The herald., 1897-10-25
THE PRIZE RING

Los Angeles has again been treated to
another fake prize fight tournament and
the effect will be that for months or even
seasons to come it will be impossible to
successfully pull off fight here be 1t
ever so fair and honest This last
weeks experience has been about as
much as the patrons of the sport in this
city care for, for the present at least, a nd,
it will take some time for them to get
rid of the bad taste that the affair has
left. Heretofore it has been the fight
ers themselves that have been RESPONSE
Bile for the fakes that have been per-
petrated upon the public and the per-
sons who have been behind the fights
have as rule been left with the bag to
hold, but in last weeks alleged tourna-
ment it was the management who were
responsible for the failure for the fights
to be what they were advertised. The
fighters were willing and, anxious to do
their part and would have put up GOOD
fights. Those OF the fights that were
finished according to program showed
this, and the one in which the trouble
occurred was also about as fine an eX-
hibition of pugilistic skill as any person
cared to witness.
+ = =
There are particulars with reference
to the tournament which will never be
made public. There is we'll founded
rumor that one of the leading lights IN
the tournament, man of wealth, was
literally robbed after having been bled
for all that the others who were in the
game could possibly get out of him.
This unfortunate put up, it is said, more
than $14O0 for the fight and got in re-
turn a roasting from a notorious char
acter who, after making all TnavArer of
protestations of honesty, disappeared,
with how much money no one knows.
The actions Of a saloon keeper who
salloweG lis name to be used" in con-
nectior with the affair were far from
being above suspicion. From beginndng
to end the so-called tournament appears
to have been an effort on the part of the
several persons who arranged it to get
all they could out of it even, to cutting
each Others throats financially.
King and Carter, the pugilists who
were brought here, traN.sos and pre-
pared for fight in which they were Of
fered a purse of $40O and were at the
last minute told that there was no
purse, declare that they intend to car
ry the matter of the collection of the
money into the courts. They say with
truth that they fulfilled every part of
their contract ard that they have not
only proof of verbal agreement to pay
them but also have the contract in black
and white. Whether they cam make out
a good case remains to be seen. If the
matter reaches the courts tfe whole
truth may become kr4own.
+ + +
What will probably be the fastest and
most viciously contested bout ever wit
messed in San Francisco will be the
tweTy-round go between Kid Lavigne,
the lightweight champion of the world,
and Joe Walcott, which is to be pulled off
in the Occidental Athletic club Friday
night. This will be the second meeting
of these two stars in the roped arena, the
previous encounter having been won by
Lavigne, after hard battle of fifteen
rounds, ip the Empire Athletic club, at
Maspeth, L. l., two years ago. O'Rourke
turned a cute trick by talking Lavigne
into making a match at 1877 pounds and
as the latter foolishly gave in to
O'Rourke, the chances are that it may
be the cause Of Lavignes defeat. La
vigne can fight strong at 1873 pounds,
while Walcott would be very weak at
that weight, but at 1877 pounds Walcott
is as strong as an OK, and as he is called
harder puncher than Lavigne he
stands good chance Of lowering La
vigne's colors.
+ =
Judging from the interest which is
already being taken, in the approaching
finish fight between Dax. Creedon and
Kid Mccoy it is expected that there will
be nearly or quite as much money
wagered as there was on that between
Corbett and Fitzstmmons. Although
the fight is not to take place for two
months, the sporting nren who assemble
at the different New York resorts are
talking about nothing else and both
mem have hosts of admirers who Will
soon commence to bet their greenbacks
heavily on the fight.
CYCLING