The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-06-08
JACK 0'BR|EN MAY As
WELL QUIT FOR GOOD
Strong Criticism of O'Br1en' q
Career in Several Noted
Fistic Bouts.
Self Confessed Fakes Being Re-
pudiated BY All Lovers
of Sport.

Despite all the shrewdness, Jack
O'Brien has fairly overreached him.
self.
my Burns at Los Angeles, which he
lost by decision after twenty-rounds,
not only puts an end to his foolish
pretensions to the boxing champion
ship, but It also adds final conviction
to the opinion held by followers Of
the ring that no more than several
fights in which he figured can be on
the level.
Those who watched his fights close
ly began to discover that he never
showed to good advantage in a first
bout with man. George Cole, Jack
Williams, Jack Bonner, Peter Aaher,
Kid Carter, Twin Sullivan and Bob
F1tzsimmons all made good showing
with him on first bouts drew or even
had a little the better of the going;
but In q second or third fight O'Brien
would beat them with ease.
Gradually the method Of his sys-
tenn leaked out. The public began to
see that he regarded the initial bout
as only a feeler for a second and
longer contest. Those who paid mo-
ney to see first contest were simply
cheated, for Jack never cut loose.
Why O'Brien Is Unpopular.
Here is the explanation Of O'Brien's
unpopularity in his own town, which
has puzzled many. In six-round bout
permitted by local laws he loafed so
often that he actually became poor
attraction, being forced to fight at the
Broadway for the small purses offered
by Manager Bailey because tho big
clubs did not regard him as an attrac-
ton.
But the first actual scandal was
O'Brien's fight with Walcott in Bos-
ton, April 20, 1903. This was so raw
a fake" that the crowd quit the hall
before the bout was half over. Kissed
for his share of the crookedness, WAL
colt confessed that he was hard up
and had to have money, hence lent
himself to a scheme by which he
agreed not to knock out O'Brien on
pain of sacrificing a greater sum Of
money than was offered for the bout
To make the bargain sure, Jack in
sisted on having the money put up in
advance.
This method worked so we'll that
with variations it was employed in
subsequent contests. The most no.
torious Of these was the bout with
Tommy Ryan at the National Athletic
club, January ~, 1904.
For this card sport-loving Philadel-
phians put up ss30-a big sum for a
six-round no decision fight. They got
five rounds Of pretty boxing and one
round filled with sensational fighting.
The contest was fake" all but the
fight round. Both men had deposited
$4,000 apiece with the understanding
that If there was any Knockout the
| man who sustained it was to get all
the cash.
That Final Round.
Until the fifth O'Brien and Ryan
both lived up to their agreement not
to do any damage, but in this round
O'Brien, probably figuring that he
could afford to lose the $4,000 for the
prestige Of knocking out Ryan and
getting a clear title to the middle
| weight championship, "double- crossed"
his man, and put Ryan down and al
most out with an uppercut to the
point Of the chin.
Ryan, barely able to get up, rushed
O'Brien and put him down with a.
terrific swing on the jaw. Jack was
on his feet within the ten seconds, but
would have gone out with another
punch.
The bell saved him, and the men
f1ddled out the next round.
Four months later, almost before
the howl Of this bout died out,
O'Brien went still further In meeting
with Mccoy. Almost every paper in
town roasted the pair Of takers, and
O'Brien was Kissed for some time aft
er whenever he entered local boxing
club as spectator.
O'Brien's victory over Bob Fftzsim-
mons gave him a sort of title On the
championship, and restored him tenn
porarily to the good graces Of fight
followers. 1t helped especially in the
west and gave him the opportunity for
a contest with Tommy Burns.
Mr. TIni0n Map.-Notifv yo,,r o1o4h