The Washington times., 1915-02-23
Ferguson, Battling For
Lar1gdon, Bests Cortez
Masquerader, However, Puts Up Fast Exhibition of
Fistic Game and Spectators Get Their Moneys
Worth at Ardmore Rngside.
By LOUIS A. DOUGHER.

son, and when ! gave the decision TO
Ferguson. I thought him LonEdon.
having never seen him. However. It was
a good bout. and the club members got
their moneys worth"
1t is most unfortunate for the Ard.
more Club that such a trick was play
cd upon the fans Of the Capital by
Langdon's manager. Recent events
have succeeded In getting the club IN
very bad odor around the city. and this
last "flivver" Is likely to kill whatever
interest had remained. Unless every
cannot continue. here or anywhere else.
The club members would have been
entirely satisfied, had the announce.
ment been made from the ring that
that Ferguson had been substituted
Ferguson Is by no means an obscure
performer. appearing frequently in
philadelphia rings and showing in many
Pennsylvania and Ohio rings. His work
Is known. He had never before appear
ed in Washington. and. as 1t happened.
no one connected with the Ardmore Club
had ever seen him. When such an ex-
perienced manager as Al McMurray.
connected with the boxing game for
the Substitution of Ferguson for Lang
don. the Ardmore Club has some ex-
cuse for being fooled. too.
However. the moment the club dis
covered that Langdon was not In the
ring. or even heard the rumor Of de-
ccption. steps should have been taken
| to prove II. Then. with the whole story
coming out, as 1t did after the bout. an
been made Immediately after the con-
| test ended. Elmer Wilson did not hesi-
| tate very long about telling tho truth
Of the matter when approached as soon
| as the decision had been MADE. lie
might have done 80 earlier in the after
noon, perhaps just as soon as the ru-
NOR began running around the ring
side. II error Is to be charged to the
club. 1t must be that immediate investl-
cation was not made and that the an
nouncement Of the truth was not made
as soon as possible tothe club manager
who were allowed to leave the club
house in Ignorance Of the fact that they
had not seen Langdon. but Ferguson
As for the battle itself. it was great
Referee O'Connor awarded the decision
to Ferguson probably largely on his
| work in the last few rounds. The writer
Is of the belief that the victory should
have gone to Cortez. The New York.
er's aggressiveness earned him the edge
| in almost every session. Ferguson ex.
celled in ducking and lodging. making
Cortez miss many hard blows intended
to end affairs. The Phitadeiphian aist
the middle of his broad back. After
the contest Ferguson was pink all over
from the wallops of Cortez.
The first FIVE rounds were fairly even
Ferguson showing surprising ability
duck swings intended for his end. The
New Workers. hard blows to the body
entitled him to four Of the next five
rounds. the sixth going to Ferguson b,
a shade on his clever use OF an upper
cut and right cross.
: Beginning with the eleventh. whel
"Langdon" was supposed to weaker
under the strain. Cortez began a pile
from one corner Of the ring to another
ever on top OF him. and baffling hin
with left and right swings to the body
Many of these failed to land. though
Ferguson keeping his elbows In the wa;
or duckinG to take them on the shoul
der or back.
Nevertheless. until the Anal roun'
Cortez was leading In every session
and the crowd went wild with the fas
work Of both boys. Once Ferguso
stopped a vicious swing with his stom
and seemed IN bad aSls Tsy to
out OF chnches right then. he Nigh
have stopped his opponent. However
.. he failed to do this. and Ferguson elcc
trified the crowd by his fine work l
the fifteenth round.
The Philadelphian's hard, straigh
punches had Cortez wobbling from rop
, to rope throughout the final round. Fer
: guson uncorked pretty uppercut tina
stopped absolutely the wild rushes y
the HOboken battler Once It SCENE
the latter's strength was sufficient I
keep him going. The crowd was cheer
, ing and yelling at the top OF their voice
. when the battle ended After q Sigh