Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-12
TOM SHARKEY WON TIE Fight
In the Tenth Round He Effect
ualIy Settled Mccoy.
LOOKED LIKE A LOSER AT FIRST
But Tired His Opponent and
Then Easily Won.


Could Br Harder Biows--H rs Now Con.
sidsred "a Fit mstch far fizsimmons.
New York, Jan. 10.-Thomas j,
Sharkey, the American sailor and
native Of Ireland, stands tonight the
only heavy weight possibility for cham
pionship honors and the title now hold
by Robert FitZsimmons. He whipped
Kid Mccoy well in the tenth round of
what was to have been n 20 round
battle, and by doing so the Irish
American pugilist forced his way so
positively and undenisbly to the front
rank that Fitzsimmons must now con-
slider the sailor rugilist's claim with
out delay.
Sharkey tonight was a revelation to
those who saw him couple of years
ago. His ring work and generalship
are so vastly superior to his exhibitions
when he first came to the East as a
fighter that the Improvement is almost
incredible. Great punches of muscle,
with unlimited confidence and cool
head, are the qualifications which have
enabled Sharkey to fight his way to the
front rank of heavyweight pugilists
and no one, not even Mccoy, who suf-
fered defeat at his hands tonight. de-
MES the full measure of praise that is
due to the lrishman.
McCoy's marvellous footwork and
that long left jab with which he has
put SO many of his opponents to sleep
are two factors in his makeup that
must always appeal to lovers of the
TO the advanced school Of pugilism in
bfE faxht 80
must not be attributed to any lack Of
close study on his part of every trick
in the boxing game. Many Of his
friends feel tonight that he ought to
have gone up against smaller game
than Sharkey
When Mccoy sent Sharkey twice to
the floor in the third round tonight no
one doubted his ability to hit hard,
and many thought that he had Sharkey
at his mercy. This idea was soon dis
PEELED when the Irishman began to get
to his man.
THE FIGHT by ROUNDS.
Round 1-They fiddled: Mccoy tried
left for the wind, but missed.
Sharkey swung a left over the kidneys.
Mccoy tried left hook for the head,
landing lightly. Tom uppercut with
right on the chest. Mccoy made a
half circle of the ring and then caught
Sharkey on the abdomen. Sharkey did
not reply. Mccoy again sent his left
to the abdomen and brought il up to
the face. Sharkey hooked light right
to the ribs. They were sparring at
gong time. 1t was McCoy's round.
Round 2-McCoy side-stepped to the
left for half circle of the ring and let
his left go, landing lightly on the face.
Sharkey stepped back, and Mccoy ran
close to him and sent his left again to
the face. Two efforts of McCoy's to
reach his man we're futile, but he
caught Tom on the ropes and took
a light left on the nose Sharkey moved
to the centre of the ring and tried left
and right without effect, and again
Mccoy sent his left lightly to the face.
Mccoy continually kept side-stepping
and cleverly evaded Sharkey's attempts
for u left hook or swing. Mccoy put q
light left en- the face when near the
ropes on the west end of the ring, and
Sharkey sent a hard left hook to the
ribs Just as the gong sounded.
Round -Sharkey tried to force
matters, but Mccoy, at close quarters.
sent his left to the ear and duoked
away from left swing. Each sent a
left to the head at close quarters, with
little effect, and McCoy's foot work
puzzled Tom, who could not land until
Mac stopped. after getting a left on
the breast. Tom then sent his left to
the neck and Mccoy iabbed hard left
on the nose. This seemed to annoy
Tom, who was unused to such quick
foot work, and Mccoy hit his opponent
with another quick iab on tho nose.
Twice around the ring Mccoy side
stepped, and at each step his left jab
landed lightly. Suddenly the Kid stood
rigid and sent his right to the face, re-
peatirg the blow within two seconds so
hard that Tom fell to the floor. Tom
| jumped up like rubber ball rebound
ing and again he fell to the floor. The
bell found them sparring.
Round 4-McCoy's foot work was
marvellous. lie cut out the pace and
Sharkey could not reach him through
Macs clever side-stepping. Once in a
while Mccoy would stop and send that
long left to the body or head. Sharkey
tried ali sorts of lodges to bring his
man to him. but his opponent side
stepped all the time and the sailors
swings hit only the air. Sharkey
rushed and tried for the body, but Nc
Coy side stopped again and sent two
hard lefts to the face. These blows
stung Sharkey, but he stuck his tongue
out as much rs to say "Those don /
count, hit more heavily
Round 5-McCoy rushed across the
ring and the men clinched in Sharkey's
| corner. Sharkey tried left and right
swings in two attacks, but they were
cleverly lodged. He crossed the ring
and caught Mccoy in the neutral cor
ner, sending his left to the abdomen
and q right on the ear. Mccoy coun-
tered heavily with his right on the head.
The sailor kept rushing ineffectively,
and once he caught Mccoy on the ropes
and tried to land left hook, but Nc
Coy rebounded from the ropes like a
rubber ball, and Sharkey sent his left
to the ribs with only CHANGING blow.
Both men were fresh at the end of the
round.
Round 6-Sharkey was still on the
aggressive The other was very wary
and using his feet to advantage.
Sharkey caught him side-stepping and
landed left hook low on the body and
another on the ribs close to the heart.
Mccoy jabbed his left to the face and
body, but failed to dodge a left hook,
which caught him on the neck, under
the ear. The sailor kept on the aggres-
sive and caught his man on the ropes
without gaining anything. He next
caught him in the corner and gave him
two lefts in the face. Mccoy jumped
to the middle of the ring and side
stepped, but Tom hooked his left and
sent his right across to the head with
CHANGING blows. At this stage there
was betting of $500 even Sharkey would