The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-10
lYB DBlElT or DIXON,
Terry McGovsrn Now tho Feather
weight Pugilistic Champion.
VICTORY IN THE EIGHTH ROUND.

The Retiring Champion's Manager
In Order 10 Avert . Knockout
Threw Up the sponge, Giving the
slO,ooo Parse to the Brooklyn Boy
New York, Jan. 10.-Terry Mccoy
ern last night wrested the feather
weight championship Of the world
from George Dixon, who had defended
II for nearly nine years. To save Dixon
from knockout Tom O'Rourke, his
manager, threw up the spong In the
eighth round, when the negro was stag
gering helplessly, bleeding and weak,
but as game AZ the dying gladiator.
The fight took place before q crowd
that packed the Broadway Athletic
club, and the victory decided the own
ership Of $4,000 purse. When Dixon
and McGovern stepped on the scales in
the afternoon to make the necessary
118 pounds Dixon seemed to be In the
better condition. He was full Of life
and energy, and looked as II the max
ing OF the weight had not troubled him,
while McGovern seemed to be too fine
ly drawn. When they stepped In the
ring, however, McGovern's face showed
no traces Of rigid training course,
and az soon as they stripped each look
ed In perfect condition.
Dixon from the first tap OF the gong
was on the aggressive, using left
swing invariably as his lead, which
McGovern cleverly stepped inside OF,
and Terry sent both hands In rapid or
der to Dixon's lower works. Meow
ern's attack on the body was sur
prise to Dixon. as no boxer who ever
faced the negro was able to land on the
wind ribs and kidneys as did McGovern.
Dixon Jared McGovern half dozen
times during the battle with hard
cracks on the head or jaw, but Terry
was always back at his man In q Iffy,
relentlessly smashing with either hand
to the ribs or stomach. The seventh
round was 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 cor
ner with the blood spouting from his
nasal organ. Dixon came up as game
as ever a 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 STEP
ped on wet spot In McGovern's cor
ner and slipped to the floor for Sec
ond time. It was now seen that Dixon
had almost shot his bolt, and McGov-
ern, rushing, sent left and right to the
jaw, flooring the champion. 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 a body blow, and ia
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'Rourke, seeing that 1t
was impossible for the negro to hold
on to his title, threw up the sponge
one second before the call of time.
When O'Rourke threw up the sponge
Dixon was practically helpless. While
McGovern was hailed with vociferous
cheers as the winner and was cheered
and cheered again as the new cham
pion. Dixon, the ex-champion, was not
forgotten. Round after round of
cheers were given for the lad who had
defended the title 30 cleverly for nearly
nine years, as he left the ring, bleeding
and beaten, after having probably
fought his last ring contest.
Dixon was badly marked up, but Nc
Govern showed very little signs of hav- .
ing come through a hard encounter.
Dixon felt his defeat very keenly,
and had very little to say, except that
McGovern was the best man he had
ever met.