The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-06-20
CHAMPION MIDDLEWEicHr Will
FOLLOW IN FOOTSTEPS OF
FAMOUS JEFFRlES
Will Arrange One More Fight With
Hugo Kelly and Then Hand
Over the Title
(By George Siler)

Tommy Ryan, the acknowledged
middleweignt champion of America,
intends to follow in the footsteps of
James j. Jeffries in turning his back
on pugilism. Jeff declared himself
out of the pugilstic running on May
IL. but Tommy will not announce his
refinement until the warm weather
sets in when he will engage Hugo
Kelly in friendly boxing exhibition
at Benton Harbor, Mich, and then
bow himself out of the game and hand
the middleweight championship to
Hugo.
JeffrieS' title is a worlds affair, a
yard wide and all wool, while that of
Ryan's is a local honor, so to speak,
and somewhat frayed at the edges at
that. Not that Tommy's claim to the
title is not better than those of some
of the other claimants, but the fact
remains, old man Bob FitZsimmOns
maintains, that as he won it from Jack
Dempsy at New Orleans over IA years
ago he is still the rightful owner. Be-
sides this, Fitzsimmons states he has
$4,000 up in the hands of AL Smith as
forfeit to fight either Tommy or
Jack OBrien.
Fitz Would Fight.
Although Bob has not fought at
middledeight since September 26, 1894,
when he defeated Dan Creedon in a
battle for the middleweight champion
ship, he claims he can still make the
| weight, 1853 pounds. The fact that ne
has not fought as middleweight for
nearly eleven years makes his claim
for the honors of that division a bit
20 foto no forfeit
claims he has up in AL Smiths hands
for battle with either Ryan or
O'Brien still gives him a loOk-in
Ryan began his pugilistic career
practically as a welterweight, and as
such defeated the best, barring Joe
Olcott, in that division. His first i'm
portant fight as a middleweight was
with Kid Mccoy at Maspeth, L. l.,
March 2, 1896, and resulted for
knockout for the Kid in the 18th round.
That was Tommy's first defeat. His
second was also at the hands of Nc
Coy, but the decision was unjust. 1t
was a six round go with the under
standing that if botn men were on
their feet at the final gong the bout
was to be declared a draw. Tommy
had, if anything, the better OF the
milling, but the referee awarded the
verdict to the Kid. Ryan's record also
shows a defeat, on foul, to George
Green, in six rounds.
Ryan's Last Battle.
Ryan's last battle for the champion
ship title was with Kid Carter, whom
he defeated in the sixth round at Fort
Erie, Ontario. September TO- 19O2,
rather an easy win for the champion.
His only contest of Importance since
then was that with Jack O'Brien at
Philadelphia, in which both scored
knockdowns and both claimed super
iority
Ryan entered into the game in 1887,
and took part in over 100 contests at
all distances, and of these ne was
fairly beaten but once and that py
Kid Mccoy in 1896. His record, de-
spite the fact that it contains the
names of various easy marks, IS
elaborate enough to entitle him to the
nonor of being one of the most con-
sistent ring performers in the coun-
try He is a postmaster OF the me
points of the game and can hit as nara
as a heavyweight. Bill Brady respected
his knowledge of the scientific princ1-
pies of fighting, as he engaged MIN 10
impart his knowledge to Jim Jeffries
when the big champion was preparing
for his fight with Bob Fitzslmmons.
It was Tommy who taught jeff the
crouch which undoubtedly had much
to do with his winning the champion
ship Ryan made strong efforts TO
undo his work when he undertook 10
teach Jim Corbett how to defeat JET
fries in their last contest.