The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-01-29
HOT FIGHT
BETWEEN RYAN AND JACK
O'BRIEN.
1T WAS LATTER'S FIGHT
But State Law Prevented
Decision.

puIti, Jan. It.l ne HOtteSt uSuI Ill tnc
history of the prize ring in Philadel-
phia was that which tool, place In the
arena here tonight between "Philadel-
phia" Jack O'Brien, the middleweight
championship of England, and Tom
my Ryan, of Chicago, middleweight
champion of the world. The fight,
however, was not decisive, as under
the Pennsylvania laws bouts are linn
tied to six rounds and a decision can
not be rendered. But while it lasted
though he went down for the count
at the end of the fifth round and
it required the bell to save him. He
had just fored the champion a few
seconds before, however, and the lat
ter also had a hard time getting to
his feet before the fatal ten was
counted by the referee.
They began to mix it from the
start and O'Brien's foot work proved
a puzzle to the Chicagoan. In the
second Jack landed first blood with
a hard smash on Tommy's cheek. Kid
Mccoy, who was'in Jacks corner gave
him some valuable advice and Jack
jumped from place to place plainly
rafting the older man. He kept out
of danger until the fifth although re-
ceiving some hard whacks. In the
fifth Tommy got in one Of his old time
wallops that landed on Jacks stomach
and made him feel things. Both men
were groggy and weak when they
left the ring and there was little to
choose between them.
1t was wonderful display of the
prize fighters art and we'll worth 60
ing miles to see.
Both men were in pink of condition
when they weighed in at the Hotel
Scott at 6 o'clock. They were well
below the middleweight limit but the
exact weights were not announced.
The crowd began to gather in the
vicinity of the National Athletic club
early, and by 1880 o'clock the box
Office had to be closed, every seat in
the building having been disposed Of
1t was estimated that the gate re-
ceipts will exceed $4,000, which Is
the largest ever taken in by an ath-
letic club in Philadelphia. The audi
ence was composed of men well up in
the world of finance, politicians, and
it was rumored, even preacher or
two. The interest was intense de-
spite the fact that the bout could only
go six rounds.
There were the usual preliminaries
before the main bout, but they only
served the purpose of whetting the
appetite of the crowd. Bert Crowhurst,
the manager of the club was the ref
cree.
Round 1.-O'Brien landed first, a
light left to Tommy's face and MISS
ed straight left, Ryan breaking
ground. Both missed with rights and
clinched. Ryan ducked and cleverly
avoided left swing but OBrien reach
ed him with right to body. O'Brien
put left hook to Ryan's jaw and
they clinched again. Ryan cleverly
blocked short jab and retaliated
with right hook that fell short Ryan
put left to jaw and ducked a left
swing into his head. O'Brien was
very shifty and kept Tommy guess
ins, jumping from side to side and
cleverly avoiding blows that looked
dangerous. O'Brien put left to Tom
my's face and rushed him towards his
corner with fusilade of left jabs.
Ryan came back strong and Jack gave
ground to the center of the ring. They
were cleverly sparring at the bell.
Round 2.-The two boys were quick
to get into action and Ryan put a
hard right to Jacks head and smash.
ed a left hook to body. O'Brien tried
rushing tactics and Ryan in breaking
ground slipped to the floor He was
up in a second and Jack worked a
shift that sent him back against the
ropes. Ryan ducked straight and
blocked and countered. OBrien jab.
bed Tommy twice in the face without
return. Ryan tried right for
O'Brien's stomach but the latter
ducked and countered with right and
left swings. He then put hard right
TO Tommy's stomach and smashed a
right to the cheek that drew the
claret. Both landed swings at the
bell. This was clearly O'Brien's round.
Round 8,-Both men were eager and
came to clinch almost with the bell.
O'Brien landed two straight lefts, fore
ing Ryan to clinch again. O'Brien's
foot work was plainly puzzling Ryan,
who seemed unable to land any telling
blows. O'Brien missed a straight left
hook and put left to jaw. He re-
peated his tactics, following with a
hard right to the stomach which fore
ed Tommy into another clinch.
O'Brien missed a straight left only
to land a straight left on the breast.
Ryan landed hard blow under
O'Brien's heart which dazed the Phil
adelphian for second. Ryan tried
to follow up his advantage but O'Brien
had the better of this round.
Round 4.-The champion started in
to try for knockout and landed a
~ a.