The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-07
NO WRANGLE OVER
REFEREE GRANEY
SAYS HE WILL QUIT SPORT.
DOES NOT WANT TO OFFICIATE IN
COMING FIGHT.

Believed That Graney's Pride Has
Been Hurt by severe Criticisms OF
Some of His DecisiOns-AureIia
Herrera. the Mexican Boxer, Says
Nelson Has "A Habit of Butting His
Representatives Trick sI<illfulIy.
According to a San Francisco dis
patch the sensation in fight circles in
that city is the refusal of Eddie Gra-
ney to referee the coming fight be-
tween Battling Nelson and Jimmie
Britt, scheduled for Dec. 20.
Graney was Britt's choice, but Mel
son held out for Billy Roche. The mat
ter was in a fair way to be settled
when word was sent to Graney that
he might be selected for the important
position. The famous referee is ill in
bed. He not only declined to act in
the coming match. but announced his
intention of quitting the ring forever.
ION account of my health" said Gra-
ney, (which is not the best lately, I
do not think I shall ever again be the
referee of professional fights. Nothing
Britt and Nelson. I do not want to
be regarded as a candidate for referees
position in this fight or in any other
professional fight. My farewell appear
ance as referee will be made next
week at the Olympic Clubs amateur
boxing bouts. l am out of it, so far
as Nelson and Britt are concerned,
and will he nf II a n Ixy -
His Pride Hurt.
Graneys pride has been hurt by Sc
we're criticisms of some of his recent
decisions. and this has had something
to do with his retirement
Harry Tuthill left San Francisco yes
terday for New York. Before he took
his train he had a few words to say
about Young Corbett.
Some people think that Corbett held
Nelson too cheaply,' he said. Now
this is not so. Corbett knew that he
was a hard nut, though he expected
TO beat him. Corbett worked as hard
for that fight as any other. but the
trouble was he did not work long
enough.
Instead of training a month he
should have trained two. You take a
race horse and lay him up eight
months, and you can't get him ready
for race in a day. You must take
time. 1t is the same with a fighter.
Corbett weighed 100 for Nelson. When
he is at his best he should not weigh
over 126 pounds"
Other ring experts share this view.
Excess of fat reduced the speed of
Corbett, and seriously handicapped
him in his fight with the Chicago hur-
ricane.
What Herrera Thinks.
When Aurelia Herrera, the Mexican
featherweight fighter, read the reports
of the Nelson-Corbett contest in San
Francisco Tuesday night, he sharply
criticised the referees action in ignor-
ing Corbetts claim that Nelson was
using his head for butting purposes.
The Mexican boxed Nelson but a
short time ago at Butte, Mont, and
had this to say of the contest:
Nelson has a great way of bear
ing in with his head. and butted at
every opportunity in his contest with
me.
He uses the trick skillfully enough,
but it is plain to everybody what he
is trying to do. / do not blame Cor
bett for making the claims that he
did, for my manager, Joe Wood, pro-
tested vigorously against it when we
boxed.
81 am not trying to make any ex-
cuses for myself nor Young Corbett,
but know there must have been some
thing to Corbett's claims.
ut is not likely the trick had any
thing to do with the result of the fight,
but at the same time it is a mean
trick, and apt to sway a contest at any
time.
Something About Nelson.
II would like to say right now that
when we fought, Nelson never got me
off my feet, and the only Touchdown
during the battle was in my favor,
Nelson being f1oored cleanly.
II note, too. that l am the only man
in recent months that has stayed in
the ring for thirty rounds with Mel
son. l took that fight on at eleven
days notice, and three of those were