Albuquerque evening citizen., 1905-08-26
BY Jas. j. corbett.
Copyright, 1905, by the Newspape
Enterprise Association

BY Jas, j. Corbett.
| Copyright, 1905, by the Newspaper
Enterprise Association)
Like the explosion of a bomb on a
still night came the announcement
from Frisco that James Edward Britt
and Battling Nelson had affixed their
signatures to articles for what prom
ises to be a finish fight before the
Colma club on September 8, for a
guaranteed purse of $4,000 with the
privilege of taking Go per cent of the
gate receipts.
These two greatest of little men
have been talking battle for nearly
four months, but they seemed as far
apart as ever until Jim -Coffroth got
to dickering with them. They must
be brought together regardless of
price. The managers were called
into consultation by the manager of
the progressive Colma club and were
to have been made an offer. Nelson,
as ever, was willing to accept the lib
eral proposition as put up by Coffroth.
but Willie Britt insisted that instead
of $4,000, or 65 per cent of the gross,
that the men be guaranteed a purse
of $4,000, with a privilege of taking
l.
share of the receipts went over that.
At first. COffroth staggered, but
Billy Nolan came to his assistance
and agreed to share half of the re-
sponsibility. This is really a guar
antee OF $4,000 to get Britt into the
ring.
The attractive end of the whole af-
ialr to Nelson is that the limit is
placed at forty-tive rounds, instead of
twenty-five, as Britt first demanded,
making the go practically a finish
match
In addition to the purse, which will
be one of the three largest ever Of
Tered for a fight, and the largest ever
hung up for lihgtweights, there will
be $4,000 side bet which is in my
brother Harry's hands before the bat
tie
According to these figures the win
ner will receive $4,000 in addition to
the income from the picture privileges
which will be enormous on this occa.
sion.
The battle will be fought in the af-
ternoon, and it is believed it will at
tract as many if not more than any
one Of the recent great heavyweight
championship encounters.
Both Britt and Nelson have been
resting up for nearly a month, but
they will get down to business at
once. The former has not announced
his plans, hut the latter will have Jack
Root as his head sparring partner if
he can secure him.
1t is most too early to begin pre-
dieting the outcome of this match.
The friends of Nelson have maintain
ed all along that if a finish match
could be arranged between these two
p!emiers there would be nothing to
it but Nelson. That Britt does not
think this way is evident from the
stand he took in regard to the di-
vision of the gate receipts. He in
sisted on the winner taking all Then
he proposed the $4,000 side bet. On
top of all this, he says that ne can
get lot more to place on himself and
he intends to do it.
Personally, | have always favored
Britt in a short fight, but in a long
drawn out engagement, | believe that
Nelson has a much better show. |
also believe that since these two men
last met Britt has made the greater
progress.
But as | said before it is still too
early to predict the result.
In the meantime, the public will
anXiously await any developments,
and every move of the two fighters
will be watched as two exponents of
the squared circle were never watched
before.
Both in the east and west the bet
ting will be extremely heavy, proba,
bly, favoring the Dane.
Any prize fighter who is half wise
VIII detect, a double cross about as
quick as any man in the world. They
are always on the lookout for Delng
done. But there is one case in the
history of the ring in the old fight
ing days of New Yorks. east side.
that still stands in a class by itself
and furnishes one of the most inter.
esting tales | believe have ever heard
IN connection with ring happenings.
shortly after my return to New
ork from New Orleans in 1891, | was
invited by a friend to see several
nshts arranged for a hall in one of
tne out OF the way places in New
YORK. | declined, on the grounds that
! mad another exceedingly important
engagement. But | was sorry after
wards, for an incident occurred that
will probably never be pulled off again.
The seminal event on the program
was limited round go, | think for ten
rounds, between a youngster by the
name of Martin Fogerty and a col
ored lad by the name of Dave Simp-
son, who had been drilled some by
George Dixon.
The two men entered the ring at
the given time. With Fogerty was
charlie Conors and another man
whose name | have forgotten. With
Dave Simpson was his twin brother,
Jerry, who afterwards gained consid-
cradle of reputation around New
HOrk's tenderlOin as a tough one.
Fogerty went right after Dave and
seemed to have all the best of il from
the start. In the sixth round he pound.
ed away az Dawes wind and seemed