New Britain herald., 1918-02-20

p'1n. qann r. met dsislll y yos A(.. |lllg . wonderful career. Th3t waY when I won from him in Yew Orleans in 1892 But that battle was conducted i under Marquis of Quecnsbury rules. It was the first championship fight ever staged under those modern ring regulations and was to determine not the London Prize Ring and Marquis of Queensbury championship but the Marquis of Queensbury title alone.
 After Sullivan's bare knuckle fight with Jake Kilrain in 1SS9-which John l.. won-a new era of pugilism began. All contests after that were conducted under Marquis of Queens bury rules. There was no real cham pion under those regulations at the time John l.. laid claim to the title, Peter Jackson disputed it, but Sull- van, having drawn the color line re- fused to fight him. When I fought John l.. in 1892 in the first heavy weight championship match ever staged under Queensbury rules, won and so I became first real cham Dion under the Queensbury laws. But my victory did not dethrone John l" as king under the London Prize Ring rules and he remained such until the end of his days.
 
 The old generation of fight fans undoubtedly are aware of the distin@- ton between the two types of fighting. But the younger ones, although fam- iIiar with the Queensbury regulations, know the London Prize Ring Rules only vaguely So for their benefit this explanation-vital in any story of John L's career--is being made:
 rT1,. INv, p,~ir pjner for bare knuckle fighting in 6 foot ring; Queensburg demands glove con- tests in A foot ring and orders that aach round consist of three minutes of fighting with one minute of rest between. Under the London rules every knockdown was a round and no round was over until ono fighter or the other had been sent to the floor. Oftentimes 1t happened that men bat lied ten and fifteen minutes without B fighter flooring the other.
 On the other hand, when a fight er was in trouble in those days. he would walk to the center of the ring, 'toe the scratch" and as soon as his foe laid hand on him would fall to The ground. By his action he ended the round and was permitted thirty seconds of rest in his corner before the next session of fighting began. Groggv but brainy fighters often re- peated the flop for ten to twenty rounds. Nowadays when a fighter is knocked down he must get to his feet unaided within 10 seconds. Under London rules his seconds were per- mitted to drag him back to his cor ner and were allowed 30 seconds to revive him.
 Fighting under the London Prize Ring rules permitted the type of combat termed rough and tumble In these days. Ring science of the present was an unknown quantity. Brute strength and knowledge of wrestling tricks were the greatest as- sets a fighter could have. A ringman In those days not only was perm tied to punch his rival but also could wrestle him, trip him, use any other methods in an effort to throw the man to the ground, and thus score a knockdown.
 The main ambition of each fighter was to hurl his foe to the ground with SO much force as to knock tho wind out of him and to render him hors du combat. Oftentimes bones of fight OTIS were broken by tho tremendous force with which they were dashed tc earth. FreouenIy men were "knock ed out" without ever having beer struck by a solid blow from the fist The opponent would grab h1m. VT him high and send him crashing t' the ground, and then fall on TOD him, knees crashing into the taller lighters chest or head. renoerln' him unconscious.
 John L. became champion Tn tha era: a period when great stren2tl and wrestling tricks were the chl2 needs of a fighter. Punching waSn a trick that had been developed t any degree. But the Boston High land Strong Boy, disHking the wrest ling tactics get about developing tn Iunchi1c, rrd of tho game. And it wa Jol,n L. Tha really perfected tn llnockunt v&llcp and made it worl fHmoun.
 From "h@curity as a Boston lahore '&f0n :tch few men ever hay
 @oWn: from poverty to riches whic 2II@d him to become "the be- bender in America: for nearly fort wears the most spectacular figure t1fc life of sport loving America; u
 most idolilcd men that pugilism ev'