Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-08-29
LIVELY FIGHTER
FROM MEXICO
Jose Rivers Looks Like Feather
weight Champion
HE WHIPPED cosTER EASILY.
This Puts Him In Line For a Go with
Abe AttelI, and Such Scrap Wouid
Be Worth WhiIe-Mexican Has Haro
Punch and Is Good Ring General.
By TOMMY CLARK.


new featherweight champion pos
sibility has doomed up on the pugilistc
horizon in the person Of Jose Rivers,
the strong little Mexican who mas
been cleaning up everything In sight
In California. Rivers caused big sur
prise In the fight world by clapplng the
lid on the championship aspirations OF
Joe Coster in twelve rounds at Los
Angeles recently.
1t takes a mighty good man to stop
Coster, who, In addition to possessing
q very long reach and no small degree
Of boxing skill, Is looked upon as one
Of the toughest boys milling in the
feather ranks. Not long ago Coster
was credited with having had much
the best Of Abe Attell in a ten round
bout before New York club, and his
friends at once began booming him as
possible candidate for first chop hon.
ors in the 122 pound class. But Rivers
handed him the licking Of his life in
the recent meet and put him out OF
running for chance at Abe Attelrs
title.
Rivers is the hardest hitter and best
natural ring general that the l22
pound division has produced in dec
ade. He has appeared in the ring
about half a dozen times, and every
one Of his battles has wound up with
a victory for him on a clean knockout.
Among his victims were Danny
Webster and Johnny Reagan, both IN
usually clever lads, neither of whom
was able to do anything to offset the
terrific punching power Of the dark
skinned youth from Mexico.
Now that Champion Abe Attell de-
clares himself rounding into trim again
1t would make card we'll worth boost
ing to bring him and this new Won
der into conflict.
Rivers friends are already contem
plating just such a match, and since
the Mexican's knockout Of Coster the
promoters are after him hotfoot
| Somebody, in the natural course OF
| things, must annex Attelrs scepter one
of these days if Able stays in the bust,
ness long enough, and it is likely TO be
just such q young, strong fellow as
this Rivers.
Although many MeXicans have TAX
en- to the prize ring, the only one be
sides Rivers who ever. amounted tc
anything was Aurelio Herrera. He
was credited with possessing the
hardest punch Of any man then per
forming in the lightweight class. II
was a short deadly right, which trav
eled but five or six inches when the
owner showed 1t against an opponents
| jaw, but mules kick wasn't in it fol
| sudden and spectacular effect.
When Bat Nelson was climbing the
ladder and just looming up as cham
pionship possibility he met Herrera IL
twenty round bout at Butte, Mont
During one Of the earlier rounds the
Mexican got home with the dreaded
right on Bats jaw, and the latter
promptly stood on his head, giving ar
excellent imitation Of basket Of cab
bages hit by motorcar But, though
badly scattered in his senses, Nelson
pulled himself together and regaineo
his feet He clinched the round out
| and thereafter gave Herrera an awful
| mauling.
Nelson was given the decision, anc
the fact that he had outlived one OF
Herrera's punches without going IN
der had much to do with the reputa
ton he afterward gained as man OF
iron.
Herrera also came near putting out
Terry McGovern when the litter was
In his prime. Terry had been warned
Of the Mexican's great right, but after
few rounds seemed to have forgot
ten all about it, when suddenly Her
rera let it go and, landing flush on
McGovern's jaw, sent him to the can
vas. The surprised Terry got up i'm
mediately and clinched, and a few
seconds after the gong saved im.from
q knockout Terry recuperated rapid.
~ and later put the Mexican out.
Herrera might have been cham.
pion if he had only behaved himself,
but he refused to be good, and the
gay life he led put finish to his ring
career.