Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-09


| Decision on Points-no knockout.)
Winners profits ...........S5 $780, 900
Losers end of proceeds. ........ $50 900
Number of rounds. .Twenty-fye
| Duration of battle. ............1 :39: 90
Jeffries weight (ringside) PIP pounds
| Sharkey'S weight. ..1S7 pounds
Referee George Siler
Challenges of the winner-Sharkey
Corbett, Fitzsimmons and Mccoy.
| Coney Island Arena, n. Y, Nov. s.
Jeffries is still king of the bruisers by
virtue of a right hook, but he could
not knock out Tom Sharkey. His title
deed to his crown is referees decision
after 25 rounds of rough humping
hugging, rubbing and wrestling. Never
has there been seen such struggle and
it was a struggle far more than glove
fight Before it was half done both
men were covered with blood and their
massive bodies were battered and
swollen Jeffries found in half a
dozen rounds that he had no easy task,
and for two-thirds of the fight Shar-
key seemed about to snatch the slug
gers crown, but it came right for JEFF
fries in the end. AS a spectacle the
championship fight was brilliant sue
cess. No man in that crowd of muscle
mad men but went away blood-glutted
throughout the fight. Jeffries, Indian
faced, evil skinned, huge as shadow in
the night, hammered away on the ar
mored side of Tom Sharkey. When it
was done the crowd learned that two
ribs had been crushed. The wonder
was that the mans breast was not
smashed. Any one of score of blows
that caught that sore side would have
killed an ordinary man in his tracks.
Sharkey's Ribs Broken.
New York, Nov. 4.-When seen in
MS dressing room, Sharkey was in
consolable and cried like a child. He
refused to talk, but Tom O'Rourke, his
manager, expressed the opinion that
the sailor should have received the
decision. He said that two of Shark
ey's ribs were broken and that, dur
ing the last four rounds, Toms left
hand was useless, having been broken
on Jeffries' head. Although the de-
cision was against him he said Shark
ey would not give up but would seek
another match and that next time the
result would be different.
Fight in Detail
Round 1-Sharkey rushed in, swing
ing his left, and landed on Jeffries
jaw. They spared cautiously until
Tom rushed again with a left swing
but Jeffries sent him back with a left
I jab to the face. Sharkey, after some
sparring, tried a left swing and fol-
| lowed it with a right which landed
back of the head He then rushed JET
fries to the ropes without damage, but
moment later sent a right to Jeffries
cheek Jeffries clinched. They came
to the center and Jeffries tented with
the left. Sharkey ran but
came back only to get a
stiff left hook in the face. Jeffries
seemed a trife slow, while Sharkey was
all action. Jeffries sent the right to
the neck and Tom tried right for the
body but failed. They were at cIinch
at the bell.
| Round 2-They met at the center Of
the ring with Sharkey doing the rush
| ing, swinging the right for the head.
| Jeffries got inside it. Sharkey rushed
again at close quarters and got his left
| to the face. Jeffries returned the blow.
landing the left squarely on the chin.
Tom went down in a neutral corner,
where he stayed for six seconds. Shar-
key rushed again, but Jeffries side
stepped and Sharkey slipped to the
floor on his hands. He was up again
with another rush, only to be driven
back with a right jolt. In breaking
away from a clinch, Tom sent hooked
right to the head. Sharkey rushed
again, landing right and left in the face
in the breakaway. Jeffries then
rushed Sharkey to the latter's eorned
and Tom slipped to the floor in dodg-
ing the swing. He got up and clinched
and they were hooked when the bell
rang. Referee Siler cautioned Sharkey
for holding.
Round 3-Tom sent a left swing
around the back of Jeffries' head. They
clinched. Sharkey was again eau
toned for holding. Sharkey rushed
but was met with a right jolt on the
body. Tom landed on the ear, but
Jeffries drove him back with left
and right to the body After a little
sparrfng, Jeffries stepped in with a
right jolt under Toms heart. Jeffries
led short left. Sharkey rushed in
right to the head but was driven |
backward with a right on the body. |
Twice more Sharkey was repulsed !!
with similar blows, with both men
fnterlocked.
Round 4-Jeffries came out in a |
crouching attitude with Sharkey stand
ing erect Tom tried left and right |
for the head but each blow was
blocked. They clinched and, as they |
broke, exchanged rights on the body |
Sharkey rushed, sending left for the
chest but Jim blocked him neatly. :,
Jeffries stepped in with two rights on
the body and was cautioned a moment
later for using the same blow while
holding. Sharkey kept on rushing but
was met every time with Jeffries' right
TO the ribs. The referee separated
them from hard clinch, neither man
wanting to let go. Jeffries swung a
left to the neck moment later and
got his right to the chest, Sharkey
countering lightly on the head JEFF
fries damned with the left straight to
Toms left eye. Both were fairly fresh
when returned to their corners