The Cairo bulletin., 1910-02-23
Nelson Had But One Chance il the Whole CoL'
test to Finish His man-The BattIer IS
Hsartbroken--0ne Of His Seconds
Wanted to Throwup Sponge in
ss 38th---Stopping Of Fight
Considered Humane


closed, lips puffed, covered with blood
staggering helplessly about the ring,
Battling Nelson, the conquerer Of Joe
Cans, was saved from knock out in
the fortieth round of his fight with
Ad Wolgast when Referee Eddie
Smith humanely stopped the fight.
Nelson was game. TO- the last, and
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
heart broken.
In the opposite corner of the ring,
the new lightweight champion Of the
world, Ad Wolgast, Of Cadillac, Mich,
was lifted to the shoulders OF his
trainers among the cheers of the big
crowd.
Had One Chance.
Only once IN the fight did Nelson
have a chance. In the twenty-second
round, when, with a staggering right
cross to the jaw, he staggered his
opponent. Before the round closed
he dropped Wolgast in the middle OF
the ring with a similar blow, and
three seconds were tolled before VOL
CAST regained his feet.
The crowd prepared to leave the
arena; the word went from bench to
bench thruogh the spectators that an
other boy had fallen victim to the
Danes wonderful durability. But in
the next round Wolgast recuperated
and from then on slowly, steadily and
surely, wore Nelson down.
For twelve rounds before the finish
Nelson seemed bewildered, and his
blows we're sent in as though he held
a weight in his hands. From the
thirtieth round Nelson could hardly
see or hear, the left side of his face
having lost all semblance of it's for.
mer contour, He staggered and hung
on. In the thirty-sevenh round he
was all but out, but survived the
round.
Wanted to Quit.
In the thirty-eighth round John
Robinson, Nelson's manager, wanted
to throw up the sponge, put Abdul
the Turk, one of the seconds, tore the
sponge from Robinson and threw it
into a bucket. Robinson continued to
protest, on the verge of tears, that his
man was beaten.
When the fortieth came Referee
Smith asked Nelson II he wanted to
quit Nelson, unable to talk merely
shook his head negatively When 80
seconds of the fortIeth round were
gone. as darkness began to creep
over the scene, the Iuii moon just
beginning to peep through the clouds,
Smith raised Wolgasts glove into the
air. and the new lightweight cham
pion came into fistiana.
Wolgast had outgeneraled, out
boxed and all but outgamed Nelson
After the battle Wolgast scampered
out Of the ring like a scnooI boy, and
gafloped through the mud. Nelson
was carried out on the arms of his
seconds, but was cheered for his re.
markable grit and gameness, seldom
seen In the prize ring
Smiths Statement.
Referee Smith said:
"Wolgast fought Nelson a. nas.s5Town
game, and beat him fairly and
squarely. Nelson complained at times
OF Wolgast butting but 1t was simply
case OF the Battler getting the
worse OF the game where both were
guilty.
Both men fought the same. One
had youth, power to come back, vigor
and life, while the thirteen years OF
fighting through which Nelson has
gone had left him without the old
snap, dash and stamina
Wolgast said: my fight today was
like a training bout. Only once did
he bother me, that In the twenty.sec
ond round. Nelson hurt me more By
butting me than anything else, and
felt funny for few seconds. an
ready to give any deserving light
weight a 'hance,"