The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-11
Exercise Bout in Gymnasium
Results in Battle Which
Weakens Both for Life.
EXPECTED A KNOCKOUT
TO This Day Narrator Cannot
Understand How He Came
to Gain Victory.

II oMMY WEST had not been satisfied
with our first battle. and we were
matched by a Louisville club for a TWEEN
tyround bout In that city on December
9. 1895, writes Tommy Ryan, describing
his career of nineteen years in the ring
Perhaps II would be we'll for me to go
back a bit and explain something about
how West and 7 became enemies, for
there is no question about the III feeling
which existed between us. and which was
referred TO in the press OF that time as
'the Tom Tom feud
When / was making my headquarters
in Chicago. West was also a resident OF
that city. and we used 10 work out In
the same gymnasium. Pretty nearly
every day we had the gloves on together
and had some lively workouts,
never like TO be a loser. even when
working out with my sparrins partners;
West probably had the same feeling, and
one day each of us got trying for slight
advantage over the other. and the trst
thing We knew we were fiEht'nG In real
earnest. What the result would have been
had not attendants separated us l would
not care 10 say.
Bad blood was stirred up over that Ut
never worked out together after that. and
West soon changed his training quarters
10 another gymnasium
NM II pplH HuNdHC'u III Vic l'StiN WI w.
W and, like myself, West went east
and was soon making reputation for
himself among the welterweiGhts,, and
the climax OF his career was victory
West tnen challenged me, and we
fought in New York, I won in the four
teenth round.
second bout than had in nv first. con.
test with him. but I got the surprise OF
my life when I met him in that Louis
Vile ring
West went at me like a bear cat in the
very first round and before / realized
that the fight had fairly started ] was
on the floor got up grogsS. and he
For eight rounds West gave me ter
rble pummeling. and l took as mucn
punishment in those rounds as ! ever
did in any battle ! had in my career. MY
face was badly cut up by his gloves. for
he had become an adept at all the little
tricks that go 10 mark ND an opponent.
ing ! gave him In New York. and for
time MANY thought that he would get
mis- revenge. He taunted me throughout
the fight. and | SUPPOSE that ] answered
him However | was too busy fighting
TO pay much attention 10 ANYTHING else.
TCAUGHT West terrible right on the
mouth in the ninth round, II iarred
time ] had an adyaniase. getting greater
all the time We were both bleeding
profusely and splitting blood. making the
canvas very slippery. Perhaps this had
each OF ns went to the floor
After the tenth round IT, was my turn
TO hand out the punishment. and Will
say for West that he was game. From
The fifteenth round he was practically
helpless. and with both of us staggering
about the slippery ring, VESTS seconds
tossed in towel as a token OF defeat In
the seventeenth round.
We shook hands and staggered from
the ring. victor and yanauished alike
punished terribly. While ! put up a
| able battle, do not believe that | was
ever sfterwsrd a. good a fighter as /
| Was before that contest
A PUNISHMENT such as took in the
IA early rounds OF thai battle must
| eventually tell upon the physical condi-
| ton OF any man, no matter how good
| he may have been when he went into the
II was that west had not knocked me
| out In the carly part OF that battle.
was eroggy more than once Perhaps II
was because he could not land finish
| ing blow lust right. II certainly
wasn't because he couldn't hit, for he
| had the necessary waIlop in either hand.
| Tommy West was very deceicing In
physique when he graduated from the
welterweight to- the middlnweight ranks
many people thought that he did not
weight over 1+5 10 14S pounds, He was
| Wen Dull ana tne nlGHt ne louSnI me-
for the second time he must have
weighed close 10 $50 pounds, though
! there was no means Of knowing the cor
! rect weights, as the match had been
| made al cstclIns sights My weight that
night Was 14S pounds at the rtngside.
! Some months after this fight West and
T met at the ringside OF a Philadelphia
club Possibly we glared bit at eacll
| other for a while but everything ended
In our shaking hands, discussing our
terrible battle. and becoming as, good
| friends as we had been before each tried
| 20 gain little advantage over the other
in The Chicago gymnasium.
poe F1TzsIMMoNs. then fighting ir