The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-24
An UNCERTAIN EVENT
PETER MAHER AND KID MCCOY TO
MEET IN THE RING NEW
YEARS AFTERNOON
WILL BE SKILL VS.. STRENGTH

Hardest Hitters In the Ring
Both Men Confident of Getting the
DecisiOn-What They Have Done
During Their Fighting Careers.
Two of the most uncertain men in the
prize ring are to meet. in New York on
New Years day for a big purse. 1t is
boxing event that is attracting consider
able attention throughout the country,
and followers of the sport are divided as
to the probable victor. The element that
places it's reliance In the skillful boxer
pick Mccoy, who is admittedly Ma
hers master at the game of feint, lead
land and get away. There are others,
however, who assert that Maher should
make short work of Mccoy, owing to the
advantage he will have in the matter Of
strength, supplemented by superior
weight and ability to stand off attack
For, IN order to win, Mccoy must be
the AGGRESSION If Maher resorts to tactics
such as he will doubtless adopt against
such clever boxer as Mccoy is known
to be. To the talent the battle is a puz-
Zle. No one who is recognized as an au-
thority in such matters will attempt to
give an opinion, for the meeting between
Maher and Mccoy will unquestionably be
the most uncertain as to result that has
occurred in the ring in recent years.
WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
Neither man can lay claim to having
accomplished wonders In the prize ring.
Each has met and defeated good men,
and each in turn has been vanQuished by
inferior boxers. Maher was regarded as
a coming champion up to his reverse at
the hands of Bob Fitzsimmons, when the
Irishman was defeated in twelve rounds,
without having inflicted any severe pun
ishment on his opponent. After the battle
Maher was so Respondent that on the re-
turn trip East he attempted to jump from
a railway train. His friends consoled
him with the promise of q return match
with Fitzsimmons. which was finally
made, only to result all the more disas-
trously for Maher., He was knocked out
in the first round. In the battle at New
Orleans Maher was about as promising
an appearing fighter as had been seen
in the ring of the Olympic Athletic club.
In the opening round he came near win
ming by landing one of his sledge-ham-
mer blows on Fitzsimmons, who was
with difficulty brought to the scratch by
his handlers for the second round. Fitz
fought shy of that awful right and won
as he pleased because of Makers ina
bility to find him. Maher was not
knocked out, but he was so severely hurt
in the collision in the first round that
he gave 1t up in the twelfth as hopeless
task
Makers next serious setback was de-
feat at the hands of the Barrie cham
pion, Joe Goddard. The meeting was at
the Coney Island Athletic club, and Cod
dard won in three rounds, being credited
with knockout, though it is frequently
asserted that Maher would not stand the
gan and quit. Maher had met and van
pushed some sturdy fighters, including
two defeats of George Godfrey, who, until
he met Peter jackson, was regarded as
a boxing wonder; an easy win over Steve
O'Donnnen, who had been announced by
jim Corbett as the next best man to him
self, and had decisions over other nota-
BILE fighters of the day. It was immedi-
ately after Makers easy victory over
Steve ODOnnell that Corbett presented
the Irish boxer with the championship.
Corbett jumped into the ring and an
nounced that he was done with fighting
and that he considered Maher the man to
defend the title. Out of this action Of
Corbett grew the second meeting with
FitZsimmons in Mexico, opposite Lang
try, Tex, which resulted so disastrously
for Maher. 1t was asserted at the time
that Corbett presented the championship
to Maher rather than face the Irish
gladiator in the ring. Thus, by the de-
feat of Maher, Fitzsimmons became
champion. Corbett disputed his claim,
and the Carson meeting, terminating in
the defeat Of Corbett by the Cornishman,
was arranged.
MCCOY LIKE A MUSHROOM
Kid Mccoy sprang into prominence In
the ring like mushroom comes into view
from obscurity to the front rank in
day. The Hoosier lad learned the tricks
of the ring from Tommy Ryan, with
whom he worked while the Syracuse
boxer was preparing for several Of his
battles. Even Ryan was in ignorance Of
the merit of the man as a boxer until he
met defeat at the hands of Mccoy, to the
great surprise of himself, friends anu the
sporting world. Mccoy has defeated
many ordinary boxers. He has been busy
in that direction. He has also vanquished
some of the cracks. Up to his defeat by
Sailor Tom Snarkey Mccoy was regarded
as the coming champion. He put UP a
great battle with Sharkey, and was the
pick of the talent to win. This was
based upon his remarkable cleverness.
1t was figured that Sharkey could not
hit Mccoy. And he did not until the bat
tie was we'll under way. In the opening
rounds Mccoy had all the better of the
argument, and kept Sharkey near Queer
street so long that it looked like a GER
tainty for the Hoosier. Finally the for
mer man-of-war's man cut loose, and
it was all over. Mccoy could not keep
him off and was knocked out.
MAKERS OPPORTUNITY.
Upon the result of the battle between
Mccoy and Sharkey and the methods en-
ployed by the sailor to win, the friends
of Maher base their confidence in the
ability of the Irishman to win. They con-
tend that Mccoy is altogether too light
to 6tave off the ruSheS Of Maher and
while he may have a marked advantage
at the outset, the pace will eventually
tell, and in the end strength will prevail
over science. That is. perhaps, Makers
only chance to win. He must rush the
lighter man or he will be jabbed into sub
mission. He may be kept off and worn
down to McCoy's weight despite his rush
ing tactics Mccoy is by no means q
weakling, and strikes a terrific blow
He cannot compete with Maher in test
of mere strength, but he can deliver
almost as effective a blow as can any
man in the ring. If Mccoy can keep
away from Maher ten rounds, and do
some effective work at long range, he
will probably by that time have so dis
couraged the heavier man that there will
be little difference in weight.
MCCOY SHOULD WIN
Barring accidents, Mccoy has the better
chance to win in limited contest Were
the battle to a finish, Maher should be
made favorite, but where the decision IS
to be based upon points" provided there