Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-02-06
FALL Of JOHN
|. MARKED new
ERA OF BOXING

called upon to meet James J. Corbett
| for the championship of the world. 1t
was the frs: worlds championship bat
tie fought under the Marquis de
Queensberry rules. This meant that
there were to be no bare knuckles, no
wrestling, or back heeling. 1t also
meant there would be no secret bat
tie ground.
Leading sports of New Orleans or
ganized the Olympic Club and put up
an amphitheater. Applications for
seats came flooding in from all d.
rections. There were such early in
dications of an immense attendance
that instead Of one fight two others
also were arranged.
The first of these was for the feath-
erweight championship between Jack
Skelly and George Dixon. The Sec
ond was for the lightweight champion
ship between Jack McAuHffe and Billy
Meyer, the "Streator Cyclone" These
three contests took place on successive
nights and were advertised all over
the world as New Orleans great box
ing carnival"
Fight Attracts Foreigners.
Promised comfortable seats at the
ringside, sports from this country,
England, and Australia went to New
Orleans. Fortunes were put up in the
poolrooms which handled the fight
money. One room alone handled over
5000, 900 on the Sullivan-C orbett fight,
with Sullivan favorite at odds of A to
i. Honest John" Duffy was chosen
referee. The purse was $4,000 to the
winner, with a side bet of $4,000
Billy Muldoon trained Sullivan for
Jake Kilrain as he would train a wres-
tier. Although Sullivan was fat, he
had all his old time strength and Vi
tally.
Now three years had passed, 10
years In all from the time he had
won the championship from Paddy
Ryan at Mississippi City in 1882. The
temperate boy of "a who had whipped
Ryan 50 easily was now man of "a,
and the>last 10 years of this time had
been spent in riotous living. His new
trainers abandoned the Muldoon syss
tenn and tried to get their man in con.
dition by drastic methods. They re-
dueed his weight at the cost of his
strength.
Meet First In Friendly Bout.
On June 26. 1892, James ]. Corbett,
San Francisco's native boxer, appear
ed in a friendly boxing exhibition in
that city with John L.~Sullivan. They
wore dress suits and boxed four
friendly rounds. Corbett felt Sullivan
out, found that he had lost all skill
as boxer as well as judgment of
distance and ability to cover Stand
ing by the ringside at the time and
sizing up Sullivan carefully was Will
liam Delaney, the craftiest ring second
that ever lived.
Almost Immediately after the friend
" bout Delaney took hold of Corbett
1t was this same Delaney who took
CorDett to New Orleans great box
ing carnival"
DELANEY told Dick Roche, the New
York millionaire gambler, who had
brought s190, 1000 to back Sullivan, that
Sullivan's chances against Corbett
were not one, in a 100. Roche kept
hts money in his pocket.
Jack McAuliffe. Sullivan's chief sec
ond. gave Roche $4,000, all the money
he had in the world, to bet on SulH-
van After the fight Roche gave Nc
Auliffe his $4,000 back with the re-
mark:
Il would have bet it for you, Jack,
but l didn't want to see you go
broke"
Scene Of Great Battle.
The Olympic Club was located
good distance from the business dis
trict of New Orleans. On the night
Of the big fight double lines of vehi-
Giles reaching from the st. Charles ho-
tel to the clubhouse were in contin-
uous procession. The clubs interior
was in the form of a perfect square.
There were two floors, one the main
floor and the other a sort of gallery.
On the center of the main floor a
regular 24-foot ring was pitched. This
was pounded down until it gave the
same footing and elasticity as tuSf.
Charles H. Genslinger. organizer of
the Illinois Athletic Club of Chicago,
was manager of this great New Or
leans boxing carnival" He stepped
forward and announced:
"Gentlemen, while this fight-beg
pardon-while this boxing contest is
in progress l wish every gentleman
in the house would refrain from smok-
ing and the use Of violent language.
That is all. l now take pleasure in
introducing Honest John Duffy, who
has been chosen as referee 8
Honest" John Duffy appeared i'm,
dress suit, white tie and vest Soon
Delaney led the way toward the ring,
with Corbett and his retinue of minor
seconds and rubbers following at his
heels. There are two corners in ev-
cry ring. and one is usually known
as the losers corner. -~
The Olympic Club was only two
days old, but it already had losers
corner. in which Jack Sicily sat when
he lost to George Dixon and in which
Billy Meyer rested when he fell be-
fore the superior skill of Jack Me-
AuIiffes Delaney instinctively led his
man to the winners corner.
corbett IN Perfect Shape.
-. Al -.