Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-14
WILL NJ GOVERN
BEAT NELSON +?
FAMOUS LIGHTWEIGHTS WILL
MEET TONIGHT
Reports Indicate That Terry Is Battler
of Old and Some Think He
Will Hold His
Own

Since that memorable day in sporting
circles when Battling Nelson sent
Jimmy Britt reelng to the floor for the
counts which heralded a new world S
champion no more important battle has
been scheduled than that which occurs
at Philadelphia tonight between the
Dane and Terry McGovern-McGovern,
the boy who lost his title to young
Corbett," now an almost forgotten
figure in the world of fistiana.
The circumstances which surround
tonight's battle are in some respects the
most unique in the history of ringdom
1t will be nothing less than contest
between two men who have both been
paid homage which attends the holding
of a worlds championship. The strik-
ing feature of the situation is, however,
that McGovern will be striving for the
title which he once held, after having
watched it set lightly on the heads of
three others since the palmy days when
he could claim it as his own.
"Terrible Terry as he was called in
the days of his prime. was thought in
vincible, until Young Corbett," a
stranger from the west, dispelled the
illusion one morning several years ago
and gave to the world a new champion.
Then it was all Corbett for brief time.
"Who can beat him." Jimmy Britt did
the trick and Frisco added another
champ to her list of good ones. Jimmy
then proceeded to lower the aspirations
of the best they could bring against
him. Even from England hey came.
No, they couldn't solve Jimmy.
Nelson Enters Kingdom
Just about the time that the Britt
boy amassed snug little bundle of the
stuff which counts and was being urged
by his friends to retire an undefeated
man, there came a rumble from the
middle west. No one knew just what
it was at first. After a while some one
discovered the fact that the cause of
this disturbance was tWo-legged
thing with a strange burr in its voice,
which presumed to be an exponent of
the manly art of transplanting human
force with pair of four-ounce boxing
gloves.
Nelson was it's name, they said, and
Denmark was his home. Battling Mel
son they called it a short while later
after this butter-in had put to rest
several fairly well thought of ringsters.
Then it was, "Mr. Britt you're on
again for the menial task of doing
away with tlis nuisance before retir-
ing" And forthwith went Jimmy to
uphold the honor of the golden gate.
Eighteen rounds of a battling that
sent currents of heart-bursting emotion
over the great amphtheater of human
ity which watched--and then it was the
Terrible Dane"
To have witnessed the rise and down.
fall of two champions and then do
battle with third for the honors
which he once possessed forms a cir
cumstance which has lent unusual in
terest in tonights contests in the
Quaker City.
Terry Has Chance
There is no question that great
many followers of the ring believe that
Terry has a chance to defeat Nelson.
For either man TO score win there
must be a knockout, for no decisions
are given in Philadelphia and the bouts
are limited to six roSnds According
tC the most reliable reports, McGovern
is as good a man as when he held the
lightweight title. If this be true it
would be no greet surprise to find
Terry holding his own.
McGovern has fought seventy-four
battles. and of that number he has won
fifty-four within the ten-round limit.
Terry's record shows that all his short
bouts have been with fighters and not
with boxers. Clever men like Harry
Forbes, Joe Bernstein, Austin Rice and
several others have made him go the
long pace to win, and it has been with
the "diggers in that he has won in
short order.
A fighter and not a boxer is Bat"
and it may be that if Terry is what
they say he is the Dane will have a
time putting him away.