Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-09-10

COLAIA ARENA, SAN FRANCISCO,
Sept. 9.-Battling Nelson clinched his
claim to the lightweight pugilisttc
championship by defeating Joe Cans
for the second time, at Colma arena
this afternoon. The fight ended in the
twenty-f1rst round, when Cans, beaten
down by a succession of blows from his
sturdy conqueror, failed to get upon
his feet within the count of ten. The
veteran colored fighter was severely
punished, but the champion, too, has
the marks of battle.
From the first clang of the gong 10
the last moment, Nelson forced the
fighting, never giving ground, and
gradually battered down his older and
less vigorous opponent Cans sue
cunlbed In the twenty-f1rst round after
being most numerically trounoed by
the lad from Hegewisch. Nelson, IN
this round, rained in right and left
smashes to the jaw and body OF Cans
and soon beat him into helpless
state. Cans sank to the floor and the
referee began to count. Mechanically
the defeated man watched Referee Ed
die Smith wave his hands, apparently
too far gone to hear him count. Inc
count of ten was tolled off and 1t was
then that Cans, ashen pale, his face
terribly cut and with his eyes CLASSY,
sought to rise. He realized, however,
that it was too late, and feebly NUT
tered: ST have possibly fought my last
battle"
The fight was most spectacular and
at no time did it appear as If Cans
had a chance to win. Time and again
he would shoot wicked punches to the
Battler's face and body, but the latter
never for an instant wavered. FROM
the tap of the initial gong Nelson was
on top of his man, flashing out with
right and left to the stomach head
and jaw, giving the colored man no
opportunity for rest.
Cans All In After Ninth
Referee Smith, after the fight, said:
Scans was all in after the ninth round.
In the twenty-first both the timekeeper
and myself counted ten, therefore
making Nelson the winner. Cans, l
believe, did not know he was counted
out but 1t is just as well that he was,
as Nelson had him completely at MS
mercy and 1t was useless for the game
colored lad to take a further beating.
Time after time Cans landed his right
flush on Nelson's jaw, staggering the
Dane and making his eyes CLASSY AS
quick as a flash, however, Nelson came
back, apparently showing no Ill eff
fects from the punches. 1t was clean
fight throughout"
When Cans was seen in his dressing
room his face presented terrible pic
ture. His right eye was closed, the
left partially so. His lips and nose
were badly lacerated and his face
puffed out like an inflated balloon. He
mumbled out the following statement:
"I made one fight too many. Nelson
is a tough boy and beat me fairly. l
will never fight again. I will return
to Baltimore Immediately and attend
to my hotel business there. This IS
no Patti farewell, but in dead earnest"
Willie Keefer, one of Cans pr1nclpal
seconds, said after the fight:
"Gans was in after the ninth round.
In the eleventh I begged him to allow
me to toss the sponge into the ring.
This he would not allow me to do,
saying he preferred to be knocked out
and would fight as long as he had the
strength to stand. For eleven ROUNDS
Cans fought on his courage alone, IS
he could not land damaging punch.
Dane Draws Color Line
Nelson said: "Gans was tougher than
before He was in good shape and he
fought me a different kind of a fight.
but | proved conclusively that l am
his master in any KIND OF uSnt.
From now on 1 never will fight a col
ored man again. 1 shook hands with
Billy Papke today and we both made
this compact. I hurt my right hand
in the second round, but kept on using
il. regardless Of the pain"
From the outset it was apparent TO
everybody that Nelson had mapped out
his plan to beat Cans. namely to keep
after him at all times, force him to
close quarters and beat him down with
body punches. The Batttler, from the
very start, tore into Cans and, getting
him at close quarters, played for his
stomach. Nelson gave Cans no rest.
Time and again the colored man was
forced to stall and bring all his clever
ness in the way of smothering and
blocking into play. Frequently he sent
hard right and left jolts to the Danes
body and jaw, but they had not the
slightest effect
Nelson appeared to be as strong at
+be finish as in the beginning of the
fight, One of his teeth was knocked
out in the fourteenth round and blood
flowed freely as a result The sight
of the blood spouting from Nelson's
mouth caused shortenders to mount in
their seats and shout encouragingly to
the fast dying colored lad. He re-
sponded gamely and in the following
round made what probably was the
most furious round of the fight.