The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-06
EDITED BY
HUGH w. ROBERTS
With Broken Hand And Thumb
KetcheI Wins over Billy Papke

gruelling battle, during which the cham
pion was constantly on the aggressive, he
was awarded the decision over Billy
Papke of Illinois at the end of the TWEEN
tleth round, the scheduled number.
Ketchel broke his right hand In the
sixth round His left thumb also was
dslocated. The decision of the referee
was greeted with a mixture of cheers and
hoots
Referee Roche. after the contest, made
the following statement:
"Ketchel was the aggressor at all times.
Furt hermore, he landed the cleaner and
harder punches and scored the only
knockdown-in the tenth round-although
nearly everybody seemed to think that
Papke had slipped to the floor. There is
absolutely no question that Ketchel
earned a clear-cut decision
As to the fight itself. the Assassin
as Ketchel has been characterized by
ring followers, bade fair literally to live
up to this name. He forced the fighting
from the tap of the initial gong and with
the exception of the third, enjoyed a
clear lead in the first half of the battle.
In the eleventh both men were bleeding
freely. Papke, in particular, was spout
ing blood from his mouth and nose until
the center of the ring resembled a sham
bles
The feature was the extreme vlciousness
with which both men fought and the ap-
parent hatred that lurlsed behind every
punch.
When seen in his dressing room Ketchel
gave out this statement:
Il broke my right hand in the sixth
round and later on, in the eight round,
dislocated my left thumb. But for these
mishaps l would have made short work
Of Papke. l could not hit effectively when
the opportunity came. and particularly in
the tenth round. l will be only too glad
to give Papke another chance"
Ed Papke, brother and manager of the
defeated pugiist, minced no words in
showing his dlspleasure over the decision.
He said Papke should have been given
a draw.
The defeated pugilist said he would
fight Ketchel at any time.
Willus Britt said that unless Ketchels
hand improved the champion would not
be able to fight Jim Flynn In Los An
geles on July IA next.
Round l. Ketche opened up with right
smash to the stomch and after some
wrestling .<etchel duplicated the blow
Breaking flom clinch Ketchel uppercut
his left to the jaw. The referee had
difficulty in separating the men from
cinches. Ketchel suddenly hooked sue
cession of right and left swings on the
body and head. Ketchel had the best of
a vicious round.
Round z The men fought at entirely
close range with Ketchel forcing his man
against the ropes. Locked in clich
against the ropes, Ketchel shot in fear
full left uppercut to the jaw and a. moment
later ripped similar blow to the stomach.
Papke retaliated by vicious left to the
champions jaw. The round ended With
the big men fighting at close quarters
1t was Ketchers round
Round g. Ketchel rushed his man against
the ropes time and again. From this
position Papke delivered two right body
punches and they fought to the corner OF
the ring. Papke landed a wicked left
to the jaw and son afterwards drove
right and left to the stomach. Ketchel
landed straight left to the nose. Papke
shot a straight right to the mouth and
the blood seeped through Ketchels lips
as he took his corner. Papke's round.
Round L. Ketchel opened the fourth
round with a fearful left swing to the
jaw. He went after his man. leading right
and left swings to the jaw and body,
making Papkes nose bleed slightly. Ket-
chel planted a straight right over the
heart but Papke's only smiled. The two
were 10th to break from clinches during
which Ketchel swung rather low twice
with short-arm rights. Ketchels round
by a shade.
Round s. Ketchel met Papke's rush with
a straight left to the jaw and they
clinched The men fought bitterly every
inch of the way, Papke putting In a solid
right to the face. Referee Roach exhaust
ed himself prying them apart. Ketchel
then delivered two left upper-cuts to the
jaw Ketchel forced Papke through the
ropes by sheer strength and nearly fol-
lowed him over. victim rally followed.
Papke doing considerable execution with
right and lefts to the jaw Papke's
round.
Round g. Papke raped Ketchel on the
jaw with right uppercut, rocking the
latters head. The men fought SO fiercely
that they fell to the floor from their
exertions Ketchel then planted two lefts
and right to the head. Immediately
afterward Ketchel swung two short-arm
lefts to the jaw and forced his man
against the ropes. Papke landed light
right and left to the face, but Ketchel
forced his antagonist to the ropes, where
ne put IN tflree DOuy puHcneS Lie Iouhu
ended In q vicious but Intellectual rally.
Ketchel had a slight advantage
Round T.. They went at each other
hotly, but most of the blows fell harm
lessly in the air. Ketchel forced his man
against the ropes, uppercutting his left
to the jaw and right to the body. Papke
landed a light right to the face and
Ketchel retaliated with left to the
stomach. They mixed it furiously with
Papke in a corner. Ketchel all the time
laced out with right and. left but no
damage resulted and 1t was an even
round.
Round g. Ketchel landed right and left
on the body, forcing his man against
the ropes. Ketchel then put In solid
left to the jaw and they clinched. After
some fruitless exchanges Papke upper
cut with right to the chin. Ketchels
face was partly covered with blood as
the round ended another even round.
Round Ketchel rush~u In and swung
a vicious right around the head, and in
return got an equally hard punch to the
face. Ketchel hooked vicious right to
the Jaw that brought the blood In a
stream from Papke's mouth. Ketchel
waded in, landing right and left on the
face and Jaw, and Papke clinched Papke
continued to spit blood, and the red fluid
poured from his nose. Ketche sought
to get in a vital punch. He fought Papke
into a neutral corner and landed two
good wallops on the face as the gong
rang. It was Ketchel's best round SO
far.
Round 10. Papke surprised the cham
pion by coming to the mark and landing
a couple of stiff face punches 1t was
only fash in the pan, for Ketchel shot
right and left on the jaw with merciless