The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-08
OLD oUEENsBERRY RULES.
John L. Sullivan Advises Referees to
Make STUDY of Them.

IT. L. Sullivan in New York World.1
What's the use of a lot of guys sitting
down and writing sets of new boxing
rules? I fought all corners under the
Marquis of Queensberry rules, and they
were good enough for me for u years
or more. The trouble with most refer
ees nowadays in America is they do not
understand Queensberry Eules-in fact,
1 believe half of these fellows never
read the rules as Queensberry wrote
them. You see a lot of chaps have cut,
hacked and revised Queensberry rules
until they are now on the bum. The
original rules were quite long, and are
now out of print.
I think Queensberry rules are the best
that ever happened. I cannot suggest
any very important improvements. They
are all right, and the sooner these guys
stop mOnkey1ng with rules the better
and fairer boxing will be. Many times
people have written and suggested to
me the idea of writing a new set of
rules, but it's a dead cinch I'll never
even attempt anything of the kind
I suppose I've done more to do away
with bare knuclle fighting than any
man who has ever been in or out of the
ring. There never were any fights for
the championships with gloves until I
introduced them. was always in IA
vor of gloves and offered to fight Paddy
Ryan with them instead of bare knuck-
les until he called me a cur and said I
was afraid to face him under London
ulGS Will luG hIuChl6S. 1SEHdDS II
would have been more pleasant for
Paddy if we had fought with gloves.
Then when I toured the whole country
knocking big fellows out with big
gloves it showed the followers of the
ring a new trick in the game that made
glove fighting so popular that now
adays the old London rules with bare
knuckles is a thing of the past. This I
consider was the greatest Improvement
made in prize fighting for over 200 years
at least
Now the Queensberry rules as they
are printed nowadays, do not say any
thing about a man quitting the ring be
fore a referees decision shall lose the
fight nor do they say anything about A
second not being allowed in the ring
while the men are fighting and a lot
of other things that disqualify a fighter
Then, where do these rules come from.
London rules, of course. A referee
should know London as well as Queens
berry in order to know his business and
find out where he's at. You'll see a
referee counting a man out when he's
down when he's got no right to do
The clubs timer is the man to do the
counting or keep his eye on the clock
and announce to the referee at the end
of ten seconds that the footed fighter is
out. When a man knocks his opponent
down he should be ordered to step back
ten feet or to his corner. This standing
over man is disgusting. I never did
1t in any of my goes, and see no rea-
son why other fighters should be allow
ed to.
It looks like a farce to see a referee
standing over the knocked down man
counting "Onei two!" and then turning
half way around to the man on his
feet, saying, step back there, will you
please-Threei fouri-wil you git back
there, Tll-fve! six! If you don't get
back I'll decide-sevenl against you
eighti-why don't you understand, git
back-nine!-you ought to be dis-ten!
out!" Perhaps the fellow on the floor
has been down 20 seconds or more, in
stead Of ten. for the referee counts as
he pleases. This sort of counting is
not on the level and is dead wrong
Then there's another monkey act a
referee does that makes me tired and
that's continually jumping in between
| the fighters and pushing them apart.
Some Of these lobster referees even go
so far as to shut off q. mans wind by
| placing his arm across his throat and
| pressing his head back. I'd like to have
| some fresh referee try that on me if 1
was fighting in the ring. I think would
/ pay more attention to him for a few
moments than to the man in front of
me; yes, would soak him a good stiff
one and put him out of business.
It's now seven months since I have
| tasted any beer. wine or liquor of any