Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-02-27

DIFFERENCES IN IDEAS
ABOUT BOXING BOUTS.

popular and Its continuation possible. /
Let the followers of the sport believe
that certain match is walkover for
one Of the contestants and you could
not fill the house with shot towers;
I but, on the other hand, let them be-
/ lieve that the outcome of another
match is enve.oped in doubt, and
they will submit themselves to all
sorts of physical discontinue and
put up all kinds of money for the pur-
pose or getting peek at It. Probably
the six-round bouts which have pre-
vailed in philadelphia for SO long
time have been the means of creating
more division of opinion than all the
other causes combined. 1t is claimed
by some that the brief duration of
these contests precludes the like.i-
hood of the better man always being
returned the winner unless he hap
pens to hand out the sleeping punch
And in many cases that Is doubtless
true But in the majority of cases
the relative merits of the contestants
may be fairly determined En six
rounds, provided the performers are
spelling for fair. That is to say their
relative ability may be determined
according to the point Of view of the
person expressing It, 1t does not fol-
low, however, that when a contest is
close or even "pretty'' close there Is
any unanimity among the supposedly
, expert. And therein Is the secret OF
3 D 10 fNf
There was case in point at the
National Athletic Club in Philadel-
phia last week. On Wednesday night
Tommy Murphy, of Harlem, and
Spike" Robson had the better of the
60 When they met the second time
that opinion was reversed, although
1t was generally agreed that Tommy
had not won so far off as Spike did
on the first occasion. After their third
meeting on "Wednesday night, the
critics and the public were wide
apart, although the bulk of the opin-
ion favored Robson The right of in
dividuals to their opinions was en-
bodied in the first National Agree
ment framed up by the late T. JEFF
ferson, and the right 10 differ Is one
of the most priceless of our heri-
tages. II the differences expressed
only related to the boxer who had
won, there would be scarcely any
/ justification to discuss the matter
at all. But the opinions were so di-
vergent in their scope as to suggest
J the idea that those who expressed
I them were influenced as much by
their preference as by their judg-
ment, no matter If they favored Rob-
son or favored Murphy.
/ There were, those who declared that
Robson had won block, while others
maintained that Murphy had won
hands down. And the men express
ing these opinions have regulations
as capable judges and honest men
Yet it stands to reason that the truth
must have been somewhere between
these extreme views, and the writer
or fan calling it a draw could not
have been accused of being trim
mer.
Probably nothing so sways the
| Judgment of a crowd around a ring
side as the appearance of little
blood, and it need be but very lit
| tie of the red stuff, too. 1t may be
flowing from the lips or gums-as
was the case with Fitzsimmons in his
bout with Corbett at Carson City
or 1t may be from the reopening of an
old cut over the eye-as was the case
with Murphy on Wednesday night
but it is more potent in influencing
the judgment Of superficial observers
than anything else, save knockout.
A coupe of drops of the CORY on a
glove the holder of the glove mugs
it over his opponents face and the
latter Is a sight by the time the bel
sounds for the ending of the round
and yet he gives no outward visiblt
sign of distress when he comes out o
his corner for the beginning of the
next round. The mugging business I
is resumed, few more drops of the
red stuff on the glove, and in less
than minute the BOXERS face is
vivid carmine, although he may no
have received punch that would
have dented a lump of butter 1t Is
not contended that all of the opinion
favorable to Robson was based upon .
the appearance of his dial, but 1t is
good betting that it influenced great
deal of it, For instance, one report
read: "Murphy's nose was mashed
beyond recognition by Robson's /
iabs." Now, Tommy's beak is not
built upon any of the accepted lines
of nasal beauty, but if any of its,
symmetry had been disarranged by
Spikes jabs it was not patent to J
those who talked with him after the
bout The appearance of his lef.
lamp might have deprived him OF the
privilege Of attending swell social
function, but otherwise he was none
the worse for wear.