The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-05-22
BOXING IS NOT
Prize Fighting

New York. May 1S.-No matter
where glove contests are permitted in
this country, the question arises:
What is the difference between boxing
and prize fighting2" Several attempts
have been made to draw the line in the
courts, and in some instances pronot-
ers have secured decisions in their
favor. The most recent champion OF
scientific boxing is Tommy RYAN Of
syracuse, who held the middleweieht
Title after Bob Fitzsimmons relin-
pushed 1t. Ryan is a close student of
nstiana' and Is able to give an intel
llgent argument in its favor. The other
oay ne was quoted in this manner:
Inc question has often been put TO
me, What is a prize fight If Il isn't
DrutalY Other persons want to know
why the boxers pull and haul hit in
the cltnches and so forth, or why
man will strike his opponent when the
latter Is apparently only half off the
floor. Still others want to know WHY
the boxers shake hands at the start
and at the end of a bout, and what is
the sensation when man is fioored or
knocked out.
First Of all. would say that there
Is now no such thing as a prize fight
er. That word is a misnomer. Thirty
or forty years ago II was different for
In those days men fought with the
bare knuckles and the sport was brut-
al, but the name prize fight ia moth
ing more or less than a scientific exhi-
bition Of the art Of attack and self
defense, and Of the same nature az anv
other exhibition Of sport which is won
by endurance and skill The exhibit
tons are not brutal.
Boxers pull, haul and hit in clinches
because some of them have become ac-
customed TO what is known as might
ing, and they are a great deal better
when boxing close to their opponents
than in sparring at range. Thev try
to tire out their opponents by the pull
ing and hauling, which is quite scien-
titic in its way, and by no means as
rough as II appears. It is often the
style Of some boxers to win this way.
Sometimes accidents will happen in
lnfghting as they will in any sport.
ION the other hand. the clever and
length, because that Is his style and
1t is at that kind Of boxing that he is
at his best.
THE reason why ono boxer will
strike his opponent when the latter Is
apparently only half off the floor is
that the Queensberry rules. which gov
ern nearly all boxing bouts OF the pres
emit day, call man up when he has
both feet on the floor and his head Is
above his knees. Under the rules
man crouching is just as much up as
the man who Is erect with his hands in
position.
Boxers seldom have any personal
spite and they show this by shaking
hands. 1t is purelyya matter OF bust
ness with them. 1t is very seldom that
two good boxers face each other In the
ring with spite against each other
Mind, am not claiming that every
boxer is a good one, for Of all the pro-
fessions in the world there is smaller
percentage OF good men In the ring
than in any other business
People who don't see many boxing
bouts may occasionally see q poor one
and become prejudiced against the
sport They simply Judge all by one
poor exhibition. probably put UP by
two men who are not really scientific
boxers. The same mistake may occur
in any line Of sport
Il have often been asked why q man
can be knocked down, get up and con-
tinue the bout and then claim that he
has not been hurt at all. In the first
place a boxer or any man who has
been knocked down with boxing blow
viii agree with me that he COULDN'T tell
where he was hit or anything about
what took place after he was hit and
until he came to. IL he temporarily lost
his senses. There is something about
knocidown or knockout that seems
to rob ii OF ali feeling. 1t is much
like a man going into pleasant dream
Nowadays after a man has been
through hard boxing bout and the
papers have told OF the many heavy
blows struck and received people ex-
pect the boxer TO be all Scared and
marked. and are much surprised when
they ind him much the same as ever