The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-09
CDODTTMH NEWS HSHGHl
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FIT HAPPENS
IT'S HERE
FOXY TOMMY RYAN
MEETS HIS MATCH
Kid Mccoy Slips Over a Fine
Double Cross When They
l. First Met in Ring.

The trick that Kid Mccoy played on
foxy Tommy Ryan was one of the fun
niest things that ever happened in the
ring. Mccoy and Ryan were two of the
trickiest fighting men on record Nhen
they met it was battle Of wits Ryan
did not know il the first time he ran
up against Mccoy. And in that the
scherainE Kid had an advantage, for he
knew Ryan 10 hair and laid his plans
accordingly.
Tommy Ryan was already a top-notcher
when Ii happened. he was separated
from the middleweight title only by the
existence of one Bob t1tZslmmons, VINO
was quite an obstacle. But he had best
ed most Of the other good ones. As FOR
Mccoy, he was an almost unknown now
ice. He had run away from home .cou-
pie of years before TO take up ugnJng,
and had put up a few fairly good scraps
around the country.
Mccoy was a bright young man. Be
ing bright he did not think he knew II
all He knew that FitzsimmOns was
master. So while Fitz was training down
in Louisiana Kid Mccoy appeared at MS
camp one day and was employed as q
cooks assistant and general utility man.
Soon he managed to get the gloves on
and proved handy enough to help F1tz-
simmons in his training.
MeCoy's Hard Lessons.
tt was a tough school for Mccoy Fitz-
simmons never handled his trainers very
gently, and he found Mccoy strong and
wiry and willing Mccoy was well
punched every day. With his active mind
he was storing up pointers taken from
Fitzsimmons work with the gloves. On
the quiet he practiCed BOb's way of hit
ting until he could snap a hook over IN
true FitzsimmOns style.
But after a while the Kid became tired
OF Icing punched. He knew quite a lit
lie more about the game than when he
started. and he was satisfied that Fitz-
simmons
off he went TO tackle some new game
After wandering around for a while
the Kid attached himself to Tommy
Ryan's training quarters and began spar
ring daily with Tommy. Being a con
sentative sort Of fellow, McKOy did not
show what ne knew about the game him
self. He kept the new F'itZsimmOns Wrin-
kles under his belt. He just boxed in
fairly clever fashion and took a lot of
pounding without murmuring. Tommy
Ryan always liked To hammer his spar
ring partners, and Mccoy was a good
mark. The Kid felt this and resented il.
Another thing that he held against Ryan
was the fact that while Tommy lived
at good hotel he placed Mccoy at
poor, third-rate boarding house.
Kid Hides His Feelings.
But the Kid dissembIed his soreness and
always had pleased and willing smile
when Ryan landed on his nose with
particularly vicious smash. In the same
unrTffled fashion he resigned his job when
he was satisfied that he could learn moth
ing more about Ryan's style He knew
everything that Ryan could use now Off
he went, saying that he thought he'd
pick up a few preliminary fights.
But that was not McCOy's real object
He posted to another state and gathered
some old acQu2iutances with money. He
showed them Just how much he had i'm
proved and told them he could whip
tommy Ryan They were inCredulOus,
but at last consented 10 furnish backing
for match. At once Kid Mccoy chal-
lenEed Tommy Ryan and Ryan smiled
softly at himself as he remembered the
easy time he'd had with his former spar
ring partner ana counted Up the easy
money at IS per cent to the winner.
Nevertheless. like a prudent fighting man.
he began hard training.
And here is where McCOy's trickery de
veloped. He knew all about Ryan and
Ryan knew all about him, but the Kid
wanted TO cinch matters absolutely. Sit
ting down with his pen he wrote the fol-
lowing letter:
Damaging Evidence.
Dear Tommy: I worked up this match
with you SO we could both pick up a lit
tie easy coin. OF course, YOU know how
We box together, and what you can do to
me II you want TO- Now. I'd like TO ask
YOU a couple of favors- There's no need
OF making wreck Of me in this fight. I
want sou 10 promise not TO cut me all
10 pieces Then you know I'm pretty
hard up. Couldn't you do me the favor
va lAlAAAlilE lllt 4CStl > END Oh the purse
little larger? on the level 7 need the
money. Yours truly, KID MCCOY"
Ryan received the letter read IL with
wriukled brow and sat down and laughed
IT was TOO easy. He generously agreed
10 make the losers end 50 per cent instead
OF ., and promptly dropped his hard
training
On the night of the ficht Tommy RYAN
appeared IN tho ring little fat and out
OF shape. He looked across tho vyav
rather obviously when Mccoy iumDed into
the ring In magnificent trim and showed
plainly the result OF Ions hard training.
Mccoy Surprises Ryan.
The fight began. At once Mccoy cut
out the pace, using ring tactics that made
Ryan eyes pop out with surprise II
went hard with Tommy. and he wh{s-
pered TO Mccoy to remember the agree
Tnent Mccoy only grinned and smashed
MN NlclouslY On the mouth Suddenly
Ryan realized the trick in all its bare de-
tl!s- In fury he went after McCov
and fought his level best. But il was no
use. be could not make an impression
on his former victim. Mccoy knew ev-
cry move Of Ryan's. and besides that had
the ulclyery of Fitzsimmons at his COM
mand- Ryan snarled and fought in des-
peraton, while Mccoy. with evident en-
Joyment. slowly and deliberately heat hin,
60 a pulp. At last even his rage was
beaten out of him. and sick and sore and
dazed and helpless Tommy Ryan sank to
defeat.