The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-07
E PAGE OF SPORTS
MILWAUKEE, WAS
NELSON HOOOOO
|uhtweIght Champion Was
Uu Against 1t In His
Early Days.

| since Battling Nelson.
'rsrtUeight champion. became an
80 and furnished the publ C with a
p, If his life. there have been a
r, many disputes as TO some of the
i at.-5s early contests. especially
- Chicago and Milwaukee o.
80 these battle were fou at in the
- career Of the champion, and IL
2. not until several years later tat
hsesme the head OF the lightweight
EI-.ion Nelson says in his book that
frraDkee was always hOodOO TO
L snd he was probably correct in
90 that statement. There were
Il men in Milwaukee who always
"A in Nelson's way. namely, Char
H. Nesry, Joe Percente, Charlie
= and Mickey Riley. Berry and
3n.nte especially were hard nuts
1 Nelson. and each Of them claimed
/ sr0rity over him.
L. Perceute. who is now conduct
a newspaper stand at one Of the
- in Milwaukee, takes eXcep-
H. ID some of the Battler's state
mis- and thinks that the champion
midi give him more credit than nc
l. I'M discussing the matter the
ser day while he was selling papers
/ The corner. Joe said.
II see In Nelson's account Of his
/ rly battles that he does not give
T. credit for beating him both I'm
Igwaukee and Chicago. When I
Iurht him tn Chicago I'm 1901 IL was
L. preliminary 20 the Tommy Sui
isn-Buddy Ryan fight at the old
h. theatre and George Siier was the
zferee l wanted 70 90 IN the show
IL night. but didn't have the money.
II when Jack Curley came outside
4esked him 20 pass me TN. he told
Il he could not work it just then.
H. a little later on he came out and
fauted % know if ! would fight a
sEelimlnaTy If he got me IN. | told
L. 7 would. and went to the thed-
T.. didn't have any fighting toys.
proved some and prepared 10 go on.
/ When ] got 10 the stage ! found out
tat Battling Nelson was the man l
las 10 meet. We went at il from the
ing Of The gong and I knocked him
4 IN several times. Then Nelson be
s IN 10 get foxy and kind of dropped
8 Rn as ] went at him. I switched
4 ound and upper cut as he went
gn. and the crowd yelled foul, but
orge SileT said il was fair, and re-
sad 10 allow it. Then Nelson tried
& again as ! sent an upper cut TO
b. and he was Just to his knee As
B got him With Il. His seconds
me8 foul and George Siler allowed
4 It was in the second round. Outside
j that foul 1 had Nelson beaten 20
i ICES.
I Fright after that the Badger club
i Milwaukee matched as at the Old
Drama building. ] put Battling
son down in the first round. Doc
Dew was the referee .snd he warned
u son about getting down. We wen;
Eiag and Nelson put up Il good fight
D. I beat him. and beat him fair. and
4 the end of The six rounds got tbs
4 on. Some Of Nelson's friends
tgan to howl about the decision. and
bison also kicked. II was then that
/ 10y Murphy. one of his friends
Rev coin I'm the ring. Ths'
ETtej the Sports around the rims
Eng, ana before they got through
! lson had about $50 or $40 In sinai
Eange The club officials stopped such
= eedings and notified Nelson that II
uli not be permitted again.
L Shortly after that another Milvau-
club matched US. and Il was q
- fight. Up To the fourth round
Ehad the best of il, when Nelson
Eught NE with "a right swing and
B me down. The referee called the
- draw. which was correct. Later
We met Ter the fourth time In
2 kosh before Tommy Ryan's club
l. he was the referee. The weigh.
= rs pounds, and Nelson got -
r son, although Ryan aftervard adj
E led that II was pretty hard "a
& oose the winner between US. George
s airy beat Nelson as fair as any MAJ
beat another. and Charlie Bern.
Z The same thing 10 him Mickey
e sy vas Just as hard for Nelson as
f. OF Us. and he is right when ne says
'aukee was his bocdco town.
want Ia correct the statement
Nelson makes about Riley fight
nm the night he Eot the shower
money. he Tough; me that night
also wish 10 state that Referee
II BardeilS statement that
ocAed Nelson out is not correct.
mt Knock Nelson out but 7 probably
me as near To it as any one ever d.1
nat, the Bartler is a great fighter
u DE- ever meets PacSv McFerlanJ
long fight my money On Nelson, 81