The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-10
TIMELY BOXING Talk.
The Ryan-O'Brien Bout and Something
About the Weight OF the Men,

After a lot OF pickering and months Of
! talk Tommy Ryan and Jack o Brlen have
I concluded to come together According to
despat ches. tho Yosemite A. c. OF San Fran
/ cisco. through the efforts of Jimmy Cof-
/ froth, the clubs match maker has succeeded
I in arranging a match between the pair. and
( the anair ia to take place about April 90
/ However. Ryan is a fighter who has more
| than once gone back on his word. and IL is
| no safe betting proposition that he will not
/ find some excuse and step down and out from
! this essay lie will have 10 do IL artisticaliy
| and cleyerly. though, because O'Bricn has
| given in TO all his terms and has practically
! agreed 10 meet Ryan at a weight which tho
! latter has been insisting upon for some time.
! This weight Is l54 pounds
Whatever Bob Fitzsimmons may say, the
winner Of this mill viii be regarded as the
real champion middeweight of the world.
although the Cornishman contends that he Is
at the head Of this division The limit in
this class is SIS pounds. but there s no rule
against any man Weighing in below that
scale at any appointed hour. Just why
O'Brlen Welded 10 the l54 pound scale when
he could have rghtfully insisted on i5s
pounds ringside. s no; clear Perhaps no
thinks that he will have a good chance Mt
his weight. but those who know him and
are acquainted with his physique cannot
understand how he il to re duce to i5t pounds
does not make many mistakes. and may
have something up his sleeve. OBrien Is
ono Of the few fighters who do not carry
an abundance Of superiluous flesh That s
he never enters the ring fat Al the weight
he CARR % is made up of solid bone and muscle
A. best he weighs from $50 to las pounds
lust how he can afford TO take on two pounds
below 1853 Is a matter Of conjecture- II he
does II is natural deduction that his strength
The weirhing-in time. looking on the SER
ious side of the match Is not going TO help
OBren anyway. The pair are 90 90 on the
that the men do not shake hands until 10
o o'clock or seven hours later, O'Brien will not
be able TO gain gain more than Two pounds pounds be,
pounds will not help him very much, for tho
weight is sure TO be made up Of extra flesh
which will be more Of a handicap TO him than
anything Ryan, though can AFFORD TO get
to 1874 pounds. for this s his natural weight
Five or six years ago Ryan was a welter-
weight He fought at l45 pounds and never
lost the power 70 knock his men out 4 he got
the chance To-day Ryan can get to $50
In many OF his cent nghts he has not bal
anced the scale at above 1855 pounds.
When a match betwcen the two was first
preached Ryan wanted l54 pounds. saying
that az this was the weight AZ which Jack !
Dempsey was, whipped by fitzslmmons IL !
should naturally go as the limit OF the middle
weight class For years however I5s pounds /
has been accepted at the limit. even by Fit2-
simmons himself The Cornishman has de-
clared all along that he can get to So pounds |
ringsde but somehow or other he never
makes an attempt to do 80. OBrien has been |
willing for long tim" 90 engage in TIT with !
the ex-champion at this weight. but Bob in /
ssts on big side bets. from g. oOo up and In this /
way scnres would-be opponents away. No |
club viii countcnance a wager on the side |
because 70 do so would be a direct violation Of |
the law. turning boxing match into a prize
fight A number Of Fitzsimmons's rivals !
have thus far failed 70 avail themselves OF this |
Information. and consequently Fitl gets the
credit Of being champion AT a weight none Of /
his friends think be- can make
Ryan has not been forgiven for his fake
mill with Jack Root at Philadelphia last
year. The public has no confidence n Ryan
and he win have 10 do some tall gruclling 10
live down his essay with Root II Ryan sue
cseds in beating O'Brien az this weight the
latter viii have a good excuse by saying
{ hat the reduction made him weak and that :
he was IN no state To fight according to his
form Doubling Thomases will talk how.
ever and " would not be a bad idea II the
Yosemite club allowed newspaper amen to
witness the wei ghinR in OF the pair on the
afternoon Of the bout This would in
measure reassure the night lovers all over
he country that the two boxers we're on the
level at least regarding the weight.