The San Francisco call., 1910-03-16
BIG FELLOWS BOX
TEN SLOW ROUNDS
O'Keefe=TibbiffS Bout a Draw
While Reagan eGtS Verdict
Over Bennett
Bv WILLIAM ]. SLATTERY

After Is rounds of slow. sluggish
fighting at the Auditorium last night
Referee Billy Roche declared the mixup
between Denver Johnny O'Keefe and
Jack Tibbitts a draw. 1t was about
the only verdict that could have been
rendered and it seemed to please the
handful of fans who gathered at the
rinpside The 10 round special event
was won on a decision by Jimmy Rea-
gan over Jockey Bennett, while the six
round preliminary decision was handed
to Willie Canole over Tony Earle. Both
were very bad verdicts and were Kissed
by the crowd.
The fights were given by the asso-
ciated promoters of San Francisco for
the benefit of the Paris flood sufferers,
but when the expenses are paid the
proceeds won't buy more than a few
cotton undershirts for the unfortunates
who lost everything in the great flood.
1t was announced that the receipts
were S1,100. but the fighters will have
to be paid out of this, so one safe
deposit vault will easily hold the bal
ance.
Both O'Keefe and Tibbitts. the main
event performers seemed out of condi-
ton and it did not take long to show
that lack of form was the principal
feature of the contest. O'Keefe showed
whatever skill or class there was, but
Tibbitts was strong and aggressive,
especially in the earlier rounds, and
on several occasions he had O'Keefe
ready to be sent to the cleaners. Tib-
bits, however lacked the knowledge
to finish his man.
After the tenth round, OKeefe came
to the bat and regained q small portion
of his lost wind. He hoped around
very lively and played a tattoo on the
stomach and kidneys of his husky op-
ponent. Tibbitts began to tire along
about the twelfth, but occasionally he
and thus manage to attract the atten-
tion of the referee.
The Bennett Rea gan affair was
faster than the main event, but the
bad decision by Referee Roche spoiled
it. Bennett practically won all the
way, but Reagans first finish in the
last two runds seemed to win the sym
pathy of the Bowery boy and he raised
Reagan's hand. The worst Bennett
should have gotten was a draw and he
was entitled to more than that.
Bennett fought a clean. clever, ag
gressive fight. He was after his man,
landing almost at will to the face with
a straight left and a peculiar little
right chop The best that Reagan did
was TO keep III ii CEOuCD6u COnulIlOH
and occa sionally rush his man around
the ring. He did not seem to have
any punch left and when he did cut
loose, he was very wild.
The six round preliminary was the
fastest bout of the night. Tony Earle
looked to have a shade the better of
it, but Referee Harry Foley said
draw" whereupon everybody began
to hiss. Canole took quite a beating,
but he was always game and kept
fighting all the time.
The pavilion was donated for the
occasion by its manager, Frank Wal
colt.
Il will put on a big card on the
afternoon of July 2 or / will quit the
fighting game" said Promoter Jim
Griffin last night. 1T makes no diff
ference to me If Jeffries and Johnson
are going to fight two days later or If
Attell and Driscoll are to fight on the
same day. have made my plans and
l am going to go through with them.
Griffin will go to New York, or If
necessary all the way to Europe in
order to land a high class match.
The July date is his and he is going
to make use of ii no matter how many
counter attractions there are. He has
several live ones in view, but he does
not intend to say anything about them
till he is sure one of them can be
landed