The Paducah evening sun., 1910-02-23
REFEREE STOPPED BOUT TO
AVOID SLAUGHTER.
New Lightweight Champion Il
Crowned in Fight on the Coast
That Was Fierce.
END CAME IN THE 10TH ROUND


closed, his lips puffed, covered with
blood and staggering helplessly about
the ring, Battling Nelson, conqueror
of Joe Cans, was saved from knock
out in the fortieth round of his fight
with AL Wolgast when Referee Eddie
Smith humanely stopped the most un-
equal contest.
Nelson, game to the last, stood in
the center of the ring, and, even
though he could hardly raise his
hands, begged to be allowed TO con
tinue. He was led to his corner
Iheart-broken.
In the opposite corner OF the ring
the new lightweight champion OF the
world. AL wolgast, of Cadillac. Miss,
was lifted to the shoulders Of his
trainers among the cheers OF the Zig
crowd.
Had Only One Chance.
Only once in the fight did Nelson
have a chance-in the twenty-second
round--when, with singing right
across to the Jaw he staggered his
opponent. Before the round closed
he dropped Wolgast in the middle Of
the ring with a similar blow AMI
three seconds we're tolled before VOL
CAST regained his feet.
The crowd prepared to leave the
arena; the word went from bench
to bench through the spectators that
another boy had fallen victim to the
wonderful durability of the Dane,
But in the next round Wolgast re-
cuperated and from then on slowly,
steadily and surely wore Nelson
down.
For twelve rounds before the I'm
ish Nelson seemed bewildered and
his blows were sent as though he he'd
weights in his hands.
From the thirtieth round Nielsen
could hardly see or hear, the left SIDE
of his face having lost all semblance
of its former contour. He staggered
and hung on. In the thirty-seventh
round he was all but out but sur
Ivived the round.
In the thirty-eighth round John
Robinson, Nelson's manager, wanted
to throw up the sponge in the ring
but Abdul, the Turk, one of the sec.
onds, tore 1t from his hands and
threw It into the bucket.
From then on, in each round
Robinson protested, on the verge of
tears, that his man was beaten.
Game to the End.
When he fortieth came, Referee
Smith asked Nelson II he wanted to
quit, and Nelson, unable to talk.
merely shook his head negatively.
When thirty seconds of the fortieth
round had gone, and as darkness was
10 creep over the scene of
the fight and a full moon just be-
to peep through the clouds,
Referee Smith raised Wolgast's glove
into the air and a new lightweight
champion had come into fistiana.
WoIgast Outfought Nelson.
Wolgast had out-generaled, out
boxed and all but out-gamed the
great Battling Nelson. After the
battle Wolgast scampered out of the
ring like school boy and galloped
through the mud. Nelson was taken
,ut on the arms OF his seconds. AS
ne was carried through the crowd, he
was cheered for the remarkable grit
md gameness displayed by him,
such as old ring followers say had
seldom been seen in a prize ring.
Referee Smith made the following
statement to the Associated Press:
"Wolgast fought Nelson at his
own game and beat him fairly and
Nelson complained at
lines Of Wolgast butting. but / paid
little heed, as it was simply a case
1f Battler getting the worse OF a.
game where both were equally
guilty.
Both men fought the same, but
one had youth, the power to come
back, vigor, life and all that goes
with It, while the thirteen years of
fighting through which Nelson had
gone had sapped the strength out of
him and left him without the old
snap. dash and stamina"
Wolgast said after the fight:
my fight today was like a train
ing bout. Only once did he bother
me and that was in the twenty-sec-
Ond round. Nelson hurt me more by
butting me than anything else. and
l felt funny for just a few seconds.
cannot say anything as to my fu-
ture plans but am ready to give de-
serving lightweights a chance"
When Nelson was able to talk, he
said:
II am sorry they called the fight
off when they did. / think / could
have stayed the forty-five rounds,
but have no complaint to make"
Fight i'm the Rain.
Weather conditions at the ring
side could scarcely have been worse.
A heavy drlzzle was falling and a
cold. biting wind blew direct from
the bay into the faces of the specta-
tors.
Both Nelson and Wolgast were In
th,f. a .o1~,.