Evening journal., 1907-01-22
PASSING OF A
WONDERFUL BOXER
LaVigne'S Great Record Made
Him a FaVOFite With
All

George w. Lavigne the once champion
lightweight OF the world. made an effort
on Saturday night at tho National Ath-
lotto Club to class with the boxers Of to-
tday and made most pitlable failure.
1t would mother be just nor fair to al
low a boxer of Lavigne's ability and rec
ord to pass without ca few kind words in
testimony Of his real worth. lie differs
from majority Of professional boxers
because he has not spent his life in r.otous
living, and his passing as champion was
not the result OF dissipation. His career In
the ring has been az remarkable one.
Starting out when he was IS years old.
only feet 3a inches in height ne was
dubbed the Saginaw kid by his admirers
in the state Of Michigan. Ills FIRST profess
sional fight was with George Slddons a
slasher, at 1880 pounds, nt that time, March
T. 1859, and the bout was declared draw
/ after scventy-seven rounds He met sid
dons six weeks later in a return bout
which was also declared a draw after
hny-fve rounds.
on November 20, 1891 after a rest Of two
years in which Lavigne studied tho finer
points Of boxing he met Joe DE Soto then
the Pacific coast champion. Tho bout was
scheduled for thirty rounds and was be-
/ fore tho Pacific Athletic Club IN San
/ Francisco. The writer was a guest Of the
/ Olympia Athletic Club in Frisco at the
time and was at the rlngslde Money was
freely waged that the Saginaw kid would
not stay ten rounds. lie not only was
there at the finish, but had all the best
of the last seventeen rounds and earned
tehd ocislon. This was a great achieve
mont as De Soto was of the Corhett-van
Court school and very clever boxer.
From that date Lavlsnes record was a
succession OF victories. He had won the
! American lightweight champ and
was regarded as invinciblo In 1895 10,
Walcott the Barbados wonder VIII,
weighed about li5 pounds. had thrown
down the gauntlet 10 Corbett. Fitzsim
mons-in fact, all the middle and heavy.
weights. Lavigne, who was yearnlng foi
more fields to conquer. took up the def
and agreed to meet Walcott at l3S pounds
the latter 10 knock Lavlgne out to win
walcott jumped at the chance. The bout
was foueiht az Maspeth, December 2, lSg5
and proved to be the most remarl1abl,
fight Of the century Walcott failed e
knock Lavigne out after having the AIichi
san lightweight groggy in the seventh
eighth and ninth rounds. In fact, Lavigni
came back IN the succeeding rounds AM
NJ gave Walcott such a lacing that it was al
, much as Tom ORourke could do to kee
4 the Barbados wonder in the ring. II
- wanted 10 crawl through the ropes at th
= end of the twelfth round and only a shin
INK Smith and Wesson. which had beei
carolessly laid on a stool IN Walcotts cor
nor. kept him in the ring. Lavigne jour
o noyed 70 England the next year and bea
8 Dick Burge IN seventeen rounds IN an in
IS ternational match He, however, wa
o never the same 1.ovigne after the Walcoi
5 contest; neither was the negro the grea
81 terror Of the ring thereafter APPARENT
z both mad fought themselves 10 a stand
stin and from that date began to so bacl
IS Prior 20 Saturday night Lavigne had no
3 fought for nearly FIVE years. He has bee
g I'm France for several years teaching box
s ing IN connection with Insavate, and
s was apparent that his role OF an insuuC
r tor had not helped him any as a rim
% contestant ell was always a credit 70 IN
American ring. Quiet in his manner, n
braggart. nothing OF the rowdy, he was
lightweight champion who was a chan
pion in every sense Of the word. His re,
Ell ord Is one that thcb oxers Of to-day ma
io look upon with envious eyes.