Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-14
STANLEY KETCHEL ONLY PUG TO REGAIN
TITLE AFTER BEING KNOCKED OUT. WHEN
HE DRUBBED BILLY PAPKE IN RETURN GO

Cans was a marvel in the ring. He
came back before he was champion.
Elbows" McFadden knocked Cans
out, and Cans kept after Elbows I'M
til he had reversed the trick.
The first time Cans was knocked
out, as champion, was in his second
fight with Battling Nelson. Nelson
gave him another chance shortly aft
erward, and knocked him out again.
But Cans was q greater fighter than
Nelson, as he proved at Goldfeld. The
only reason he lost to Nelson in San
Francisco, and failed to come back,
was that he was already in the grip of
tuberculosis, from which he died a
few months later.
Game as They Made En-.
Cans was as game a man as ever
lived. He knew, when he fought Mel
son a second and third time. that he
was only a wreck Of his former self,
but he fought as desperately and ag-
excessively as ever a man fought in the
! ring.
Joe Cans was an unfortunate cham
pion. Managed during the best part Of
his career by promoter who made
him fake in many matches, he be-
came discredited. But he left his
manager and told the story Of his fax
ing, announced that in the future he
/ would fight to win every time" And
so he did, and became a popular idol
with ring followers. but unfortunately
the end of his health cut, his career
short. Cans had little money in his
latter days.
Made Heroic Effort.
Few know the heroic effort he made
in his last fight. He had concealed
his condition from the public. and he
took on a match with Jabez White Of
England. Cans was accused of fax
| ing" again when he failed to put
White out in miserable bout. But
few knew that after the fight he col
lapse din his dressing room.
Few knew what reserves of cour-
age and grim determination he drew
upon to drag the dying shell of the
! great Joe Cans through that pitiful
! six rounds. so that he would have a
little money to leave his family when
he went "over beyond" a few months
later.
Nelson Was "Human,- After All.
But to go on with the list of those
who didn't come back" there was
the next champion, Battling" Nelson
He went to pieces as fighter after
that terrible AGROUND beating from
Volgast at Port Richmond He tried
again and again, only to become a
chopping block and at last to be
barred from the ring by promoters,
who were afraid he might be killed
Wolgast went the same way He tried
to fight in his wildcat style after
Richie had whipped him, but the
something that makes champion was
lacking.
! Richie "came back" to some extent
But Willie wasn't actually beaten by
Welsh in England. He wasn't out
fought; he was outdanced He got
Welsh for 10 rounds in New York
eight or nine months later and ham,
mered Freddy so savagely that the
champion fed for his life until the end
of the 10 rounds.
Will Never Come Back.
Benny Leonard whipped Welsh Sc
decisively that there isn't the slight
est prospect or possibility that Welsh
ever will come back" 1t would be
cruel to match him against Leonard
again-cruel to Welsh and cruel to the
spectators.
! OF the welters Mysterious Billy
Smith was a savage until Matty
Matthews tanned him with a clout on
the chin. and Matthews never came
back" to championship form after
Rube Ferns had pounded him. Ferns
disappeared from public view wher
! Walcott took the title.
i Walcott-with a shot-splintered
right hand-was whipped by Melody
and dropped out Melody sunk into
Oblivion, although never knocked out
by a welterweight Jack Britton might
turn the tables on kid" Lewis, but
Lewis playing it safe and refuses tc
give him a chance.