The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-20
CORBETT AND HANLON
GETTING INTO SHAPE
They Will Be in Prime Condition
for Their Championship
Battle.
FERGUSON'S ABILITY
His Manager Says He Is Best
Man in Second-Rate Heavy
Weight Class.

The most important fight on the fstic
calendar for the near future is the coming
battle between Young Corbett and Eddie
Hanlon for the featherweght championship
to be fought In San Francisco on Dec. 49,
News from the coast states that both men
have been training hard during the past
week. Corbett is said to look like differ
ent man, and when he is down to the 12s
pounds at o'clock he will be fit as a fiddle
Hanlon also claims to be rounding into
superb form for the contest. Young Corbett
is still to favorite and will carry not
only the bulk OF the Eastern money, but
considerable bets that will be made just
prior to the fight in the Western cities.
1t was given out last week that Eddie
Hanlon would not consent to Eddie Graney
as referee of the bout, but this statement
has not been officially corroborated by the
young Californian. Friends of Hanlon claim
that he should have been entitled to the
decision the time he fought Young Corbett
Hanlon is also jealous of Graney's admira-
ton of Jimmy Britt, and he had said recent
ly that Graney would favor any Olympia
Club man. but will always give the worst of
the deal to a fighter from south of the
SLOT" which means the tenement quarter
where Hanlon halls from.
Graney has been selected as the referee
and there is little probability Of the club or
fighters making any change. notwithstand-
ing the reports that are sent out from Han
Ions training camp.
A. A. Mclean, manager Of Sandy" Fer
guson, figures the new New Zealand man
as a championship possibility after two
Of tn, h. "a,
other things, Mclean Is quoted as saying:
1--WE do not think Ferguson stands a
ghost of a chance of defeating Jeffries. No
one else in the class has a chance with
the big fellow and will not have for many
years to come. What claim we would like
to establish is one to second-class honors.
Ferguson has had twelve fights. He has
won ten of them, drew one with Gus Ruiz
Now, then, getting down to sound facts, is
that record not a better one than Jack Mum
roe's? What has Munroe done to entitle
him to any consideration at Jefries's
hands? He got a questionable decision over
Jeffries in four-round bout, but every
body knows what that amounted to. Mum
roe beat Peter Maher after being all but
knocked out himself. and then stopped an
other poor fighter, AL Limerick, in four
rounds. His Eastern fights do not amount
to row of pins. Maher is far away from
any class and Limerick is simply dub.
That is why L say Ferguson is better than
Munroe, from class viewpoint. Since 1T
bett nor Fitzsimmons has any chance of
defeating Jeffries and 1t is likely neither
of these men will ever fight again. we will
make a little class of the other heavy
weights. They are Ferguson, Rubin, Mum
roe and Johnson Ferguson, 1 think. is at
theNtop of the class / have just named and
therefore entitled to all the consideration in
the world"
Charley Neary, the Milwaukee boxer, has
jumped into prominent place in pugilistic
fame by his victory Friday night over Kid
Broad Reports from Milwaukee say that
Neary had Broad groggy and the bell
saved him in one round. Neary gained the
decision and came very near making his
victory decisive, but Broad was able to. stay
the limit. 1t takes good man to put
Broad out of business, as he has fewer
knockouts charged against him than any
man in his class He has been defeated.
several times, but it was mostly a case of
losing the decision. Neary seems to be in
line for the championship.
XXX
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien is the busiest
man in the fighting game. He will take on
any kind of dub if his end of the money is
large enough. In Chicago the clubs will
ing to match OBrien against fourth raters
and give the sports a chance to see the Phil
adelphian make ehopPing block out tut. of his
like a poor fighter last Friday night.
Abe Attell has given little inside his
tory in connection with his matches with
Terry McGovern that never took place.
Attell claims that Joe Humphrey. a friend
of Sam Harris, told Attell when the third
set of articles for fight were signed that
| "McGovern must WIN" Attell said he would
not stand for the job to fix the fight One
or two of McGovern's fights have been
questioned and his battles with Frank Erne
and Joe Cans have always been open TO
criticism. McGovern has been a part of
one or two other affairs that were not on
the square. When he and Eddie Santry
fought in Chicago some time ago il was
agreed that McGovern would win, but there
was to be no damage done. McGovern
landed Santry and the latter. believing
ne was being double crossed" handed
McGovern a few hard ones. What was to
| have been a fake fight turned into a real
| one and McGovern won.