The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-26
Will Be the Sweeney
LaWler Contest.
SHORT AND SHARP
Is What the Backers of
Both Predict.

There is hardly any doubt but the
wishes of John j. Cream, hacker Of John
j. Lawler in his match with Patsy
Sweeney, will be gratifed in regard to
the date. Cream and the entire Lawler
party expressed a desire that the fight
take place April 10, Patriots day. AL
though it is not q holiday in Connecti-
attend the fight will have better op-
portunity than on any other day.
Spike Sullivan has arranged a fight
at Hartford on April 10 between his
brother and Jack Q lrien, who recently
bested Oscar Gardner in 20-round go
at Cincinnati. Although nothing has
been heard from Sullivan or Mo Harris,
manager of the Charter Oak Athletic
Club, the probability is that the Swee-
ney Lawler go will be put on as pre-
liminary to the Sullivan OBrien match.
The go between LaWler and Sweeney
will be Is rounds in case it is a prelim-
mary, unless the manager of the club
can be prevailed on to let them go for
20 rounds. The Lawler men are asking
for 20 rounds, and when the articles
were drawn up by the sporting editor
of The Spy the understanding was that
the men should box 20 rounds if 1t could
be arranged that way. George P. King,
WHO represents Sweeney for Spike Sui
Ivan, and who will be the only Wor-
cester man in the stake, did not object
Singularly, each side believes the con-
test will not last even 10 rounds. The
LaWler men say Sweeney will go into
a comatose condition in less than IS
rounds, and the Sweeney men believe
LaWler will be hypnotized in less than
that number.
If Lawler had a reputation among
lout-oftoWn sports as good as he enjoys
in Worcester the amount Of money on
the fight would be tremendous. i is not
his fault that his reputation is con-
fined to Worcester. He never had the
opportunity to extend the circle of his
fame because he couldn't get on match
eS with Out-Oftown men. Although he
has not the reputation that Sweeney
has, his friends are not worried. They
properly say that regulations don't win
fights. They recognize that men with
regulations are often gold bricks and
it doesn't take much effort on the part
of a good man to demonstrate that fact
So the LaWler men do not borrow
trouble because Sweeney is cracked u,
as a good one.
Arrangements will be attempted to
run a special train to Hartford the day
of the fight. The best rates possible
W
can be done, and the train will be d
big accommodation for Worcester men,
who will thus be able to return after
the battle. 1t is doubtful, however, if
arrangements can be made as the
train would have to pass over two
roads and the railroad officials might
not desire to take hold.
Predictions are being made that over
200 sports from Worcester will attend
the fight. There is hardly any doubt
on that score. The number may ex-
coed 200 by several, judging from the
| talk at present. LaWler stands high
as a boxer in the estimation OF Wor-
cester sports and scores would follow
him anywhere He is the idol OF the
fraternity who keep thoroughly alive
on local boxing SWeeney's reputation
makes the battle an even one in their
opinion. If LAWYERS opponent did not
have the reputation that Sweeney has
LAWYERS friends wouldn't think the
contest worth while. They rate Lawler
pretty high, and the supposition that
Sweeney has the best of him in weight
by few pounds don't trouble them
particle.
The fight is creating any amount of
gossip among sports since The Spy pub
lished Sullivan's acceptance of the
terms of the agreement. The older
sports. those who have not seen Lawler
at work and get much of their knoWl-
edge of Sweeney from the newspapers
think Lawler is up against it," as they
express their belief in his ultimate de-
feat. A few Worcester men saw
Sweeney fight the night he got the de-
ciston over Marty McHugh. The lads
fought 10 rounds the same evening that
Martin FlahertY and Oscar Gardner
got draw. McHugh is an old timer and
d good one. When Sweeney won the
decision over him his stock went up
higher than tobacco or copper. The
adherents of LaWler are not behind on
newspaper reports either, but they look
at the results from a different stand
point.
They say McHugh fought hard bat
tie the evening previous ana that
Sweeney had too much weight. But the
thing that makes them more confident
than anything else is that Sweeney
never whipped his man hard. He has
received decisions, but did not put out
his man. The Lawler men say if he
couldn't put out some of the men he
| was against, he will meet his fate in
| LAWYER There is considerable cause
for such belief Sweeney will have
to put Lawler out in Is rounds to win.
de Is a fast fighter and so is Lawler.
| The latter is a stiff puncher, and if
Sweeney don't put him away in Is
rounds, he stands a wonderfully good
chance of going out of business him
! self.
| Sweeney viii probably have the ad-
vantage of few pounds weight. His
manager, Spike sullivan, says he can
| get under 12S at O'clock After
| weighing in he will take on a pound
or two, maybe three before the match
| is called LaWler might weigh 124, but
| it is questionable, and he will take
no chances with as fast a man as