Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-26
CYCLONE HOPES
TO Be CHAMPION
SYCAMORE BOY IS STEADILY
CLIMBING UPWARD
Youngster from Illinois Bowls over
Lights and Welters, and Has
Ambition to Be the
Worlds Best

Cyclone Thompson, the Sycamore, ILL.,,
lightweight, who has faced 165 men in
the ring and has yet to t>fe the count,
is at last coming into his own. For
several months the Cyclone has been
moving down lightweights and welters
and Friday afternoon at Marysville, in
the presence of 1000 people, he knocked
out in eleven rounds Rufe Turner. the
colored fighter, who stood Joe Cans off
for fifteen rounds
San Francisco papers, in commenting
on the fight, say that Turner was right
there with his famous pile-driver
punches and that he was able to land
on Thompson, but the only effect
noticeable was to make the eastern
boy fight the harder. 1t was freely
predicted before the contest that in
case Turner was able to land he would
knock out his opponent as he had al
ways done before when able to con-
meet.
Last April at New Orleans Thomp-
son knocked out Otto Seiloff in eight
rounds and Cans was only able to ac-
complish the same trick after nine
rounds of fighting.
Is a Fighting Machine
This shows. if anything does, that
Thompson is the man of all men who
has chance to whip the great negro
lightweight. Thompson doesn't know
what 1t Is to stop boring in and he
fights every minute. In the only two
contests that he engaged in here he
demonstrated that he was a fighter
pure and simple.
After rendering his strong right arm
useless in the second round of a ten
round contest with Montana Kid, he
poked away with his left hard enough
to save himself from defeat and earn
draw decision. few weeks later.
after being knocked down by as pal
pable foul as was ever committed in
Los Angeles, while engaged in a twen-
ty-round contest with Dick Hyland.
Thompson got up at the count of nine.
and although doubled up with pain,
prevented his man from getting him,
and in the succeeding rounds gave
Fighting Dick all that was coming to
him and a little more.
In fact Hyland was driven to such
desperate straits that he again lost
his head and struck Thompson after
the latter had slipped to the mat, there
by losing on a foul.
Cyclone Beats PiIedriver
Later Thompson fought twenty
rounds with Hyland at Ogden, losing
the decision Newspaper men at the
ringside as we'll as hundreds of sports
Kissed the verdict and declared that
thompson had won, hands down, or
that the worst he should have had was
a draw.
A few weeks later Thompson knocked
out Lew Powell. Then he tackled the
hard-hitting Fred Ward. Ward got
his in six rounds. While the fight was
going at a rapid pace he reached out
his hand and told Thompson that he
knew when he had enough. Ward was
one of the worst cut up men that ever
left the ring. That same week. four
nights later, Thompson went into the
ring with Jack Clifford at Marysville
Clifford was hailed as the man with
pile-driver punch. His punch was in
evidence, too, but it only made the
Cyclone come in the harder and in the
fifth round Clifford was stretched out
for the count. Then Thompson went
to Ogden and knocked ont Maurice
Thompson, giving away more than ten
pounds Maurice was ready for the
hospital at the end of fifteen rounds.
Fighting Dick Next
Thompson's next opponent was Rufe
Turner, who was finished in eleven
rounds.
Dick Hyland will probably be next
on the list. Every effort has been made
to coax Red Sammy McClintick to
sign up and it is thought a contest will
be put on at San Francisco in March
Thompson stands ready to back him
self foT any amount within reason
against any lightweight in the world
He believes that he can knock Hyland
out in ten rounds, or Jimmy Britt or
Kid Herman in less Both of these
men have sidestepped him on numerous
occasions and there must certainly be
a reason for it.
Sporting writers who have taken oc-
casion to hold Thompson cheap and to
suggest now and then that he was not
a classy fighter should sit up and take
notice. A boy who can NOV them
down right and left, as Thompson has
done, who is ready and willing to meet
all comers, to stand in the middle of
the ring and give punch for punch,
and is then able to come out without q
colored eye or bloody nose, must GER
tainly have class.
Ambition to Be Champion
If he didn't have class he wouldn't
be able to fight Dick Hyland twenty
rounds; he wouldn't be able to get up
after being fouled and continue the
fight; he wouldn't be able to knock out
such men as Lew Powell. one of the
IaSteSt nghterS of the Pacific coast, and
such hard-hitting boys as Maurice
Thompson, Jack Clifford, Fred Ward,
Otto Seiloff and dozens of others
Referee Eddie Smith of Oakland said
after last Fridays fight: Thompson
is the only man in the world at his
weight who could have taken what he
did Friday in the fight with Rufe
Turner, unless it be Joe Cans"
Smith is not Thompson's manager:
he is not boosting him at so much per
boost. He simply said what he con-
sidered was the truth. Los Angeles
fans are anxious to see the Cyclone
in action here and as Manager McCarey
has signihed his intention of Offering
him date, it is likely bout will be
arranged with Jimmy Burns or any
other good man that can be secured.
Thompsons ultimate goal is a chance
at Joe Cans, and 1t is possible he will