Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1914-06-28
MATINEES ARE
THE THING FOR
RING BATTLES
The Old California Athletic Club
Always Tried Out a Man Be-
fore Putting Him Before the
Public; Good Consequences.
AutraIian Promoter is Now Pur-
uinu the Same Tactics BY
Holding a Boxing Matinee
Some Days Before the Bout.

The old California A. C. was the
first and probably the greatest box
ing club i'm America, some % years
ago. IL was indeed a high-class or
ganizauon for many years, until they
made the fatal mistake of declaring
the Peter Jackson-Jim Corbett 6l-
round battle mo contest"
This rank decision was rendered i'm
order to save the club from paying
the fighters the $4,000 purse guar
anteed Instead they only gave Cor
bett and Jackson $500 each. This
resulted finally in the downfall of
this once grand fighting club. How
ever. this is another story
They Tried The Fighters Out
Before the unwise mistake was
made. the old club had a splendid
reputation all over the world for its
honesty. fairness and fine business
like methods Before this foolish
blunder the club had pulled off some
OF the greatest fistic combats OF the
age.
President Fulda and the board Of
directors were very careful In max
inc their matches for many moons.
They endeavored to obtain the best
talent in the world and paid the lar
gest purses.
il was i'm the old California club
that Bob Fitzsimmons, Peter Jack
son. Billy Murphy, Young Critic and
other great Australians made their
American debut in the ring But
none of these famous fighters were
allowed TO contest for a purse before
they were well "tried OUT in private
before the club officials They had
10 pass on every new conner before
they matched them up with signed
articles
When Bob Fitzsimmons arrived in
San Francisco I'm 1890. he was flat
broke and he at once applied TO the
club for a fight Mayor Mclaughlin
the managing director of the organi
cation. who was multimilliOnaire
took rather a fancy to Bob and after
several tryouts he was matched a
gainst Billy Mccarthy another Aus
tralian. Fitz won in his mastery
style in nine rounds. He was KEEP
under cover to whip Jack Dempsey
whom Mclaughlin had some griev
ance against But that's also an
other long story.
It was these private "tryouts" that
helped to make the club so success
full IL prevented any false alarms
or lemons" from getting a match
The members and their friends al
ways got a run for their money II
was a splendid idea and worked Out
20 perfection. only recall this
method OF securing real fighters
hoping that some of the high-class
boxing clubs of the present day may
adopt the suggestion.
Here i'm New York especially We
have been buncoed and gulled by
many newspaper made champions
Boomers who have come from a
broad and from the western country
with a blast Of trumpets. supposed
wonderful fighters, like Sid Burni
for example. the Eo-called welter
weight champion Of England. whom
Mike Gibbons made a burlesque of in
a few punches. If Burns had beer
given a private "tyout" before The
fight, the clubs reputation woul,
not have suffered and the farce
could have been side tracked
A Fine Australian System.
over In Australia. that progressive
boxing promoter, Snowy" Baker
has innoyated a rather novel idea
A week before two fighters are e
contest I'm the big stadium A. C., Mn
Baker each contestant TO spar a hal
dozen rounds OF so al what he call
"boxing matinees." i'm order to sho1
the fans the condition and ability q
each man. They do not, Of course
spar with one another but wit
some good men i'm their class VIII
are able 10 bring out and displa
their fine points TO the public
The boxing matinees" are alway
wei attended by the male admirei
OF the game and also by many ladiC
who have of late taken a great fame