Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-05-19


up on an elevated platform.
We both got stripped for action with
out much delay Before went out to
the ring they pulled the gloves over
my hands and tied them on. can
remember just how funny boxing
gloves felt to me. l never had a pair
on before In my life. My hands felt
so big and clumsy that / didn't know
what to do with them.
We got into the ring. Griffin was
TAN fellow, all sinewy muscles from
head to heels. He wore a wide smile
like a hungry man sitting down to a
good dinner. But he didn't look very
dangerous 10 seen stronger and big
ger men IN the shops. The lights and
the people interested me more than he
did.
At last time was called. and we
walked together and shook hands.
Then ! got the surprise of my life. Al
most before had my hands up he hit
me an awful smash on the nose. You
can talk about being hit on the chin or
in the stomach or on the ear. but let
me tell you that blow on the nose
hurts more than any Of them. 1t
makes your eyes I'll and blur. and you
wonder If your nose Is Cat. A blow on
the nose either makes a man want to
stop lighting or It makes him mad. 1t
made me mad. forgot all about the
boxing gloves on my hands for a mo-
ment and tore after that coon to break
him in two. went for him just the
way I've seen the bulls rush at the
matadors in the Mexican bull rings.
That was just what Griffin wanted
He was a boxer, and | was a novice
A boxer can play with novice, as a
rule. and never take a chance. What
that negro did to me during the next
four or five rounds was a shame. He
punched me all over the ring. He land
ed on my nose and my eyes and my
chin as he pleased. He just walloped
away as fast as he could hit, and
surely did see stars AS for landing
on him. couldn't have hit him with
whip.
But after a few rounds recovered
from my surprise. ! took stock and
began to figure. Here was man han
ding me in a way I'd never dreamed
Of This must be the boxing skill that
Gallagher had told me about. Griffin
was hitting me where he pleased, but
he couldn't either daze me or knock
me down. and wasn't firing at all.
The thing for me to do was to find out
how he did tito get the combination
and then pay him back in his own
coin. And felt sure that if | could
ever land on him he'd drop,
cooled of as began to think. /
stopped rushing at him in blind bull
fashion. Griffin thought ! was firing.
and he began coming to me instead.
For awhile he peppered me as hard as
he could. trying to put me down. AS
each blow started ! studied out the
way he delivered 1t. Now and then
tried one of his blows in return; but,
as q rule, he either blocked or ducked
cleverly or stepped aside a little bit
and countered me on the chin. The
way he could land on me made me
feel foolish-it made me feel helpless.
And yet all the time | knew that In
the end I'd knock him out. felt sure
of that.
was learning now in every round.
In fact, / think more knowledge of the
fighting game came to me that night
than in u years boxing that followed =.
In eight or ten rounds the negro be-
gan to show signs of growing tired
He was wearing himself out trying TO
beat me down, and his blows didn't
hurt. could feel the difference now
There didn't seem to be the same
weight and sting behind the punches
when they landed on me, | began
walking into him slowly without at
to strike blow. Just holding
my head forward. crouching a little,
with my right hand up near my chin
and the left stuck straight out in
front. learned that trick in my
first fight. and afterward II won the
championship Of the world for me.
Tommy Ryan never showed me that
crouch" II was my natural way of
fighting.
Now that he was firing the big ne
gro batfied me by sticking his left
hand into my face with light jabs,
holding me off. used my right hand
nearly all the time, only jabbing at
his head now and then with the left,
for as be battered me had learned
something and had planned way to
win wanted to settle him with one
sure punch I've always liked to win
my fights tSat way.
1t was hnrd TO get the opening
waited for Griffin was still fast on
his feet His cleverness puzzled me.
When / saw chance It had passed
before could get into action.
In my corner after the thirteenth
round my second said Jim. it's / 80 !
The lights go out at -. Go after him
now or you'll lose your chance and
he'll get the decision on points"
"I'll get him" said.
We came up for the fourteenth. |
Griffin was weary. but unmarked. |
was cut and bruised and battered but /
4 A.