Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-07-28
THE PUGILlSTS.
BATTLE OF
THE BANTAnS
Franklin Neil and Hughey
McGovern Rip Each Other
From Head to Hip Neil
Had the Better Of the Go

PHILADELPHIA, July 2S.-Frankio
Neil of San Francisco, bantam cham
pion of the world, clearly outfought
Hughey McGovern OF Brooklyn at the
National A. G. here last night. The
fight throughout was the most vicious
ever witnessed In this city between lit
tie men. There was scarcely a second
during the six rounds that the boys
were not in action.
At the close OF the sixth round Nc
Govern was almost out and was hang
ing on to Neil to avoid punishment.
McGovern drew blood from the Califor-
MANS nose in the second round and
opened cash in his left cheek in the
succeeding round.
Neil cut cash in McGovern's left
cheek In the fifth round, and toward
the close Of the round McGovern was
very shaky on his feet. Both boys
were under. the required weight Of lis
pounds.
McGovern entered the ring with that
badge Of condition, fine black eye.
Sam Harris, his brother Terry, Joe
humphreys. Danny Dougherty and
Whitley Lester accompanied him. He
weighed 116 pounds at 3 o'clock in the
afternoon. He was extremely fine in
the body and shaped up like a whippet
Neil followed, his curly hair brushed
high, like a boys at a party, and his
delicate features paled by hurried
training. His seconds were Joe Jof-
rus, lin Callahan, James Neil. his
rather, and Manager Bob Deadly.
Jack Michigan was referee. and ex-
planned that the boys would fight
straight Queensberry, no holding, no
wrestling, and must break at the COM
mand of the referee, and protect them
selves in the breaks. This last clause
resulted in one of the most remarkable
exhibitions-in a straight fight-that
was ever seen in this country.
The fight by rounds:
Round one. The lads came ont of
their corners like two tomcats. Hughey
led, missed and brought his right
around quick enough to catch Nell on
the top of the head Up came that left
from the California boys knee. 1t was
like a streak Of light Hughey jumped
away from it and looked at Neil as If
he Were two fighters instead of one.
They came to a clinch and their heads
met. then began the exhibition referred
to above.
The men didn't clinch. They stood
there toe to toe, Nei1's feet Off side and
his left hand pumping yiciously at
Hughey's intersections There was no
attempt at hugging. From one corner
of the ring to the other from the CEN
ter to the ropes and back again. the
two young athletes fought, their heads
damned together like battling elk and
their arms flying like fails. 1t was
Neil's left and Hughey's right. At
least fifty blows were struck and had
| it not been for McGovern's splendid
condition and his high school education
| in the matter of Mr. Neil's catapault
left, there would have been no second
round It was an even break at the
end of the gong.
Round two: The entire house was
on its feet when the bell Changed for
the second. The cats were together
again in the second, head to head as
before, but each had gagged the other,
and the milling was not so wild.
Frankie's left became civilized. He
reached Hughey one, two, three, four
a dozen times to the face and neck. and
buried it with a punch to the stomach
before the Brooklyn youngster could
dance away and shape up for some
out-fghting.
| The blows were hard but Mccoy
ePn's blocking and staIling reduced
| their destructive power so per cent. AL
4 this point NeiIs superiority began. He
| punched +NIcGovern in the stomach
with his left. shaped around with his
feet off side and Strengthened the
Brooklyn boy up with hard LEFT t6
the jaw. Then he fought him to the
ropes, where in a mix-up McGoverr
laced over right and cut NeiTs nose
4 and raised mark under his eye.
For at least fifteen seconds in, this
round the boys boxed. The rest of the
time was given over entirely to push
ing each other about the ring head
to head and fighting free with both
hands Old sporting men said they
had never witnessed such contest be
tween big or little men
/ Neil used a straight left jab to some
advantage in this round. Driving Il
into Hughey's face repeatedly, ther
shifting from a right-hand cross. anC
eventually going to a Lead to head bee
in the center of the ring. Neil fought
Hughey through the ropes in the last
minute. He was stronger and showed
superior strength in the work on the
ropes, for McGovern couldn't gel
away from him.
Hughey fell Just before the gong
but not from the rain OF blows that hs
was receiving. He fell because his
j own head slipped on Neil's and he los
the prop that had been holding bott
of them up for almost the entire las
minute. It was Neils round by big
margin. The gong.
Round three: You could not have
heard a cannon go Off when the ath
letets bounded to the center. In tht
first half minute Neil laced that stab
bing left at least twenty times int
Hughey's face and neck, but could no
get to the point.
I The Brooklyn boys covering was al
most perfect. Hughey used his RICH
to good advantage in the breakaways,
whirling it again and again into Neirs
neck, short ribs and face. The Cali