Arizona republican., 1907-09-03
NEW CHAMPION
 WELTfR WEIGHT
KetCheI Knocked Out the
 Frisco Idol
Game Fight That Lasted Thirty Two ltOunds---A Famous Battle.

San Francisco, Sept. 2.-Labor day
 gave to the world a new welter-weight
 champion and supplied one of the
 greatest fights in the annals of Cali
 fornia. In the thirty-second round of
 a scheduled forty-five round contest
 under Marquis of Queensberry rules
 at Coffroth's Mission street arena this
 afternoon. young Ketchel of Butte.
 knocked out champion Joe Thomas of
 San Francisco in the presence of thou
 sands of people. Not until the cham
 pion had gone to the floor four times
 in quick succession did the seconds
 throw up the sponge. Thomas was so
 badly punished he had to be carried
 to his corner and it was several min-
 utes before he opened his eyes and asked Whats the matter" Referee
 Billy Roche summed it up accurately when he said: Tt was the greatest
 fight I eyer refereed. It was either mans victor- who had the winning punch"
 Though the bulk of the money and
 ninety per cent of the roofing was for the Californian, both before and during the fight when it was >Over the win ners and losers alike joined in three thunderous cheers for the fallen, idol. for no man ever put up a gamer fight than he The best man won," was his frank acknowledgement when the breath that had been pounded out of him came back. It was superior box CT against superior fighter with no ad- for gameness on either side. Ketchel showed the greater endurance. a quality that stood him in good stead and enabled kim to win from so clever a man as his rival. In two rounds. other than the deciding one the crowd was lifted to It's feet by knock downs
 In the sixteenth Ketchel landed a right and left swing on the body and jaw which stretched Thomas flat on his back near the center of the ring and it looked as though everything was over. But the Californian was on his feet at the count of -four" and succeeded in keeping away until the gong gave him a vital respite. He came up groggy for the seventeenth and had the Butte boy pressed his ad- instead of Decking awa- and the fight might have been ended then and there. In the twenty seventh right cross to the jaw as they come out of the clinch. took Ket- chel off his feet and sat him down with a bumo There he displayed wonder ful coolness. With thousands of peo- pie splitting their throats for Thomas Ketchel deliberately threw his toes up to his chin. clasped his hands around his shins and looked the referee in the eye while that official and Timekeeoer Harting being unable to make himself heard stopped over him and went through the pantomine of counting. At the call nine" he was up and backing away from the rush. He was doing his dizzy best to cover up at the ropes when the gong saved him. Thomas had the best of the round, the twenty ninth was no mans the thirtieth was the Californiian's In the thirtyfirst it was toss up for For the last half dozen rounds Thomas showed signs of returning an- swer to the calls of the seconds to buck up and box so the suddenness in which the end came in thirty seconds took many by surprise. Even those who realized that the Californian was up against man who, for a figure speech. would be dangerous on his knees. They fiddled about, clinched and broke away. Thomas taking a left on the jaw staggered him back ward. Ketchel seeing no. chance rush. ed in and drove him to the ropes where Joe tottered to the floor from a vicious left in the stomach. followed by a ter rife right across the jaw, Ketchers favorite and now famous blow. He took all the count rules allow and when he got up it was plain the end was at hand. He was no longer able