Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-05
SPORTSMEN BAR KIDNEY BLOW
Agitation Against Punch Aimed at
Back Spreading.
REFEREEs pECIARE AaAMsT "
Physicians Point Oct I.asting Haru'
of Biow and Referees Expiaiu
UafaIrnesu % It~-Would
Disauaufy Users.

NEW YORK. Feb. A-The agitation in
favor OF prohibiting the kidney punch In
boxing contests, which was begun some
time ago in England. has spread quickly
to this country and now Is so strong here
that 4 Is only a question Of time when this
blow win be entirely eliminated. Eugene
CORR. the English referee, strengthened
the movement against the kidney punch
short time ago when ne announced that Il
win not be countenanoed IN future bouts In
which he acts as referee. The defending
boxer viii first be warned 20 discontinue
using the punch and u he persists he viii
be disqualified
America Is following Englands example
in this matter and the other night at New
Haven occurred the first fight in America
in which this blow was barred. Tommy
5ouek, the Philadelphia bantam. who re-
Gently gave Frankie Burns such a hard
battle before the olympic Athletic club OF
this city, and Joe shea. Connecticutts ban
tam champion. who lost to Burns IN
fifteen-round bout at New Haven two
months ago. were the principals IN the
bout Dave Fitzgerald Of New Haven. con-
sidered the best referee I'm Connecticut
was responsible for the ruling He an
nounced before the contest that he would
bar the kidney punch in all future bouts
in which he officiated. As Fitzgerald ref
erees most Of the fights held IN Connectl-
cut 1t seems that the punch is doomed. at
least within the confines Of the Nutmeg
state.
New Workers in Line.
That New York boxing followers look
with disfavor on the kidney punch was
shown when Joe Beden and while Beecher
met before the Brooklyn Beach Athletic
club. In the second round. after some hard
milling. the two went into q olinch and
Beeeher, as he stood over Bedeil, drove two
hard blows to Bedeli's Kidneys From sew
eral parts OF the house kissing could be
heard and IL was repeated a little later
when Bedell sent similar blows 70 Beeohers
kidneys. The feeling was not remarkably
strong, as the blow is still allowed and Is
seen 30 often in local bouts that II is re-
garded the same as any other blow. But
II is evident that the present agitation IL
making itself felt and strongly too, and
within a short time the blow will be so I'M
popular that boxers will give II up by
choice II not because OF rules making II
illegal
Charley White the best known referee IN
America has also come out strongly
against this blow. "The kidney punch .
says Mr.. White "has no place in the
science Of boxing, being on a par with
butting and using the elbows. II IL q basic
principle of boxing that q contestant shall
have a fair opportunity to defend himself
from attack, This blow is patterned after
the chancery blow of the old London rules
which allowed an opponent TO get one arm
around fighters neck and pummel hin
with the free hand until the victim either
wrenched himself free or dropped from
exhaustion"
English Papers Emphatic.
The crusade against the kidney punch 4
being carried on with vigor by the Englsl
sporting papers and within few month
the blow has come into mach dlsfavor
The most eminent kidney specialists hav
been interviewed as to the dangers OF thi
blow and they unite in saying that II /
very likely to leave lasting effects Pro
! Frank Matthews. known as the sports
2 mems surgeon who examined hundred
OF fighters including many men of not
y in the fistic world, says
The kidney punch, II repeated. may yer
easily lead TO injury. do not mean super
fetal injury ct all man may take
great deal OF punishment to the face an
4 head and be none the worse for it a fe'
days later But In the case OF the kfdne