Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-12-26
BRITT DEFEATS
BATTLING NELSON
CHICAGO FIGHTER FAILS TO
LAND CHAMPIONSHIP.
LONG AND HARD CONTEST
California Pugiist Has the Better OF
Desperate Battle of Twenty Rounds,
Although Pounded PIentifuIIy, for
Virtual Lightweight TitIe-Big
Crowd on Hand.

San Francisco, Dec. 21.-At the end
of the twentieth round, Jimmy Britt OF
San Francisco and Battling" Nelson
of Chicago fighting like pair of bull
dogs, the gong sounded the end of the
contest and Referee Roche unhesi
fornian as the winner of the contest
In the closing round Britt was punch
ing the Chicagoan all over the ring
but his blows lacked sufficient force
to put a quietus on his opponent. At
several stages of the fight Nelson was
badly punished, but he always kept
gamely coming up to the firing line
and all through the fight forced the
| fighting. In one or two instances he
had Britt in distress. Nelson is I'M
questionably a wonder in the puglist1c
world. Time after time, taking blows
heavy enough to put out an ordinary
fighter, he would come up apparently
in his early form and bring the fight
ing to Britt.
Wins on Hitting and Points.
Referee Roche announced that he
gave the fight to Britt on cleaner hit
ting and the greater number of points
scored.
The last four rounds of the battle
were fought as follows:
Seventeenth Round.
Britt's blows were blocked easily,
and seeing that he was apparently
tired, Nelson went after him in an eff
fort to wear him down. Britt finally
swung a vicious left to the face. Britt
was forced against the ropes, burt
wriggled out of danger and sent a
straight left to the face Nelson con-
tinued after Britt, but Britt kept
away and occasionally landed a left to
Nelson's face which had little effect
The gong rang with Britt much fresh
err than in the previous round.
Eighteenth Round.
Britt worked for the face, but final
ly Nelson sent straight left to
Britt's jaw and then mixed. They
exchanged blows Britt was again
buffeted about the ring but stopped
Nelson with a left hook to the body.
Following a clinch Britt landed with
terrific force to the body Nelson
chased Britt around, but his blows
were ill-timed and Britt kept pegging
away with the left to the jaw and
sent right swing to the head Britt
went to his corner with blood flowing
from the reopened abrasion in his
forehead
Nineteenth Round.
Nelson forced Britt about the ring
Britt hooked his left twice to the
body and they clinched. Britt swung
hard left to the ear and swung a
fearful left to the body. They mixed
it again. Nelson chased Britt about
again, but Britt met him on all occa-
sions with straight lefts to the face,
varying it with hard right swing to
the ear and left hook to the body
Nelson suddenly caught Britt mapping
and swung two fearful rights and a
left to the jaw, rocking Britt's head
Britt came back with right and left
swing hard to the jaw as the bell
rang.
Britt Gets Decision.
Twentieth-Nelson waded in des-
perately, burt Britt suddenly hooked
two fearful lefts to the Jaw and fol
lowed with another, staggering Mel
son bit. They fought in the center
OF the ring, exchanging rights and
lefts to the face. Britt then sent
Nelson's head back with a left hook
and followed it with a left swing to
the jaw. The fighting was fearful.
Britt Waded in with rights and lefts
to Nelson's jaw and the gong changed,
denoting that the battle was over.
Referee Roche promptly awarded
the decision Britt. The decision
was mingled with cheers and kissing.
Fortune in Gate Money.
A $4,000 audience was damned into
Mechanics pavilion. 1t was virtually
conceded to be contest for the
worlds lightweight championship. The
belief that Joe Cans, the colored pugil-
list, who recently retained the title by
securing a decision over Britt on a
foul, is probably unable to reduce to
the lightweight limit, accentuated the
fact that the winner of last nights bat
tie would be looked upon as the legiti-
mate champion of the lightweight divi-
sion.