The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-19
s. p O. R-T- O-L-O- C-Y
BY w. o. RIsHEL:

Since the Nelson Clifford fight at
Ogden last Monday night the sporting
writer's of the country are busily en-
gagged in discussing the future of the
Battling Dane. Some declare it proves
.conclusively that the Dane is not ali
in-is as good as ever-while others
declare it does not add one whit to
Nelson's prestige by defeating Clifford.
Others, who perhaps are against Mel
son, no matter what he does. declare
Clifford was planted" at ogden by
Nelson for a little easy money.
1t is noticeable that those who know
Jack Clifford are the ioudest in their
praise Of Nelson while those who new
er saw the Grass valley fighter in their
lives. know nothing of either his abil-
ity or style. are the ones who refuse
10 give Nelson credit for that win.
In the first place all talk that Jack
Clifford was a set uD'' for Nelson at
Ogden should be dismissed, and this
statement will be verified by practical
" every man who sat at the ringside.
If there ever was d vicious scrap, 1t
was the one last Monday night. Nor
was il all Nelson by any means. The
end came at a stage where the unin-
tiated-or those who did not under
stand the ability OF a human being to
take the punishment Nelson is capable
of taking-thought Clifford stood a
good chance to win. There was not
round 10 TO the end of the contest
where Clifford was not doing all the
clean work and heavy leading. 1t was
only the fact that those who know the
Dane saw he was not weakening I'M
der the blows, that clearly demonstrate
ed the fact that Nelson would eventu-
ally win. Clifford was fresh and fight
ing as fast as ne was at the start when
the Knockout blow landed.
While all who know Nelson also
know he does not possess a Knockout
punch. and the fact that he put Cliff
ford away so quickly, naturally looks
as though Clifford does not amount to
much But. again, it was necessary to
see the blow and understand the con-
dtiOns. 20 explain away the surprise
i'm Nelson dealing out such a punch.
Clifford was coming in with a rush,
head down, and connected with hard
right uppercut. Had Clifford been go
ing away or had the blow been par
TALLY blocked, il would not have turned
the trick But Clifford added steam
to the blow by coming in and meeting
it Squarely on the point of the jaw, as
clean as if it had been punching bag
returning from a blow to meet another
one.
Now for Clifford's class. Anyone
who follows the dope on fighters must
admit that Clifford does not class with
the top-notchers of the country, and a
victory over him would not amount
10 much. if it were not for one thing
While Clifford may not be as clever
not as good a ring general, nor possess
a constitution that can take as much
punishment as many other men in his
class, he does possess one thing that
many have not. That is a punch, and
the man who puts Nelson away must
have that one thing above all others.
There is probably not a lightweight
prominently before the public today
that is as hard a hitter as Clifford It
does not take a clever man to land on
Nelson, and for this reason, Clifford.
the hard hitter, was dangerous fight
er for Nelson. Clifford did land, not
only once, but many time, with a
right swing that would have put near
" any man in the ring today out of
business. Nelson took those punches
as he has taken the same kind in the
past. and they never bothered him.
With this fact before one. it is hard
to say that Monday nights victory is
not a credit to Nelson. and it is equal
ly hard to say that Nelsot is down and
out
That little Game at Bingham.
over at Bingham on Thursday night
they had a scrap between two lesser
lights of the ring, Red Davis and
Young FitZsimmOns. From all ac-
counts published, this contest was ev-
identity a lemon of the rioest variety.
One of the men fouled the other, the
referee gave questionable decision.
and the crowd that paid its good
money 10 see two men honestly con-
test, made howl. 1t is just such af-
fairs as this that kill the game. and
viii continue to kin it as long as they