The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-09
McGOYern viii Have Severe
Test in Bout With Nelson.
viii Be a Six Round Contest,
Fast and Lively.
END WITH AKNOCK OUT
Brooklyn Fighter Says He or
Battling viii Be "All Im.''
Can See No Other Way From
Style Of Punching.

New York Dec. 9.-The real status Of
4 Terry McGoveTn VIII be de-
/ termined January IS. when he meets
/ Battling Nelson in a six-round bout at
Philadelphia. McGovern's star has long
been in obscurity and only sbowec@Aa
I semblance of glowing with its former
strength when, after a long eclipse, the
former champion outshone Tommy
Murphy, beating him in one round at
1 the Quaker city.
So much sentiment attaches to Nc
| Governs connection with the ring that
his attempt 10 regain his one time great
/ prestige Will be frausht with the great
/ est interest The conditions of the
match, and the certainty that it would
take place, were only decided Wednes-
| day. Nelson fully expected to go to
England with his theatrical show. and
the failure of plans in this regard re-
suited in the arrangements for the con-
! test.
A1cGovern has the chance of his life
! time If he is ever to win from a. man
! of Nelson's caliber it ought to be in u
/ siN-rOund bout, where his speed and in
sistent fighting should carry the Battler
/ off his feet.
| A1cGovern gives great promise of be-
( ing one of the very few scrappers to re-
( turn from oblivion to prominence He
/ is 20 years old, has participated in seven
| " ring battles, and is still strong, if his
| fight with Murphy be taken as a cIi-
terion. Following is McGOyerns own
story:
BY Terry NcGovem.
I have had some pretty hard ring
battles in my career, but the toughest
was with little Harry Forbes in Brook
| lyn. just after had started on my way
up the championship ladder. Harry was
at that time in splendid form and, ac-
cording to his friends from the west,
was certain to defeat me. That was
about seven years ago. but I can re-
member the battle as well as though it
| took place last night. We fought breast
/ to breast for fourteen rounds. First one
would wither and then the other. I felt
I that I was a trifle the stronger, though,
and kept pounding away I knew that
I if I could keep in close could get him
and I got him at last. in the fifteenth
round; and finished him. He was the
toughest hardest, liVeliest kid of the
gang, and fought me every inch Of the
way.
The fastest fighter I ever met was
/ Patsey Haley. I fought Patsey in New
Y ork in 1899, and didn't get near to
! him for nine or ten rounds He was
like lightning. and thought he would
I lab me blind before could get to him.
( [ never saw a man SO fast in my life.
/ He was on top Of you, at the side of
/ you, in your rear, and seemed even up
1 in the air. He was in and out like an
! eel. It was about the eleventh round
/ before began to find him. He was
/ bit tired with his eXertions and I
/ Whaled away at his body taking the
! speed out Of him. He stayed on for
/ seven more rounds that night on his
/ pluck. and I felt lucky that beat him.
! He WAS a tough proposition 10 hit at
all.
Young COrbetts Punch.
/ I have taken some good beatings in
| my time. too. Every man who stays in
/ the business nowadays gets the hard
/ jolts as we'll as the pickings. They
1 have all hit me some, but none of
I them ever landed on me like Young
| COrbett 7 had come to believe. up to
the time of my first battle with him at
/ Hartford that I could give and take
/ with anybody without fear of results.
1 But when that Denver battleship cop
ped me remember falling, and
/ thought I never would land. It was a
wallop I shall never forget. COrbett
surely had all the goods when he
/ landed on me that day. None can
punch like that boy.
Pedlar Palmer, who was beaten the
other day by Cockney Cohen, was the
easiest of the lot When I met him I
started out to settle the ma after early,
and the first few Wallops I landed de-
cided me that could take it easy with
.
into seats when I put over the finishing
touch.
Taking all things into consideration.
/ Frank Erne was about the best mixed
boxer and sIugger ever went against.
He was there with either the jab or
the heavy punch, and knew how to
stall or fight close. Erne was both a
boxer and fighter, and, in his prime,
was the greatest light weight of them
all.
Battling Nelson, from what 7 can
hear is a great fighter He forged his
ment from the press and in spite of
much adverse criticism. Judging from
his style of fighting. you can bet that
when he and I meet one or the other
of us viii be on the mat with ten
counted over US before the six rounds
are over. 1t is impossible that it
should be otherwise, from the manner
in which both of US go in.