Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-28

The Irish Mahon- Banty Lewis fight
is now down to issue and the Interest
In the outcome seems to have grown
apace as the hour of the battle
draws near. Both boys have many
friends, but in this respect Lewis
seems to have the call. Among Ban
tvs best friends is Harry Smith
manager of the Newark Baseball
Club, and Harry will be over at
Browns tonight to see how the little
fellow makes out The regular Lewis
following will be over In Browns
also, and from what one can hear
there ought to be a pretty big crowd.
AS the boys are fighting on a percent
age basis the bigger the crowd the
better, they say.
The conditions Of the contest call
for the boys not to weigh more than
125 pounds at the ringside, but when
they climb through the ropes Lewis
will have a couple Of pounds ad-
vantage. This will surprise Banty
who has been led to believe that
Mahon was having a hard time
making the required weight. Nothing
was farther from the truth. The
fact is, Mahon tells me he can do
11S pounds in a pinch, and that he Is
In great shape at 120 pounds. He
said he would not tip the scales at
more than 122 pounds tonight, and he
has so much confidence in his alb lily
to win that he doesn't give Lewis a
ghost Of show. This overconfidence
sometimes is a bad thing. and 1t may
not do Irish any good. He has been
training hard for weeks, and says he
is in great condition. He has been
joshing Banty's trends about having
q tough time getting off his weight,
and not long ago he told some of
them that he weighed 100 pounds
stripped. He will tip the scales well
within the limit when the time comes
@
Lewis has developed in q big, strong
little fellow and 125 pounds is his best
weight. He, too, has been training
hard and will be in prime condition,
He is very fast and his main asset is
t. fight and keep on fighting. He hasn't
such terrlc wallop, but he relies on
his speed and his cleverness to NOV
his opponents down. That's what he is
going to do tonight against Mahon
his friends say, and they are betting
their money on his chances. Banty,
too, is said to feel that he has mont
fight itself should be well worth wit
Messing.
G
When the match was first discussed
it looked to me as If Mahon would win
without much question, but from
what I am able to learn from both
sides, Lewis's chances are not bad
at all. Banty is so fast it may be
that he will be able to set a pace
that will earn for him the decision,
especially as Mahon is rather method
ical and slow In his movements. As
q hitter. Irish has 1t on Banty by a
wide margin, and some of his friends
look to see him put over the wallop
with telling effect. Mahon himself be-
lieves he is going to win before the
limit, but he will have to fight faster
and harder than he has fought in a
long while if he hopes to accomplish
the knockout trick.
c.
Tom Messenger, who is managing
Mahon, is taking a conservative view
of the fight. Messenger says that he
expects Irish to win. but he knows he
will haye to fight all the way to get
the decision. He gives Lewis credit
for being a good little boy, but he
says that Mahon win outh't him, so
that Lewis is sure to be badly slowed
up before many rounds have been
fought. Tom has taken good care of
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