Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-19
LATEST SPORTING
NEWS

Young Corbett has left New York
Tor San Francisco and states that
when he arrives at the latter place
his first ght will be 20-round go with
AureliO Herrera. Eddie, Hanlon is
next on the list. Corbett has several
fights in view but gives no particulars
until after having had a conference
with the matchmakers. He will stop
several days in Chicago and Denver
before proceeding to the coast.
In defeating Gardner Twin (Mike)
Sullivan administered rebuke to the
betting fraternity. The men VINO
make study of form in fighters made
Gardner topheavy favorite. AS the
men had already fought two draws the
reason for this Partially was not clear.
This is rapid age, of course, and
maybe the difference in years between
Jimmy and Mike had something to do
with the discrimination. Gardner Is
only 81. Probably he was regarded
as being in the full flush of athletic
vigor, while Sullivan, who is bald
headed and ~ was looked upon as
tottering old wreck.
John L. Sullivan in an interview as
to the probable result of the Fitzsim.
mOns-O'Brien fight, declared that if
the latter won it would be a great
feather for him.
"But you see," said John, "O'Brien
hasn't plucked the feather, not yet,
and if ne doesn't keep his eyes peeled
when he's reaching for it ,one of those
bread basket wallops from Fitz may
make him take a second think.
Over in England they have been
trying the American system of refer.
eeing boxing matches and they ap-
pear to like the plan. Formerly it
was the custom in that country to
have the referee sit outside the ring
and give all his orders to the boxers
from his chair. says an exchange.
The men, If they clinched and hug
ged. were told to break, and If they
did not do SO were disqualified. That
is, We are told they were, but in many
cases the disqualification was not as
prompt as we are given to understand.
The principal fault, however, which
was found with the English system
was in the counting of the seconds
when man would be knocked DOWN.
The counting was done from out
side the ring and if man was par
TALLY dazed. as most boxers are when
dropping from a punch on the jaw,
they are not able to realize that the
counting is being done, and they are
counted out before they are aware of
it. Several important contests, it Is
claimed, have been lost through the
counting being done in that way.
It is asserted, and not without some
foundation, that if a boxer, when he is
knocked down, sees man standing ov-
err him and can hear the count, he
will know that his time is short, and
that it is UP to him to get on his feet
at the count of ten instead of lying
on the floor, and that if a boxer has
the right stuff in him and wants to
win he will make an effort to pull
himself together and get on his feet.
The suggestion is made by the box
ing editor of the Mirror of Life, the
London sporting paper, that it would
be q good idea to have two men to
officiate at boxing matches, one to
stand in the ring to break the boxers
away when they are clinched and
count of the seconds when the box
er is down, and not to keep tab on
the work of the boxer in order to make
the decision, as is done nowadays.
The writer asserts that in a long
contest, say of 20 or 25 rounds, it is
impossible for referee to do this
work and keep track of the blows
struck. etc., during the progress Of a
contest. This latter work. the Mirror
of Life suggests, should be done by
a second man outside the ring, who
would have nothing else to do. and
could, therefore, devote his entire at
tention to keeping posted on the pro-
gress Of the fight, and thus be enabled
to render fair decision as to who is
the winner at the end Of the battle, II
the contest is in any way q doubtful
one.