Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-14
OSCAR GARDNER
CAN GIVE MGOvERN A HARD FIGHT
In the Opinion of
John L. Sullivan.


Here are some opinions concerning
the battle for the bantam champion
ship, among them that of the ex-cham-
pion of the world. John l.. Sullivan,
which will be especially interesting to
Wheeling admirers of the Omaha Kid:
''McGovern,' said John L., is one of
the really great fighters. He is clever,
strong and full of courage q rare COM
bination. He will whip Dixon as sure
as little apples are included in the gen.
eral creation. O'Rourke is foolish to
force Dixon up against so hard game.
Dixon has been in the ring long enough
to begin looking for soft spots. Oscar
Gardner can give McGoyern a hard
fight, and he is the only one of the
little fellows in his class"
''McGovern has gained greatly in
SCIENCE said Mccoy. He is a Won
der. Dixon can't whip him. He hits
like a light weight and is as clever as
Palmer, and / bet against him."
1--WE Englishmen are outclassed or
outlucked,' said Fitzsimmons. Il
really expected Palmer to win, but can
see now that McGovern is far more
clever than | thought"
Palmer can do BETTER" was Corbett's
remark. i thought he would lose and
yet was disappointed in his work. He
could give McGovern a harder battle
if he would stand away and try long
arm work"
Here is George Siler's version Of the
battle:
Never in the history of the ring were
there so many blows delivered in SO
short time. Palmer began proceedings
by leading with his left, which landed
on Terry's breast. The blow was not
effective, as it was delivered with a
downward motion-a sort of chop. He
led again a moment later, but was
blocked, and then came a mix-uD. in
which gloves were flying around the
air like bees out of a hive. 1t was
biff bang, slash away, with science
thrown to the dogs for minute, when
the song, in charge Of John Pollock,
sounded the end of the round.
This was s1ryrise to me, and after
sending the boys to their corners. 1
turned to the timekeepers and asked
what was up.
Its all right, go ahead" shouted
Sam Austin, McGovern's timekeeper.
What do you mean?" l asked;
chat wasn't three minutes"
''No, no." he shouted; 'let them go
on
81 got them to the center as quickly
as possible, and then-well, neither |
nor anybody else could keep track of
the blows. They went at it as fast as
they could with both hands-hit, miss,
any old way, just so they kept their
arms moving.
Palmer would let go-one, two, three,
four, then duck mis- head to the left
and then to the right, but always stood
within striking distance. Terry did
likewise, that is, with his hands. He
did not attempt to dodge anything.
He simply stood there and slashed
away with left and right, missing and
landing. In fact, he seemed to go any
old way gauging his man as ''fGrninst'
him and probably saying to himself:
"I'll let go. hit OR miss"
And miss he did repeatedly. but
when he landed, my, oh, my; how he
shook the Pedlar un. Once he lifted
his left into Palmer's stomach, and fol-
lowed it with a right on the jaw, which
sent Palmer to the floor, where he re-
manned until l tOlled off three. Up
came the Englishman game as ever.
and ready to mix. just TO Terry's lik-
ing. The latter was just as anxious.
and at it they went again, hammer and
tongs, until Palmer took hot one on
the Jaw and down he went. He squirm-
ed a bit and tried to regain his feet
at the count Of six, but wobbled back
and was counted out.
The fight was far from being salts
factory-that is. from a fight stand
poiEt-as Palmer ii was thought would
box cleverly and at long range. This.
for reasons best known to himself he
failed to Go, and fought Terry just as
Terry wanted him to, and therefore met