The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-12
Britain Has Sent Over Some
Capable Men in the Old
Days of Game. x
NOT so MANY LEMONS
SHIPPED TO AMERICA
Plimmer, Carney, Mitchell and
Jem Mace Were Good
Men in Their Time.

The present generations of fight fol-
lowers pronounce owen Moran, the
clever little featherweight pugilist. the
greatest fighting man that England has
sent across the Atlantic to America
In the history of international fight
matches. They forget the many Brit
ish boxers who have come before him
and made good in the American ring
men every bit as great as Moran In
their respective classes.
For example, there was Billy Plim-
mer, of Birmingham, who arrived in
this country in 1891 without any blast
of trumpets, who walked through the
Yankee boys of the bantam and feath-
erweight divisions with marked eham-
pionship form. Billy was of the Jeln
Mace type of fighters. He never hooked
nor swung with either hand, and his
clever, finished style was indeed a reve-
lation to the American lads who ran
into his straight punches.
After many easy victories over the
best fighters in Philadelphia, Plimmer
went to New York, and defeated Kid
Hogan, the pride of Brooklyn at the
time, in eight snappy rounds. The lit
tie Britisher surprised the sporting tai
ent Of New York by his superior style
and perfect execution. and he was
matched to fight Tommy Kelly, the
Harlem Spider" who then held the
title of bantam champion of the world,
having beaten "Chappie" Moran, the
bantam champion of England, In a skin
glove battle in private before a select
crowd of wealthy New Workers, who
had paid $40 q ticket to witness this
important international contest.
Plimmer soon showed his great SUI
periority by his mastery movements.
and in a few rounds had the Harlem
Spider nonplused. For q little fellow
Pllmmer was a great punisher, and mad
Kelly cut TO pieces when in the tenth
round be put him to sleep with q
straight right on the point of the jaw.
BY this decisive victory Billy Plimmer
regained for England the bantam
championship of the world, and won
great popularity among ringgoers Of
America.
Got Decision over Dixon.
When Plimmer arrived in America he
called himself the "%110-pound champion
OF England and was considered too
light for the featherweight fighters.
About this time the late George Dixon
had won the title of featherweight
champion from Cal Mccarthy. and the
little colored fellow was considered "a
vincible. Plimmer, however. was
anxious to get a try with Dixon at
catachweights, and they were fairly
matched to meet in four rounds at
Madison Square Garden. George had
the advantage of some ten pounds i'll
weight over the English lad. and tile
experts declared it a walkoyer Tor
Dixon. The fighters met on August y.
1893, before an immense crowd of repre-
sentative sporting men of New YorS
and vicinity. The colored boxer was a
favorite at 3 to /. Nobody thought
Plimmer had a chance, as Dixon WAS
then in the height of his great ehar4-
pionship career. Steve O'Donnell, the
Australian heavyweight boxer, a
chosen referee.
After the first round Dixon seemed
puzzled. He could not land on the
Brlton as he had landed on man,
others. Plimmer never lost his head
or his style. but kept jabbing tho col
ored champion, and landing at least
four blows to one. George did his ut
most to put the white boy away. but
his blows were neatly stopped or
famed the air. At the finish O'Don-
nell gave Plimmer the decision. and
DiXon's manager went wild with rage.
There was n long discussion, but the
was a just one, n the great
crowd cheered it. There was consid-
cradle talk after this contest Of a finish
fight between the little fellows, but
they could not agree upon the weight,
and the match was never made.
Plimmer and Moran are not the only
great fighters that England has sent
TO this country. There was Jem Mace,
the grand past master of the boxing
game. who came to America first In
the early SOS. Although Mace was in
deed a wizard in the ring, he never
was able to accomplish much in
America. He met Joe Coburn, heavy
champion of this country, on
tho turf under London rules at New
Orleans, but they made a farce of the
affair. neither man striking a good
blow. 1t was finally declared a draw.
Charley Mitchell was another great
Englishman who faced John
Z. Sullivan In his prime.