Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-12-17
SAM AUSTIN EXPRESSES HIS OPIN-
ION REGARDING THEIR
FIGHTING ABILITIES.
PROBABLE TACTICS OF BOTH
In the ring-How Mccoy Has In
creased His Fund of Knowledge
About Boxing-His Wonderful
CIeverness, Hitting Powers and
Superior Intelligence May Win
the Battle For Him-Maher a
Worthy Antagonist.

! IAAd 4uOOOy anu OtCi uAoaCl 10 ca
citing an unusual amount of interest
among sportsmen, because it is under
stood that the winner will be in line
for the championship Of the world. now
held by James Jeffries. There is con-
! siderable discussion among the ex-
perts as to the probable outcome of the
/ bout, and the fraternity is fairly well
/ divided as to the merits Of the two
men.
Those who think that Mccoy will win
base their opinions on his remarkable
cleverness as boxer, as we'll as on his
undoubted hitting abilities. This in
| innate knowledge of ring tactics dis
played by the kid" has astonished
many followers Of fistic affairs Mccoy
| has acquired his wonderful cleverness
| and gereralship by the hardest kind of
work. He has deemed nothing too tri-
ial or too mental if it could possibly be
used as means to the acquisition OF
some new point in the art of boxing.
During his career he has at one time
or another been attached to the retinue
of nearly every prominent fighter.
While serving in some humble capac-
ity he would carefully pick up every
scrap of knowledge he could and, il
possible, he would learn by boxing
with his man.
Hard punches and knockouts err Of
daily occurrence, bul Mccoy took
everything as it came and pluckily
stuck to his self-imposed task, happy
in the consciousness that he was treas
uring up knowledge that would bear
ample fruit in the future.
In adherence IL this plan he attached
himself to one fighter after another,
until now there is hardly prominent
boxer in this country whose every
move and trick is not an open book to
the ubiquitous Kid" Tommy Ryan,
one of the cleverest living boxers, has
been used by the foxy Mccoy to gain
knowledge. Fitzsimmons every device
is known to him, as are the styles of
Jim Hall. Frank Bosworth. Frank
! Erne, Dan Creedon and Steve O'DOn-
nell. The last named is said by Corbett
to be the cleverest man he ever met.
How Mccoy has made use of the
knowledge thus gained may DE gath
cred from the fact that he afterward
met and defeated nearly all the men he
had previously studied when compar-
ative novice.
Even now Mccoy does not consider
that he knows all that is to be learned
! in connection with the game, but is
ever on the alert for new tricks and
hitherto undiscovered points in matters
fstic. His action in offering to train
Corbett for his fight with Jeffries for
the Police Gazette belt, emblematic Of
the heavyweight championship of the
world, seems to me to be in line with
his former plans. A fight between Nc
Coy and Corbett is not a remote pos
sbility, especially If the latter should
defeat Jeffries, and Mccoy evidently
wishes to get acquainted beforehand
with all the tricks and articles Of the
eX-pompadour
Peter Maher is tough proposition
for any fighter to go up against. That
he is so regarded is amply evidenced
by the sedulous care taken by Jeffries,
Corbett, Fitzsimmons and others to
avoid making a match with him. 1t is
saying among the fraternity that
any one Maher can get at 10 hit he can
whip, and past events have proved the
correctness of the expression The big
Irishman is a tremendously hard hitter
and knows how to use his ability il
tlis direction. He has courage, as Was
shown by his challenging and beating
Joe Goddard after the latter had anock-
ed him out In addition to his great
strength Maher is possessed of a con-
siderable knowledge OF boxing. and he
is all the time adding 10 this store.
When Mccoy and Maher nee, in tie
ring,I expect to see Mccoy the ag-
gressor in the opening rounds Of the
encounter. His aim will be to land
good, solid punches on the Irisnman
with the possibility Of koncking him
out, hoping at the same time 10 avoid
punishment by his own stiffness Of
leg and cleverness of hands. If lie finds
he can get at Peter and still keep out
of reach of the latter's blows, he will
keep on with this method of attack,
hoping to wear Maher out. If, how
ever. he finds that he cannot stave off
Makers punches, he will change his
tactics and endeavor to get the decision
on points.
Maher is not rusher, and I doubt
if he will try to mix it up with the
kid" in the first few rounds. He will
try to win by warding off the latter 8
attack, hoping to land one of his ter
rife punches at an opportune moment
and thus put his opponent out of bus
mess.
While it is well known that Maher
is one of the hardest hitters OF the
present day heavy-weights, Mccoy S
ability in this line must not be l;fder-
rated. Unlike the majority of pugilists
| Mccoy does not increase the force OF
| his blows by following them up with
! the weight OF his body. His most ef-
| fective jabs are delivered with short
arm, and, although seemingly light,
| yet by some means known only to him.
| self he is enabled 70 innpart force to
| them that would seem impossible. Nc
| Coy has the advantage over Maher in
| the way of intelligence, and in the
event Of sudden emergency arising in
which quick thought followed by i'm
mediate action will be necessary the
Americans intellect will stand him in
| better stead than the slower working
| thinking apparatus Of the burly son
| Of Erin.
| To make a long story short, the en-
! counter will resolve itself into a battle
| between a wonderfully clever boxer
who is both quick on his feet and
capable Of delivering telling blows and
a very hard hitter who is endowed with
I