The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-10
Both Are in Good Condition and
Equally Confident of the Out
come OF the Bout.
BETTING NOW FAVORS THE KID
TROUBLE OVER THE AGREEMENT TO
BE SETTLED THIS EVENING.
Dave Sullivan, the Irish PugiIist,
Knocked Out by Oscar Gardner in
the Seventeenth Round.

NEW YORK, Jan. 9-Tom Sharkey and
Kid Mccoy both profess to be ready and
eager for the contest in the Lenox Athletic
Club tomorrow night when they will bat
tie for a $4,000 purse. They completed their
training to-day and are as fit as human
hands can make them. The confidence of
each in his ability to triumph over the
other borders on the marvellous Admirers
of either man may or may not have
their doubts. Not so with Sharkey and
Mccoy. Each is as calmly confident of vic
tory as if the battle had already been fought
and won. Sound in wind, quick and scien-
titic, these men should put up one of the
best contests in the history of pugism.
They have youth, strength, agility and sci
ence. Where one is weak the other is strong.
Mccoy is the more scientific; Sharkey the
stronger Of the two. In Quickness there is
little to choose between them. In height
and reach Mccoy has the advantage. In
i sturdiness Sharkey is more than his match.
Among the bettors the bulk of the money
is being placed on Mccoy. The bettors
argue that McCoy's cleverness will carry
| him safely over every mine that Sharkey
may plant for him and enable him to ride
| safely over the sailor when he is at his
stormest. The men who stand by Sharkey
| and they are legion-say that the sailor
| viii be on top of his man at all stages, and
that all he wants is to land one good punch
! They confident that the sailor will land
that punch and that it will decide the con-
! test in his favor. No man that Sharkey
gets going ever comes back. they say.
! Tommy Ryan, of Syracuse, came in town
| to-day and boxed three rounds with Shar-
key. The sailor did not find a great deal of
difficulty in getting to Ryan, and this fact
| strengthened the confidence Of all those of
his admirers who witnessed the set-to. II
! think Sharkey will win Ryan said later in
the day. but Mccoy will outpoint him in
the early stages of the contest. Weight
tells. The sailor has the weight, and l
think he will wear the Kid down and prob
ably knock him out before the twentieth
round Sharkey is both faster and cleverer,
and this, with his weight should give him
the mill"
Some uneasiness developed to-day among
patrons of boxing, owing to the attitude
assumed by Mccoy on the question of hit
ting in clnches. Mccoy says that under
Clause 10 of the articles which Sharkey and
he signed for the fight tomorrow night
neither can hit while the other has hold
of him. and that the holding constitutes
! clinch McCoy's position is said to be at
variance with an express understanding be-
! tween the two men at the time the articles
| were signed, and while agreeing with the
j letter or the articles, is declared to be con-
| trary to their spirit The verbal agree
ment it is represented was that a man
| might hit so long as both hands were free
| That Mccoy should have raised the issue
| almost on the eve of the contest, is re-
| his part that he may not be able to cope with
| the eX-maTine at all points of the game.
| If the articles are strictly carried out, all
| man will have to do when in tight place
! is to place his hand on the others shoulders,
and this would, according to the articles,
| constitute a clnch Sharkey and 0 Rourke,
| his manager, say they will insist upon adher-
| ing to the verbal agreement; but Mccoy
| has declared that nothing but what is duly
| set forth IN the articles will go"
It was announced tonight that Tom
ORourke, on behalf of Thomas sharkey,
| referee, tomorrow evening at s o'clock,
| when the articles of agreement will be dis
Is, in reference to what shall constitute
| clinch, will be definitely decided. An agree
ment will be made so that the spectators
! will not be annoyed with any wrangiing on
| this point after the men shall have entered
| George Considine. manager of Jim Cor
| bett, who was a Mccoy admirer up to yes
| terday, has switched and is now ready to
! bet on Sharkey. While have always
! been of the opinion that Mccoy will beat
! Sharkey," Consdine is quoted saying, Il
! have changed my mind and now think that
SharR6ey VIII de defeat Mccoy. am ready to
l expect to have no trouble in getting my
money covered"
Tom ORourke has made two big bets
! The first one is with Joe Vendig, the book
maker 5000 to 81, 600 on Sharkey. The other
/ bet is with Con Keefe of Boston, at the
! same odds and for the same amount as the
! one with Vendig. Sam Fitzpatrick has bet
| $1,000 even on Mccoy.
Tommy Ryan, of Syracuse, met Benton,
! Kid McCoy's manager, tonight at the
Lenox Athletic Club for the purpose of ar
| ranging a match. Ryan insisted that the
middleWeight limit is 154 pounds while Ben
claimed hounds
then said he would split the difference and
| was willing to meet Mccoy at 1856 pounds.
| and if the match can be arranged the bout
will probably take place at the Lenox Ath-
| letic Club in three or four weeks time.
A correspondent says: 'Sharkey, the
| gh-and-tumbe end of the big affair is
! resting, and with the most perfect conf
| dence awaiting the hour when he shall be
| called upon to demonstrate his greatness
! The tedious task of training is over he is
| fit and glories in his strength With a sub
! lime confidence he names the round when he
! shall have beaten Charles Mccoy to help
! lessness. He does not consider there is any
| hope for Mccoy once he enters the ring 1t
/ is all over now. He IS quite as good the
! day he met Corbett. Then he was a strong
| rushing fellow, with exactly four blows as
| Dis repertoire; Left hook. right hand and
| straight punch for the body and with the
! same hand, over and a round-arm swing
| for the jaw He has the instinct of the
| fighter, more the sort of fighter that makes
a champion. He believes in going to his
man and staying there. 1t is his one ambi-
| his opponent appears he starts to hunt
| him. Wherever he goes he follows and
! willingly. The idea that he may be led into
a trap never occurs to him. In fact he does
! not consider such nonsense worthy of con-
! sideration- If the man runs away he fol-
| lows. When the man stops it means fight
| No matter how often he is deceived and
made to waste blows at shadows he takes
| every chance, hit miss He is rugged
| capable of taking punishment and more
| than willing. His face is hard to mark and
his Jaw exceedingly solid. There is nothing
more certain in the world than that once he
can daze a man the finish is near He can
turn both hands loose and make about as
| many leads to the second as any man alive
At close work he gets speed in his punches
by reaching behind. and in every rush the
swinging left and right have nice start
And last and best of ALL he is lucky TO the
| last meaning of the word. If there is an
accident in the ring 1t happens to his OPP
ponent.
Mccoy has taken on a proposition worthy
of his most brilliant cleverness. This man
is not slow like Rubin. nor is he a has
beeB. He is to-day in the height of his
greatness. His life has been the sort to
make him rugged and hard. He has a Won
6erful fund of vitality, and will stand a lot
Of punishment before he succumbs."
/ MEASUREMENTS OF THE FIGHTERS.
kid Mccoy
age "A years
weight pounds
Height OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES feet 1854 inches
fteach 10 inches