The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-24
SPORTING NEWS.
Jabez White and Britt May
Meet In the Ring.
The Englishman VIII Shortly
Sail for America.
INTERNATIONAL DUEL
Sporting Mon Generally Side
With Roche.
Jack LondonGives Good Reasons
for Decision.

San Francisco, Cal. Dec. 24.-There is
an air of general satisfaction in this
town over the result of the battle be-
tween Jimmy Britt and Battling Nelson.
With the fight now over, the topic of
conversation is .sWho will be Britt
next opponent?'' A number of chal-
lengeS were read at the ringside, but as
yet none of them has been given any
consideration.
OF all the defis hurled at the winner
the one that will receive the most at
tention is that challenge sent by
Charlie Mitchell, the former English
heavy weight pugilist, on behalf of his
protege, Jabez White. If matched the
battle would have an international as
pect.
White will sail for America within
a few days, and it is not improbable
that Britt will agree to give the Eng
lfSh boxer a chance. Britt will, however,
ask for a few weeks rest before enter
ing the ring again.
Every one at the ringside applauded
the grit and stamina of Nelson, and
there were a few who believed that
Referee Roche could have called the
fight a draw. All seemed to agree that
Britt showed the greater cleverness
throughout.
1T was a repetition of the Jeffries-
Sharkey fight" said Referee Roche.
ing, hitting cleanIy and generally out
pointing his opponent, while Nelson
trusted to mad rushes and his ability
to withstand punishment"
There was an occasional kick heard
on the decision. just a few of the wise
brigade thought Referee Roche should
have rewarded Nelson for his stubborn
and aggressive battle by calling it a
draw. Scarcely any one argued that
the Dane was entitled to the honors,
hard as he fought to win them.
Following are the opinions of some of
the experts in fisticuffs:
Jack Welsh-Roche could give no 9TH
er decision. Britt outboxed and out
pointed Nelson in nearly every round.
Eddie Smith, Oakland referee-If /
had been in the ring would have de-
cided as Roche did.
Mat Larkin-Britt has too much class
for Nelson, and he beat him, just as /
thought he would.
Harry Corbett-The decision looked
all right to me. I must say Nelson de-
serves a lot of credit
Alec GTeggains-Britt won on clean
blows landed. Roche had to give it to
Britt. ~
structor-It looked to me like Britt all
the way.
Jake Hoffman, thought Britt won.
Young Corbett-The decision was all
right, but I would like to fight Britt
again.
Eddie Graney-I would have decided
as Roche did.
Tim McGrath-No kick about the YER
dict.
Jack Johnson-Britt was too clever
for Nelson.
Marvin Hart-I though Nelson put up
a grand fight, but the referee decided
Britt won, and that is all there is to it.
Jack London, author of THE Sea-
wolf" saw the battle, and he gives the
best account of it published:
Few of those who saw the champion
ship questioned the business of Referee
Roche's decision. Those who did were
ing. Britt demonstrated his superiority
over his Danish adversary at nearly
every stage of the contest.
Nelson has much to learn. He is not
a clean fighter. He has a habit of using
his head that would cost him the decis-
ion in most rings. He butted Britt re-
peatedly on the jaw and body and twice
on the forehead. Nelson's deadliest
work was done with his skull. He cut
a cash several inches long on BIRTHS
brow with his head in the twelfth
round. from witch the blood -used into
is eyes, almost binding him.
Throughout the twenty rounds Nelson
did not land half dozen effective blows
at long range. He has no idea of dis
lance and he swung repeatedly with
such force as to lose his balance when
Britt was several feet away.
The Danes capacity for taking pun
ishment is his strongest forte. He is
simply dead to all sense of pain. His
powers of endurance are phenomenal
Britt staggered him again and again
with we'll directed blows on the jaw
and body, but could not stave off his
rushes.
In the seventeenth round Britt had
Nelson apparently hopeless. He drove
him clear across the ring with a shower
of right and left swings on the jaw.
Nelson's arms were down and it looked
to be a question of how many seconds
the fight would last. Then when Britt
was tired out, Nelson freshened up and
forced the fighting for the remainder of
the round.
Britts well earned victory after the
battle that wavered first one way and
then the other, stamps him the best
man of his weight and inches in the