The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-11-10
"BAT" MASTERSON ON RECENT FIGHT
Famous Border Character, Now a Journalist,
Criticizes Britt-Gans Show.

When the paths of Bat" Masterson
and Willis" Britt converge the fur will
surely fly. The former was a famous
gunfghter when the cattle towns of
the border were full of reckless braves
who valued life lightly. On his trusty
gun are many hicks.
Manager Britt's deeds of daring are
recorded in the notches on his shillalah.
and while they are not as sanguinary
as those of Masterson they are more
numerous. Masterson has laid aside
the SiXshooter for the typewriter and is
contributing some sprightly boxing
gossip to the New York Morning Tele-
graph.
The Britt-Gans show with specialties
by the Little SHOEMAKER and the
actors comes in for the severest criti-
cism at his hands. He does not mince
his words, as witness the following:
Joe Cans still retains the title Of lightweight
champion of the world. but there are, 1 i'm
aRine. great many more to-day who are of
the opinion that his hitherto undisputed right
to the title was badly punctured Monday
nGht by Jimmy Britt. There can be no dis
putting the fact that while the fight lasted
IL was Britts by big margin. but. while
this is undoubtedly true did the negro fight
his fight, and is his disgraceful showing with
Britt to be taken as his true form, will we
have to throw that performance out and go
back to his previous performances in the ring ?
1 believe the fight terminated exactly as
scheduled. 1 believe the whole thing was
fixed when the match was made to end as 1t
did. 1 believe the club and referee were in on
the deal as much as the fighters WERE and l
further believe the money was equally d.
vided.
Everybody who knows Cans knows that he
did not fight anywhere near his form. 1t was
not within measuring distance of his fight,
according to past performances He was ac-
cordng to the telegraphic report OF the battle,
repeatedly knocked down by rights and lefts
a sbONi fuvO de
Britt outboxed him and outslugged him and
had him on the run from start to finish
something no other fighter ever did.
1t Britt's fight than 1t was
Cans. Who ever Britt in any of his bat
and drop him with right and left punches ?
Who ever saw Britt lose his head in any OF his
battles to such an extent TO commit a series
OF fouls. any one Of which was of such gravity
to warrant the referee in disqualifying him?
Britt has always shown that he was cool
and collected at all stages of the fight. Con-
that his fight with the negro Cans The
idea that Britt would get so. excited as 10
strike his opponent while on the floor after a
knockdown-not only once, but several times
and then after being disqualified. tear into
the referee and go to smashing him.
The whole thing not only looks to me like a
fake. but II really smells very loud
The attack on Graney was. much a part
Of the programme as was striking Cans when
was for the purpose of dverting the attention
of the spectators from the real contest and
very likely neipeu out considerably in per-
suading the crowd that the battle was on Its
merits.
Cans is still the lightweight champion and
Britt's reputation as fighter Is much better
now that II was before he met the negro. The
Cans hackers won their money and everything
is serene.
There seems to be nothing left now but 70
get together again and fix up another angle
that will satisfy the next crop OF easy marks
who will contribute TO the gate receipts It Is
asserted that Monday nights gate receipts
amounted to $35. 000-a pretty nice little sum
to cut up among such a swell bunch of hstic
promoters as those who engineered the Cans
Britt fasco.