The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-18
KIDNEY BLOW IS
IN BIG D|SFAvOR
BOXING EXPERTS SEEK TO HAVE
1T DISCARDED FROM THE
RING.
REGARD 1T AS FOUL
METHOD PURSUED TO ELIMINATE
PIVOT BLOW MIGHT BE PUR-
SUED TO ADVANTAGE
ny PROMOTERS.

Latest spasm in boxing circles is
the barring of the kidney punch. For
the benefit of the few who may not
know what the kidney punch is. 1t
may be well to explain that 1t is a
blow delivered in the small OF the
back. That is about as near as 1t
can be specifically located. OF course.
the one who uses 1t sometimes LANDS
above or shoots OFF the mark else
where, but any good punch delivered
over the spot where the boxer be-
lieves the kidneys are located passes
for a kidney punch.
The blow came In with George
Dawson, an Australian, who was quite
"A middIeweight In his day, which day
was from fifteen To twenty years ago.
Since that time Ii has been pet
with any pugilist who could catch
a left lead. tuck II under his arm and
then. while holding tight. welt away
with his right fist upon the back OF
the one who was held as in q wise.
As the pugilist had one arm free.
and 1t always looked as IL the victim
doing the holding, most referees
would let 1t go by.
Stoeky boxers have way of
crouching, getting in close and shoot
Of a -elineh, but the -old master" as
r. Dorgan dubbed Joe Cans. made
those fellows look foolish.
Battling Nelson Terror.
BettiinE Nelson had been the ter
ror of the iightweights with his meth
cd of tucking his head under the
other fellows chin and shooting in.
during clinch. one of his Scissors
blows, which was merely a kidney
Gan tNnff2ar rs AafanSa
simply hooked his left into Nelson .
face. and an Nelson would fall into a
clinch. would shove or pull him OF
hts balance, stand over him and cool
~ pound him In the kidneys. lie did
this TO Rude Uuholx in San Fran
cisco and nearly killed that short and
sturdy Dutehman. Rude could not
stand up straight for week.
StilI. IL is not blow that goes with
modern scientific boxing. 1t belongs
to the prize ring days. when men
wrestied and battered each other till
one hit the turf. At that. II was not
used much in those days, or IL IL
was. IL never was known as the kid
ney punch.
The Pivot Blow.
Experts on the boxing game say
that the kidney punch should be bar
red the same as the pivot blow was
barred years ago. The pivot blow was
made famous by boxer named Lee
Blanche. and known to the ring as
the marine" Ehis blow was mere
~ what It's name implies. 4 boxer
on the retreat would swing on his
feet with his arm held out rigidly
and take a chance of landing fierce
backward swing on his oncoming OPP
ponent.
LeBlanche used the blow on Jack
Dempsey. the old-time middleweight
champion. and knocked Dempsey out
with Ii after the latter had Lee
Blanche virtually beaten. After that
event matches were made with the
clause pivot blow barred" until this
custom became SO universal IL was not
thought necessary to mention the fact
that the pivot blow was barred.
Blow Can Be Barred.
The same method can he pursued
in regard 10 the kidney punch, and
In short time this blow viii take
its place with esher. fnnl tactics sot
boxing. such sticking the heel of "A
glove under an opponents nose. chok-
ing him in pushing him off in a elineh
and bringing an elbow back In time
to catch him on the jaw or nose when
a punch has been missed. This lat
ter was a great trick OF George Nc
Fadden's particular repertory. He
used it so often and SO successfully
that he became known as 'elbows''
McFadden.
The boxing game is not the noblest
OF all. In spite of the opinion of old
time sports. and IL can be improved
considerably by the elimination OF
such blows as the kidney punch.
That there liz movement to do so
shows tendency 10 improve. even
refine. this relic OF gladiatorial days.