The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-04
THEY DON'T COME Big ENOUGH FOR JEFF
SO HE IS STILL THE BEST OF HIS CLASS
by G. A. FOSTER. }

bled out the following names:
120 Pounds-Terry McGovern.
12S Pounds-"Young Corbett."
Lightweight-George (Kid) Layigne.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Walcott.
MISUNDERSTANDING Ryan.
Light Heavyweight-Bob Fitzsim-
mons.
Observation-Disclosures ]. Jeffries.
This list, an expression of a per-
sonal opinion. is open for debate. Some
may ask, Where arc Joe Cans, Abe
Attcll, Jack Dempsey, John L.. Sulli-
van, Kid Mccoy, Jack Johnson and
James J.. Corbett, himself, classed?"
But Corbett's selections, rs a whole,
look good. and Gentleman Jim Is quail
fled to criticise in that line.
OF the entire list there is only one
man, Jim Jeffries, who has never met
his master. Ore reason is that they
don't come big enough for the heavy
weight champion.
If one were asked to name the best
fighter of recent times, irrespective Of
class, the answer in most instances
would be Terry McGovern.
The little Brooklynite has, like
others, met his ~conqueror, and his
name is now only a memory of days
gone by, but during the time he occu-
pied the championship pedestal Nc
Govern outclassed the fighters of his
weight more than did any other pugi-
list in any class.
Up to the time he met the Denver
lite, Terry won fifty-six battles, fought
three draws and lost only one fight,
that being on a foul in a bout with
Tim Callahan, whom he later defeated.
The Brooklynite won thirty-two fights
through the Knockout route, and in
many other battles 1t was only the in
reference of the referee or the seconds
of his opponents that prevented knock
outs. He won eight fights in one round,
ten in two rounds, three in three rounds
and thirty in less than six rounds, a
never equaled.
McGovern's record is fighting history,
but a glance backward at this time does
not come amiss. Terry leaped into the
limelight in 1898, when he knocked out
Harry Forbes, after having won a
dozen minor bouts. We won the BAN
tamweight championship of the world
in 1899, knocking out Pedlar Palmer, of
England, in round.
That same year McGovern proved
himself a marvel in laying low his oppo-
nents in short time. He beat Billy
Rockford in n round, Patsy Haley
in one round, Billy Smith in three
rounds, Eddie Sprague in WI rounds,
Harry Forbes in two rounds, John
Richie in three rounds, Fred Snyder in
two rounds, Jack Ward in one round,
Oscar Gardner in three rounds, Tommy
White in three rounds, Eddie Lenny in
two rounds and Tom Warren in one
round.
Eighteen victories was McGovern's
record for the year 1899. The following
year Terry defeated Joe Cans, the pres
ent lightweight champion, and knocked
out Eddie Santry, Oscar Gardner and
Joe Bernstein. Then McGovern stepped
into the featherweight class and won
the title by defeating George Dixon in
eight rounds.
Fight fans wondered whether there
was a limit to McGovern's flstic achieve
ments. A match was arranged with
Frank Erne. at that time. the light
weight champion. McGovern was to
get the money il he could stay ten
rounds with the Buffalo scrapper. The
fight didn't last that long, for Terry
stopped the lightweight champion in
three rounds.
None could stand up against Ne.
Governs onslaught and escape defeat
until Thanksgiving Day, 1901, when
Young Corbett knocked out the ter
rible" in two rounds at Hartford. That
defeat not only checked, but ended Nc
Governs championship career. He wor
one big fight in 1902, defeating Dave
Sullivan in fifteen rounds. but in 1870;
he was knocked out a second time BY
Young Corbett.