Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-11
:: =: ::; =: STAR BULLETIN SPORTS .: :s:::s
When Boxing Was Work, !
As Tommy Ryan Tells 1t

time I've fought hard fight Tor
$40 bill never kept track of the
number of my fights. They don't
appear In the records. | started when
i was little fellow and fought over
, twenty years. was middleweight
champion and never weighed over 145'
pounds stripped, usually l42 or less.
We didn't quarrel about weights in
those days. ". ..-
when you're writing about hard
fights some time YOU might mention
that one had with Danny Needham,
which lasted over five hours. It was
fight to a finish in skin tight
gloves. Nothing like that in these
plush rope, no-decision days. I used
to leave home with patches on my.
pants and holes in my shoes. and go
cut somewhere into the Michigan
woods and fight to finish for cou-
pie of dollars. 1t was easier later on.
with gloves and in a covered ring.
"The toughest fight I ever had was
with Tommy West in Louisville. Tom.
my knocked me down hard In the
first round and afterward I went in
and slugged with him, Just playing
his own game I could hear people
around the ring say: Why. this little
fellow isn't clever I was supposed
to be- cleverer boxer. In mixup
Tommy butted me on the mouth and
knocked out all my front teeth. They
weren't real teeth-just false teeth
on plates. ] had forgotten to take
them out as usually did before a
fight, II West had only known 1t. I
was nearer whipped that moment
than any other time in my life. The
two rows of teeth went down in my
throat and lodged across my wind.
pipe | was choking when 7 got to
my corner. Spike Sullivan, my Sec
ond, tried to get them out, because
I couldn't reach Them with my gloves
on. but he couldn't get them. This
was in the fourth round. had to
get up to fight again and Tommy
swung one and hit me on the side of
the jaw so hard 1t dislodged the teeth
and knocked them clear out of my
mouth That's why people thought
he knocked my teeth out In that fight:
That punch saved me. for was
about gone mixed up and he tore
in and gave me tough time. He
Ibutted, and | spoke to Tim Hurst, the
referee.
You've got a head yourself, haven't
your said Hurst. which meant that
was to butt, too did and broke
Tommy's nose. After that j kept
pounding on the sore spot and they
dried up the gore in the ring between
rounds with mop. In the seven
.teenth West said to me as we clinch-
ed: Tommy, cant see any more.
He couldn't, SO Hurst stopped It.
didn't get over that fight for two,
years, for. West gave me an awful
body beating, too. 1t wasn't a boxing
match; It was Just rough and tumble
fighting. @
Such fight would be impossible
in these days. There'll be fighting
as long as there are men on earth, |
even If they have to go out into the
woods, as we used TO and finish with |
skin-tight gloves or bare fists. Box
ing with gloves and under proper
rules is safe outlet for that fighting |
spirit and it doesn't do any harm to
any one As for that talk about boxing |
developing gunner. that's foolish. |
Boxing is deVeiJping thousands of |
well-trained men whose great aInbi- /
tion is to live clean, keen strong and |
healthy and be successful in profess
sion that pays lot of money to those
near the top
: Coming from man who knows. |
like Ryan. that sounded like pretty |
good argument .1...~ ..~ =