The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-06
Knocks Out Joe Cans in the
Seventeenth Round.
Puts the Hustling Dane at tho
Head of the Column.
1T WAS AGREAT FIGHT
Negro Weakened After Eighth
and Couldn't Stop BUSHES.
An Immense Crowd Present,
With $50, 900 Receipts.

San Francisco, July 6.-Battling Nell
son won the lightweight championship
of the world from the man who de-
feated him at Goldfield, New, almost
two years ago, on Saturday afternoon.
He knocked out Joe Cans in the sew
enteenth round after fight as desper-
ate as any that had been seen here in
years. Fighting from the beginning to
the end of every round, moving cease
lessly forward and never giving
ground, Nelson, with his bulldog ten
acity and wonderful stamina, slowly
battered the veteran negro champion
into submission. The end was not sud
den and there were few who watched
Cans grow weaker and weaker from
round to round but had made up their
minds as to the result long before the
count was given that made the Hege-
wisch lad champion. Three times
Cans was sent to the floor in the final
round, each time taking all the time
allowed. A blow from Nelson's left
glove to the pit of the stomach ended
rested on his knee, his face wearing a
most painful expression. He tried in
vain to regain his feet. but failed and
was counted out.
Then 10000 men and a score of
women who had gathered in the open
air arena on the San Mateo hills
cheered the man who had become
champion after defeat and rushed in
frenzied enthusiasm for the ring.
The special police were bowled over
and Nelson was swept off his feet and
hoisted on the shoulders of his friends
to be carried about the arena and to
his dressing room, while the beaten,
bleeding Cans was calmly escorted by
his seconds from the scene of his
defeat.
For the first five rounds Cans land
ed at will on Nelson, terribly punish
ing him about the face. 1t did not
look that Nelson had one chance in a
hundred to win, but he never hesitated
to come to close quarters with the
champion and swung his arms wildly.
leaving many openings. Finally in the
seventh round Cans began to weaken,
and from that time the tide turned in
Nelson's favor.
In the seventh Nelson caught Cans
off his guard and landed heavily on
the body. Thereafter it was Nelson's
fight. Cans used all his skill and gem
eralship to stall off the Danes rushes,
but failed to stop him. In the twelfth
round Cans went to the floor for the
count of nine on three different oc-
casions. Nelson punished him severe
ly about the body and face. but it was
the body blows that eventually
brought the champion to grief. In the
fourteenth Cans showed fash of his
class. r Although apparently hopelessly
beaten at this stage of the contest, he
rocked the Dane time and again with
his famous short arm wallops. But
they had not the slightest effect, and
when Cans went to his corner he
seemed to realize he was beaten
man and so informed his seconds.
The attendance at the battle was the
greatest with two exceptions that ever
attended a prize fight in California
The total receipts OF the fight were $32,-
104. OF this sum 20 per cent went to
the fighters, divided so per cent to the
winner and 40 per cent to the loser.
What the Fighters Said.
San Francisco. July 6.-After the fight
Cans said: 'I have no excuse to make
and no criticisms to pass upon the style
of Nelson's fighting. I guess I went
Dane was too much for me. 1t was his
severe body punches that finally wind
ed me. was game enough. but lacked
the strength to go on. I guess I'm
through with the fighting game"
Battling Nelson said: my one ambi-
ton in life has been to become the
lightweight champion OF the world.
now hold that title and / think have
proved that I have defeated Joe Cans
fairly, squarely and decisively. / don't
care now If I never put on a glove
again. have plenty of money, COM
Portable income and do not need to
take up the fighting game as a pro-
fession. I have no plans for the flu
Mcfarland or Welsh is a matter to be
decided upon at some future date"
A Word From the Referee.
San Francisco, July 6.-Jack Welsh,
the referee of the Gans-Nelson fight
said: IT have refereed my last fight. I
came to this decision early in the bat
tie. This was one Of the best fights
that I have had the privilege of pass
ing on in my career in the ring. Mel
son fought a great battle from begin
II, o1x cf-
and at all times on top Of the former
Cans had no chance whatever. and it
was only a matter of time, in my opin-
ion, when he would have to go down
for the count.
My decision to quit the ring is partly
due to the criticism heaped upon me by
the spectators. The men outside the
ring always are biased in their opin-
ions, as a majority of them are betting
on a contest of this kind and imagine
they see a great many things that a
man in an official position like my own
cannot overlook. There was not a blow
in the fight that I did not watch close
ly and my only excuse for not hearing
the count of ten when the official time
keeper counted Cans out was due to the
bowling Of the crowd at the ringside.
1t was a great battle and simply goes
to prove, as Cans himself states-he
went into the ring once too often, and
like all other champions, his day had
come"
Saturdays Ball Games.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION