New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-25
Wolgast Earned Title
in Real Jungle Fight
Yet Conqueror of Du-
rable Dane Could Not
Batter Superman
By W. o. MCCLELLAN

The passing OF Ad Wolgast, former
lightweight champion, from active ring
work brings one back to the days OF
real fights and real lightweights. The
Little Dutchman," now reported to be
suffering from mental and physical
breakdown as the result of his mete-
oric ring career, was typical fighter
Of that one supremely popular class,
the lightweight division.
He won his championship in perhaps
the most fercely contested battles ever
fought since the bare knuckle days,
and he won it from the toughest man
that ever stood inside the ropes, Bat
Ting Nelson. That was on Washing
tons Birthday, 1910, at Point Rich
mond, a transbay suburb Of San Fran
cisco, Cal.
The fight was staged in a temporary
arena. The ring wss erected in bog
and the spectators had to "mush" to
their seats knee deep in the mud. I'm
der the law which then existed in Cali
fornia there could De 70 brutal finish"
contests. out torty-hve rounds were al
lowed in which the contestants would
be enabled to show their skill
Battle Of Bone and Drawn
There was no question Of skill in
that Wolgast-Nelson fight. 1t was pure
fight Of the most primitive order. II
was a question Of endurance, nothing
else. Nelson had held the champion
ship for a long time because Of SUI
perhuman ability to receive punish
ment and to keep coming until his
antagonists arms grew weary and TIL
his heart broke from the sheer useless
ness of pounding at bleeding face
that did not vince under his hardest
blows. Then Nelson would batter down
his opponent, not clearly, not in a
spectacular fashion, but sluggishly and
ponderously.
Cans had battered Nelson for more
than forty rounds at Goldfeld, but the
Durable Dane, blinded, bleeding and
bruised, continued 70 come back. Later
Nelson twice knocked out Cans, who
was one OF the hardest and cleanest hit
ters among the lightweights Of all
time. OF course, the Cans who finally
succumbed TO Nelson was not the Cans
Of a few years before. He was weak
ened by incipiert tuberculosis when
Nelson wore him down. but he still
could hit.
Joe Cans Ruins Nelson
As a matter Of fact, though it is not
generally known, II was the last meet
ing with Cans that led TO Nelson's
downfall before Ad Wolgast. In the
eleventh round Of the last Nelson-Gans
fight the negro caught Nelson a terrific
right to the body as the bell rang. The
blow cracked two of Nelson's ribs and
the Durable Dane moaned aloud IN pain
as he went to his corner.
If Cans mad not been really a sick
man he might have taken advantage Of
this coup in the next round. But Nell
sons lighting spirit carried him
through. He weathered the danger and
Cans got weaker and weaker. until ne
dropped-not from punch, but from
sheer exhaustion. II was not pleasant
thing to see.
But before he passed Joe Cans had
found the Tendon Of Achilles, the vul-
nerable part of the Durable Danes
physique. That blow all but unnerved
Nelson. He said afterward to his sec
ond, 81 thought that oil my ribs were
broken and that l was going to drop
down and die"
But that confession was not for pub
LEGATION. of course. The Nelson that
faced Wolgast. aspirant for the light
weight cham pionship, was externally
the Durable Dane of old. Wolgast was
a fiery little bundle Of muscle and
nerves, with springs for joints. He was
not then the Wolgast that was boxing
shady ten-round fights around New
York, round-bellied, dull-eyed, fabby
little creature, but clean-limbed,
sparkling-oyed, why little man, the
most vicious pygmy that ever shot him
self through the ropes.
It started like all of the fights in