The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-23
EOGREN NAMES
SQUIRES TO WIN
Boxes Wicked Bout With Joe
Thomas and Makes a
Great Showing.
BY ROBERT EDcREN.

I found Joe Thomas at Squire's quar-
ters in San Rafael yesterday morning
Joe was looking for a place to train for
his coming welterweight cham pionship
fight with Twin" Sullivan.
Squires was just beginning work.
Britt, sweating from run on the road
didn't care to box with him. In fact. the
big Australian is having trouble in Sc
curing a sparring partner. He knocked
out Battling Johnson, local heavy
weight, and John went back to Frisco
on the next train. Joe Kennedy, JeffS
old trainer, looked Squires over and de-
cded to stick to his job mixing drinks.
And none of the other big fellows had
time
So Squires has been working alone. l
wanted to see him box. Taking Joe
Thomas aside / asked him if he would
mind putting on the gloves with the big
fellow.
Anything to oblige." said joe
Jimmy Britt brought out shoes and
trunks Thomas stripped | asked
Squires if he would spar with Thomas
Il don't mind at all" said Bill: but
I'm not much of A sparrer. If he'll fight
a bit il will suit me-
assured him that Thomas would like
TO fight bit
Made Joe Go Some.
Time was called. They went at it,
Thomas is probably the cleverest middle
weight in the country Just now. 1t
wouldn't have been surprising if he had
Jabbed SquireS' head off. But as they
mixed it Joe dropped his right over on
Bit Jaw and the Australian tore in with
a right to the heart, a left feint to the
body. sudden left hook for the Jaw
that rocked Joe's head and almost lifted
him from his feet Thomas, with bic
smooth. beautiful footwork. danced in
and out Tented, jabbed and punched
away. But Squires was always set His
seemingly clumsy footwork carried him
swiftly I'm and out. He was always will
ing TO exchange blows. and at inflghting
he was a wonder.
SQuires has enormously long ape-like
arms His reach is greater than that OF
F1tZsimmons. He isn't like Fitz in act
Ion. but somehow he has the same Won
landed clearly on Thomas in the mixing
and the clever middleweight seemed I'M
able to block or avoid the blows And
there was a jar in Squires blows 1t
was plainly evident that he didn't cut
loose, yet in the third round he nearly
knocked Joe down with a short left hook
on the lab. Squires smilingiy apologized,
but Joe smiled too, and went right on.
| am under the impression that Thomas,
who lacks the curious conceit of the
ordinary fighter, didn't try to show off
Tor my benefit. He did just what l asked
him to-he drew Squires out. He made
Squires show his points
And Squires certainly looks like the real
thing. famous referee who went TO the
quarters with me said, after the third
round: This fellow is a fighter He'll
knSck Burns out inside of six rounds, or
I'm poor Judge"
Perhaps not Burns is a great man of
his inches, too. But unless l am mistak-
en-, this Australian will be the surprise
of the year. He is cold as ice. yet eager
to fight. He is clever in an awkward
way So is Fitz. He can hit as hard as
the freckled wonder That means that he
can knock out any man he lands on
possibly barring the invulnerable JEFF
fries.
Just before boxing with Thomas,
Squires had gone through twenty min
utes of rope skipping. Immediately af-
ter the third hot round he jumped for the
punching bag. Ten minutes Of hammer
ing. and he wound that exercise up with
a full minute of smuggling that shook the
building.
Hits Fast and Hard.
I asked Joe Thomas for his opinion of
Squires
He's the real thing" said Joe He
fast and he can hit hard. He's cool and
tricky. / know he's game You can
tell that by looking at him. Burns is
clever, rough, ragged fighter. but this fel
low will make him travel. The only ques-
ton is how Squires can take punishment
If it is a grueling fight ! think from his
looks and the way he boxed that he can
take as much as anybody. He'll fight on
the aggressive-thats sure"
Squires worked hard for a full hour
without rest.
DO you always work like this so long
before a fight?' | asked him.
why. ] haven't started yet replied
Sduires sObery. ''I'll work a lot 'arder
the last two weeks.
1t is plain that Mr.. Squires intends to
make a sure thing of this Burns fight.
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