Evening journal., 1910-04-15
FIGHTERS CAREFUL
OF THEIR HANDS
Wear BandageS and Do Other
Things to Preserve Their
KnuCkIeS

When Joffries and johnson enter the
ring in Frisco in July their hands will
be incased i'm bandages, but before the
gloves are drawn on these knucSle pro-
tectors will doubtless be carefully eX-
amined. 1t is a habit with practically
all pugiists TO bind the hands in ad-
hesive tape or sticking plaster. TO pre-
vent broken bones or sever bruises. but
II seldom occurs that a fighter allows
his opponent To pull on the mitts be-
fore these bandages have been inspected
In a recent fight out west II was said
that Hugh McGann. the Smoky City
slugger. used aluminium knuckle pads
under the bandages in order to beat his
antagonist, Mike Mcdonald. into quick
submission. When the fight was over
McGann's seconds hastily removed the
gloves and bandages. 50 that there was
no physical evidence of sharp practice.
But the rumor as to the aluminium
knucNles was so persistently circulated
that many at the ringside hooted the
Pittsburg man out of the ring.
| Fair-minded handlers of pugilists have
| declared many times that soft cotton
bandages should be tolerated, but that
anything of a harder substance should
be barred Jeftrics said some time
ago that a fighter who wore hard ban
dages ran a greater chance of break
ing his hands than one who wore no
protection at all After the second
mill between Jeffries and Fitzsimmons
the Cornishman was accused of wear
ing plaster paris bandagcs. which ulti-
mately broke both hands. jeff had
one eye closed, his nose was broken
and his face was mass of bruises
when he stepped out of the ring. He
was so badly battered by Fitz's
punches that Billy Delaney was asked
afterward il he believed Robert had
anything on his hands.
81 don't know for sure" replied De-
| laney, but from the appearance Of
Jeff's face Fitz must have had some
thing beside his fingers and good
wallop in those mitts."
Some fighters have been known to
wrap the bandages about their hands
in such a manner as TO leave sharp
ridges. Then by removing the padding
from the knuclIles OF the gloves blows
that cut like a knife could be delivered.
1t is ring tradition that fighter
once slipped a horseshoe into the right
hand glove, but this may not be the
truth.
When Kid Mccoy knocked out Tom
my Ryan at Maspeth. years ago the
latter was literally cut to pieces. Every
time Mccoy landed his left i'm Ryan's
face IL seemed to slash like a keen
edged razor. Ryan could not under
stand il at ALL and after the mill he
insisted that Mccoy must have worn
brass knuolSles or had some hard sub
stance In the glove. But Mccoy re-
futed the charge by showing his hand
as soon as the glove was drawn. His
, fist was tightly bound with adhesive
r plaster, and so much OF il had beer
l used that he could not move fingers
Z or thumb. In fact his hand was as
hard as a mallet, and the bandage'
over the knuckles showed ridge thai
had evidently done the work.
Joe Walcott once Insisted that Myster
ious Billy Smith had a horseshoe in hii
/, glove. He had fought Smith on sew
eral previous occasions. but had neve
Z received such tremendous smashes
Walcott appealed to Referee Hurst bu
, the latter refused 20 listen and order
: cd the fight to proceed. Smith wa
hot under the collar when the charg
was made by Wolcott and offered &
tear of the gloves for a fight will
bare knuckles. II developed later tha
Smith had a fngerless glove which ha
n a ridge of cement over the knuckles
I the entire affair being concealed by
bandage.
K Tom Sharkey always wore bandage'
and so did Jim Corbett. But Sharke
knew a way to harden his bands b
stepping them in some secret prepare
n ton. on various occasions he Shove
s. his maulers TO friends who we're willin
II 10 bet that they were covered wit
n light leather. but Il was fact tina
they had simply been toughened so tha
It was impossible TO split the skin.
When Choynski was knocked out b
Peter Maher at the Broadway A. {
ID Choynski protested when he saw th
IA extremely thick bandges on Maher
3 hands. and said that he wanted I
q have them removed so that he coiI
see them wound on again himself. Bl
he was notified that the tape was thei
TO stay. and that n he did not like
-, he could quit. So ChoynslSi wS
knocked out. but he always insiste
that II was due TO the knuckle guart
80 worn by his adversary.
IN Kid Lavinge. former lightweigl
IT, champion OF the world. was an excel
II, ton to the rule for awhile. He scorns
handares saving that Dature's vcapor