Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-01-10

Govern tonight wrested the feather
weight championship cf the world from
George Dixon, who had defended it for
nearly nine years. To save Dixon from
a Knockout Tom O'Rourke, his man
ager, threw up the sponge in the eighth
round when the negro was staggering
helplessly, bleeding and weak, but as
game as the dying gladiator.
The fight took place before crowd
that packed the Broadway Athletic Club
and the victory decided the ownership
of a $4,000 purse.
When Dixon and McGovern stepped
on the scales this afternoon to make
the necessary 118 pounds, Dixon SEEM
ed to be in the better condition. He
was full of life and energy and looked
as if the making of the weight had not
troubled him, while McGovern seemed
to be too finely drawn. When they
stepped in the ring, however, Meow
ern's face showed no traces of rigid
training course and as soon as they
stripped to the buff, each looked in per-
feet condition.
Dixon from the first tap CT the gong
was on the aggressive, using left
swing invariably as his lead, which Nc
Govern cleverly stepped inside of, and
Terry sent both hands in rapid order
to Dixon's lower works. McGovern's
attack on the body was a surprise to
Dixon, as no boxer who ever faced the
negro was able to land on the wind
ribs and kidneys as did McGovern to-
night.
Dixon Jared McGovern half a dozen
times during the battle with hard
cracks on the head, but Terry was al
ways back at his man in jiffy, relent-
lessly smashing with either hand to the
ribs or stomach. The seventh round
was a disastrous one for Dixon. Terry
almost broke Dixon's nose in this round
after he had sent a right hand smash
which landed over Georges heart and
Dixon staggered to his corner with the
blood spouting from his nasal organ.
Dixon came up as game as ever man
did in the eighth round which proved
to be the last.
Early in this round Dixon slipped to
the floor near the ropes from a
clinch and McGovern earned the
cheers of the spectators by helping
Dixon to his feet. A few moments
later Dixon stepped on wet spot in
McGovern's corner and slipped to the
floor for a second time. 1t was now
seen that Dixon had almost shot his
bolt, and McGovern, rushing, sent left
and right to jaw, flooring the cham
pion. Dixon took the greater part of
the count this time, and as he arose
slowly, Terry, who stood scarcely four
feet away, was ready to rush at him.
Dixon went down again from body
blow, and in all he touched the floor
eight times in the round, the last
five times being the result of terrific
body punches. A few seconds before
the round would have been completed,
Dixon stood up from his eighth fall,
but his manager and hacker, Tom
O'Rouke, seeing that it was impossible
for the negro to hold on to his title,
threw up the sponge within one second
of the call of time, which would
have ended the round. In this O'Rouke
showed good judgment. Both he and
Dixon have often said that the latter
would never be knocked out again.
When O'Roake threw up the sponge
Dixon was practically helpless.
While McGovern was hailed with voci-
ferrous cheers as the winner and was
cheered and cheered again, as the
new champion, Dixon, the ex-champ-
ion was not forgotten. Round after
round of cheers were given for the lad
who had defended the title so cleverly
for nearly nine years, as he left the
ring, bleeding and beaten, after having
probably fought his last ring contest.
When the contestants returned to
their dressing rooms, Dixon was badly
marked up but McGovern showed very
little signs of having come through
hard encounter. The only marks that
McGovern had were scratches on the
right side of his neck where Dixon's
left swings had gone around, scratch
ing the skin.
Dixon felt his defeat very keenly and
had very little to say, except that Nc
Govern was the best man he had ever
met and that Terry could have beaten,
in his present condition, any man that
Dixon had ever defeated.
Dixon arrived shortly after o'clock
and took a seat in a box on the east
side of the ring. He was In rare good
fettle.
McGovern after having eaten a
hearty meal at the St. Clair house was
enjoying a sleep at his managers
house few blocks away.
The betting assumed a more live
y gait as the house began to AL up.