Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-03
KETCHELL IS
THE WINNER
WHIPS JOE THOMAS IN THIRTY.
SECOND ROUND
BEATEN MANS SECONDS THROW
UP THE SPONGE
Fight Was Bloody Throughout, and
the End Came Suddenly When
Thomas Was Apparently
in Good Shape
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 2-Labor day
gave to the world new claimant to tne
welterweight championship and supplied
one of the greatest fights in the ring
annals of California. In the thirty-sec-
ond round of scheduled forty-five round
contest under Marquis of Queensberry
rules at Coffroth's Mission street arena
this afternoon Young Ketchell of Butte,
Mont, whipped Champion Joe Thomas
of San Francisco in the presence of hun
dreds of spectators.
Not until the champion had gone to the
floor four times in quick succession did
his seconds throw up the sponge. Thomas
was so badly punished that he had to be
carried to his corner. and it was several
minutes before he opened his eyes and
asked Whats the matter?"
Referee Billy Roche summed it up ac-
curately when he said: 1T was the
greatest fight l ever refereed. 1t was
either mans victory who had the win
ming punch"
Though the bulk of the money and 90
per cent of the roofing were all for the
Native Son, both before and during the
fight, when 1t was over winners and losers
alike Joined in thunderous cheers for the
fallen idol: for no man ever put up
gamer fight than he.
The best man won was his frank ac-
acknowledgement when the breath that had
been pounded out of him came back.
Superior Fighter Won
1t was the superior boxer against the
superior fighter, with no advantage of
gameness on either side Ketcheil showed
the greater endurance, a quality that
stood him in good stead and enabled
him 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
knockdowns. In the sixteenth KetchelI
landed a right and left swing on the
body and jaw which stretched Thomas
fiat 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
vital respite.
He came up groggy for the seventeenth,
and had the Butte boy pressed his ad-
vantage instead of pecking away and
clinching, the fight might nave ended
then and there.
In the twenty-seventh a right cross to
the jaw as they came out of cinch took
Ketchel off his feet and sat him down
with bump. There he displayed his
wonderful GOODNESS. With. thousands of
people splitting their throats for Thomas,
Ketcheli deliberately poked his knees up
to his chin, clasped his hands around his
shins and looked the referee squarely in
the eye, while that official, Time Keeper
Harting being unable to make himself
heard, stopped over him and went through
the pantomime of counting.
At the call of nine he was up and
backing away from a rush. He was do
ing his dizzy best to cover up at the ropes
when the gong saved him.
FWtl--
The twenty-ninth was no mans. The
and in the thirty-first is was tossup for
honors.
Thomas Looks Strong
For the last half dozen rounds Thomas
showed signs of returning strength and
answered to the calls of his seconds to
buck up and box, so that the suddenness
in which the end came in the thirty-sec-
ond took many by surprise, even those
who realized that the Californian was up
against man who, for figure of speech,
would be dangerous on one knee.
In the last round they fiddled about,
clinched and broke away, Thomas taking
a left on the jaw that staggered him
backward. Ketchell, seeing his chance,
rushed in and drove him to the ropes,
where Joe tottered to the floor from a
vicious left in the stomach, followed by
a terrific right cross on .ne jaw, Ketchell's S
favorite and now famous blow.
Thomas took all the count the rules al
low, and when he got up it was plain the
end was at hand He was no longer able
to protect face or body, and three times he
went down under a rain of right and left
swings, the last of which put him out so
effectually that his seconds mercifully
tossed up the sponge. Both men were
badly punched
The Kyle Whitney-Ed Carter prelimin-
airy only lasted five rounds and a part of
the sixth. Whitney gave Carter a fearful
beating and had him groggy before the
end came. Whitney landed almost at will
and had his man busy from the turn loose.
In the sixth Carter was at Whitney's
mercy and was completely out for twenty
secords.