The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-06
M'COY'S BIGGEST FIGHT
SPECULATION As TO WHAT HE WILL
DO WITH SAILOR sHARKEY.
A Review of the Indianapolis Lads
Career-HOw He Took
Name.

The New York papers are saying that the
sole topic of discussion in the sporting world
at this time is the McCoy-Sharkey fight
to be pulled off at the arena of the Lenox
Athletic Club next Tuesday night. Because
Mccoy was bred in indianapolis peculiar in
terest in the match is manifested here. The
men who make their living by watching the
big fighters closely and betting their money
on results, concur in that Tuesdays nights
problem viii be based on Sharkeys strength
and endurance against McCoys skill and
agility Experts who take the Mccoy side
say that the Kid can punch harder and has
a shade more science than Corbett, and
they point out that Sharkey was firing when
his late fiasco with Corbett was ended by
Corbetts man A1cVey boiling into the ring,
causing the referee to give the decision to
the sailor. The Sharkey takers claim that
Mccoy can drum on the sailors skin day
and night and make no impression on
him. They cite as a fact bearing out their
argument that Fitzsimmons beat on
Sharkey for eight rounds with little effect
and it would be heresy to say that Fitz-
simmons is not as hard a hitter and as
heady a scientist as the Indianapolis pugi-
list
In view of all this the impression given
to one who listens to both sides is that it
is great big question whether Sharkey
will go down after Mccoy has danced
around him and punched him with twenty
horse power for several rounds or whether
Sharkey will let Mccoy play with him un-
til he finds his opportunity, and then rush
in and crush him Ike a fly. The general
opinion is that Mccoy will hop over the
ropes at 165 pounds and Sharkey will climb
through them at It's pounds. The fighters
themselves give out their weights as much
less than these figures Mccoy says he will
weigh l5S at the ringside and Sharkey says
ne is ABOUT fourteen pounds heavier than
his antagonist. Sharkey's manager. Tom
ORourke, is said to have offered to bet $3.50
tnat Mccoy cannot be in condition at the
llne OF the nght and weigh 15S pounds. Nc
Coy has exhibited confidence which seems
10 be sincere from the fact that he has bet
Sl'OOJ even with New York bookmaker and
says ne mas $4OCO more to put the same way.
lie has refused to give odds, saying that
ne should not be made a faVOrite. He pro-
poses to turn the tables against Corbett. 1t
VIII be remembered that Corbett had him
barred out of the arena on the night of the
Corbett-Sharkey fight. Mccoy slipped in in
q hlrSute disguise, but was discovered and
elected. Now Mccoy has sent word to the
directors of the Lenox Athletic Club that he
VIII not enter the ring Tuesday night if
the matter would be laid before the directors
and II they decided to bar Corbett their
orders would be obeyed. He thought that
Mccoy was justified in refusing to fight in
Corbetts presence.
1t was always apparent since Mccoy
started tavorably in the pugilistic line that
Selby once said: What we are looking for
Is the money in this game and my brother
does not propose to be defeated by taking
Try nrst and as he gets older, heavier and
stronger he will take on better and better
men; we don want fight with the top
notchers until the Kid is sure Of i
because as / said. we want the money!
FOLLOWING out this proposition Mccoy has
worked up his reputation. When he became
known sufficiently he went into the show
business and put on athletic exhibitions
which cost him little and made him much
lie fought only enough men and good
enough ones to keep his name as "a promis-
ing man., and thus able to draw people to
his shows 1t is apparent that he thinks he
has nearly reached the pinnacle Of his abil-
Try or he would not make match with the
Dig sailor. Mccoy has a business head and
Is cool enough to see beyond his immediate
atmosphere. Homer Selby too has an eve
out for pugilistic profit and is now trying
TO make q match with some boxer of his
weight at Cincinnati Though he has been
unable to secure an important match in
New York he has been boxing a good deal
through the East and has attracted consid-
cradle attention. So much indeed. that Tom
u ltourke offered to make a match for him
with Jack Sharkey the sailors brother to
he pulled off preliminary to the big fight
nght1ng brothers must have appealed to
Selbys theatrical eye as a profitable at
traction he was afraid to take the risk Of
railing down in the outset of his career
and refused the offer. Charley Burns. the
Cincinnati featherweight, may be matched
with Selby before long.
HOW HB GOT HIS NAME
An interesting story is told here of Nc
Coy's early fighting career and purports to
explain how Mccoy found his ring name
Norman Selby is well known to many of the
young men of the city, for they went to
school with him. The Park Theater gallery
held him as much as it did other youngsters
and maybe more than most of them One
season two reformed safe blowers" were
featured in q melodrama which played at
the Park. The name of one of them was
kid Mccoy. The two reformed burglar
ious gentlemen had a scene in which they
portrayed faithfully the operation of blow
ing off a safe door. The stage was dark, the
music wIerdly criminal and the whole in
tensely exciting, especially when the safe
blowers, by the light of dark lantern
poured powder into the door crack and the
safe door fell out on a pile of rugs, placed
there to mutfie the sound, the powder smoke
putting out after it. All the boys were fas-
cinated and the delight of the thing re-
manned with young Selby.
When he became handy with his fists he
was wont to disappear from home and make
trips through the country fighting in barns
or any other place where crowd would get
together and furnish hat purse. His
family did not know what he was doing and
when the time came that the newspapers
began to pay some attention to him he took
the name kid Mccoy to prevent his real
identity being known in this city. Now that
he has almost reached the top of his trade
it is mis- policy to have his real name and his
''alias" both known to the public and also
his family history because it puts dollars
in his pockets just as actresses profit by
their press agents telling the story, Her
the stage. but because of her fair promise
their scruples were overcome and she has
fully justified the step from school tableaux
to the professional stage"
state University GIee Club.
Tho folIou-i,,or &c rrocrarpr,1a 70 ba