with his left on
slipped down. Dial swung his left on the
body. Dial missed hard left swing for the
body and fell from the force of the blow.
countered with his left on the wind. Dial
missed left swing and got right and left
on the head
In the twelfth round Hawkins began to
grow aggressive and got in several good
blows on Dixon. Honors continued fairly
even, however.
In the seventeenth round George rushed
and swung on the neck. Dial missed hard
left straight for the face, but put hard
left on DiXon's nose a moment later.
George rushed and Dial stopped him with
straight left. Dixon ducked very hard left
for chin. Dixon rushed, but was stopped
with straight left on the neck. Dixon swung
left on the neck lightly. Dixon ducked two
left leads for the face and landed a left
hard on the wind just the bell rang
Hawkins landed a left hard on the face.
At the opening of the eighteenth George
swung left on the neck lightly and
ducked a hard left for the chin Dixon
rushed and ran against a hard left. Hawk
ins swung his left hard on the jaw twice
and George clinched. Dial put a left on the
Hawkins jabbed George hard on tho neck
forced him into corner and landed his
right on the body. George swung his left
on the neck and Dial clinched as the round
ended. This was Hawknss round
In the nineteenth round Dial swung his
left for the jaw and missed but a moment
later jabbed his left hard on Georges neck.
George missed left for the jaw and ran
against O. left swing hard on the body from
both right and left. Hawkins swung his left
on the neck and forced George backward
putting his right hard on the ear. Hawkins
swung his left on the head and George
countered with one on the same spot
me men were up and at it in the TWEEN
tieth after shaking hands in the middle of
the ring. Hawkins rushed and swung his
left on the head George came back with
his left on the neck Hawkins SWING his
the .vorner after a rally Hawkins iabbed
his left on the neck twice, forcing George
around the ring. Dixon missed his left for
the face, but put IN a left on the face twice
moment later. Dial landed a left on the
head twice and right on the body Dal
nose which brought blood Just as the gong
rang Hawkins landed a left and ripbT &c