The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-06-10

wonder Il your nose is fiat. blow on
the nose either makes a man want to
stop fighting or it makes him mad 1t
made me mad. l forgot all about the
boxing gloves on my hands for a mo-
ment and tore after that coon to break
him in two. I 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 l was a novice.
boxer can play with novice. as
rule. and never take Il chance. What
that negro did to me during the next
four or five rounds was 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 l
surely did see stars. AS for landing
on him. l 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 ito get the combination
and then pay him back in his own
coin. And l felt sure that If I could
ever land on him he'd drop.
| l cooled off as l began to think. l
| ~ 11pp11
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 l 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 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 l knew that in
the end I'd knock him out. l felt sure
Of that.
was learning now in every round.
In fact. l think more knowledge OF the
fighting game came to me that night
than in 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
tempting to strike blow. just holding
my head forward crouching 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 it won the
championship Of the world for me.
Tommy Ryan never showed me that
"crouch" 1t was my natural way Of
fighting
Now that he was firing the big ne
gro baffled 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 he battered me l had learned
something and had planned a way to
win l wanted to settle him with one
sure punch I've always liked to win
my fights that way.
It was hard to get the opening !
waited for Griffin was still fast on
his feet His cleverness puzzled me.
When l saw chance 1t had passed
before could get into action.
In my corner after the thirteenth
round my second said: Jim. it's 1:3O
The lights go out at ~. Go after him
now or you'll lose your chance ami
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
Just as strong and fresh as at the
start. Moreover. l had begun that
fight without any idea of what glove
fighting in a ring meant. and by this
time / had learned something. I be-
gan forcing my way in. walking stead
fly toward Griffin and making him
back away as he jabbed at me.
Strengthened up n little and let him
have good opening for my chin. 1t
was chance for the right Griffin
grinning little. shot the right over
I bobbed In enough to let the blow
slip around my neck and jammed my
left fist into his stomach. He just
dropped in heap and curled up like
a leaf. The fight was over The ref
ere" counted his ten: he could have
counted a hundred All the boys were
Shaping me on the back and telling
me was a wonder