The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-28
Need Changes in Fighting Rules
eY GEORGE sILER.

Had the late Marquis of Queens berry
known how his rules governing glove
contests would be abused, the arguments
that would arise from them. and the diff
i1lcuIucs those directly interested in box
lng would have trying TO interpret them,
1t Is d safe bet lie ether would nave
framed them so simple they would re
ouire no Interpretation, or would have
turned the job over TO someone else.
The old English nObleraan framed the
rules for and 20 suit the BrijOnS and as
we Americans were shy on rules to gov
ern DOsunS contests, we naturally adopt
ed those handed down by the late NOR
qvis. Unfortunately. our American fight
efs, managers and promoters swear by
the Marquis Of OucensEerry rules, despite
the fact they are. to the majority, as
even those who claim TO be thoroughly
acquainted with them SO utterly disre-
CORD them they are valueless.
] am not stretching il 4 bit when 1
state there never has been a glove cor
test III this country, under Marquis of
QUcensbe-ry rules, in which the rules
were strictly adhered to. Such being the
case. why not have rules OF our own IN
stead of q set framed by an Englishr7an
that are never lived Up to. and therefore
are useless?
How many fighters. managers. promot-
erS ard referees are there that contin-
QueensoerrY rules. as they are written,
and the straight Marquis of Queensberry
Tu.cs, which never were written and
therefore are. what I should term. mon
Erel rules. They invariably argue that
Marquis Of QucCnsbCrry rules, as they
think they know them, demand clean
breaks. That is. the fighters, when
Clnched. must break Clearly. step back
a. inspected distance, and assume eth
er d defensive or an aggressive attitude
before chey resume fighting. And they
argue that straight rules give them the
privilege OF hitting with the free arm,
when holding with the other, and Of hit
sirg on the breakaway.
There is nothing in the Marquis OF
QCeensberry rules, as we know them,
that says anything about clean breaks,
stepping back certain distance after 4
clinch before another blow can be struck.
Ard as there are no straight ru,cs gOy-
err!nS contests, we simply take il fO-
granted they give a fighter ali the hit
ting privileges rot provided for in the
written rules
Let US sift few Of the marquis rules.
rs they written. and see how they
are nsregarded and therefore utterly
RULE !. ITO be a fair stand up box
Ing mo tch IL a twsnty-touT- foot ring or
as near thSt size as practicable"
How many Of the hundreds OF boxing
contests that take place every year are
Oh the "fair stand up 0fdeF7
Il ULE ,. no Wrestling or hugging al
low e4.'
There IS more or less wrestling ard con-
siderable bugging In eVery contest but
have ksIown of But few GASES wherein
fighters we're disqualified Tor Infringing
that rulR.
RULE 4 '1f any R54a fall. thgaagh
weGkDeas Or 8tk5rwis6 lie must set ur
l;nsssisssG, ten seacads to he allowed him
10 60 SO, the Othel' mass meanwhile to re-
sarn 10 his coGa.aes and when ire fallen
Jgteii Is on his legs, the raand Is Ia be
FesEH9ed and ecnfaoued unfit the three
minutes ITaye eSfdFsd. Ie one TaBa fsils
- come b0 the scratch IN fhs ten seoGnds
allowed, 1t shall Ire IT fac fs6Usr OF the
referee 10 80 his a0FdFa ia favor Of me
othao nSs