The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-13
Featherweight Fighters
of Old Fought Fast
and Furious Trays

While the featherweight division
doesn't offer a great deal of class in
these days, the warriors in that di-
vision in former times probably pro
N1ded more excitement for the fans
than those of any other weight. Ike
O'Nei11 Weir was the first of the little
5attlers to achieve undisputed rank as
a worlds champion. Ike would be a.
bantam if in his prime to-day, but at
that he could be safely backed to
clean up the best of the present crop
of feath efweights.
Tt WasStwenty-six years ago to-day,
Jan. 1S, 1890, that the little Belfast
Spider was deprived of his title by
Australian Billy Murphy, who knock
ed him out in the fourteenth round
at the California Athletic Club in San
Francisco. 1t was a great fight, and
Ike had much the better of it until
the fourteenth, when the Spider
did a back flop, just to show his con-
tempt for his opponent. The Austria
Ian caught Ike with his terrible MARY
Ann" as the champion landed on his
feet, and it was all over for Isaac.
Before Ike Weir came to the front
in the featherweight division, Tommy
Warren. a Californian by birth but a
kentuckian by adoption, Nclaimed the
American featherwefght title. War
rem represented America in the first
battle faF. the worlds featherWeight
title under Queensberry rules, his OPP
ponent being Tom Barnes. an English
man. The fight was pulled off near
Jeffersonvi1Ie, Ind, the authorities
having prevented the men from meet
ing in Louisville, as originally intend
ed. The Hoosier cops attempted to
interfere, but the crowd from Louis
Vile had with them several jugs of
the liquid for which entucky IS IA
NOUS and induced the officers to par
take freely, with the result that they
went to sleep. After forty grfIlineg
SO exhausted that neither could stand,
and it was called a draw.
Ike Weir had a long and furious
eighty-round battle with Frank Muir
ply, a later. champion of England, in
1889. This battle for the worlds IT,
tie was also staged in Indiana and.
like the Jacksonville contest, ended
in a draw.
Billy Murphy returned to Australia
soon after winning the title, and was
defeated by Young Critic and al
though Billy aftetrward returned to
America and fought several good
bouts, he never regained his Iaurels-
Ike Weir again claimed the title, and
defeated Jimmy Connors, who was
boxing instructor at the Buffalo Ath-
letic Club, and a good man. Tnv
championship was also claimed by
Johnny Griffin, the ''Braintree Lad a
brick-topped little warrior with the
heart of a lion, but the police inter
fered before Ike ana Johnny cOulu
settle their argument Tommy
White, Of Chicago, was another lit
tie fellow of that period who had
aspirations.
While Weir, Murphy, Griffin and
White were disputing, George Dixon,
the little Nova Scotia negro, was forg-
ing to the front, and claimed the
featherweight title by reason
of his victory over Nunc Wallace in
London Young Critic, the Austria
Iian was also exhibiting his marvel
Gus cIeverness in the ring, but the
title was generally conceded to Dixon
after his defeat of Australian Abe VIII
lis in 1891. Jack Sicily attempted to
restore the honor to the white race,
but he was Knocked out by Dixon dur
ing the great pugilistic carnival pull
ed off in New Orleans in 1892.
After Dixon began to decline, Solly
smith of Los Angeles held the lime
light for a little while, until succeed
ed by Dave Sullivan. The glory OF
the division was revived by Terry Nc
Govern and Young Corbett. Brook
Ign Tommy Sullivan. now a boxing
promoter in St. Louis, was the next
to hold the championship. He gave
way to Abe AtteIl, the Hebrew, who
held the honors until his defeat by
Johnny Kilbane at Los Angeles in
1912.