Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-03-21
SPORT NEWS
Chicagoan Wins a Shade
in Slow Bout of C1inches
BY %TUFFYs

boxing show at the Empire skating
rink a farce, with the main go of
10 rounds between Stockyards
Tommy Murphy of Chicago and Len
Rowlands of Milwaukee, a prize
winner among bouts that the bugs
do not want to see. The sentiment
seemed universal. Hardly an ex-
ception could be found.
"A love-fest" it was called by one
fan and his designation met with
approval from all within hearing.
Neither Murphy or Rowlands
showed anything and their encoun-
ter was 10 rounds of clinching, COW
ering up, stalling and occasional
friendly and affectionate taps.
Which either thudded harmlessly
against glove, shoulder or head or
else went wide of their marks.
There were cries for action and
fight from all parts of the house.
AS far as the principals were con-
cerned. however. the plea of the
multitude fell on deaf ears. This
despite the fact that these same
fans had paid perfectly good coin
to watch a fight.
Seating capacity of the EMPIRE
ring is approximately, stretching
the point a little perhaps, 1,7OG
Every seat was taken and the
standing crowd were packed O.
gether like sardines in a huge tin.
Upon everything tina, could be
utilized for the purpose spectators
were perched, and it is doubtful
whether another man could have
squeezed into the hall. The writer
consumed Is minutes in worming
his way through the jam to a ring
side seat, the feat proving a work
out in itself Others who held re-
serve coupons experienced similar
difficulties.
70 get on with the scrap, or let
us call it an exhibition-of what,
I'm not saying. Little can be said
for the work of either Rowlands or
Murphy The opinion of the fans
was divided, some calling the mix
a draw, others favoring Murphy
and others Rowlands.
In the opinion of the writer
Murphy took the first, third. sew
enth and ninth, with Rowlands
coping the sixth and eighth, the
rest being even. Murphy landed
two clean punches to Rowland s
one, and although the Beer city pug
excelled in stand-away boxing, he
only hung on when the Chicagoan
carried the fight to close quarters.
And closeup mixing seems to be
Murphy's style. He showed what
little aggressiveness was shown IN
the fray by continuously boring in
for more effective work. He used
a straight left lead to the jaw with
advantage and a right hook and
uppercut when in close. Both
missed many swings evidently in
tended as haymakers, and neither
stepped in the way of any punches
hard enough to do any damage.
Which boxer is to be blamed for
the clinching is also a matter over
which the opinion of the fans are
split. Some point to Rowlands as
the guilty man, and others to
Murphy Both did a lot of it. but
it seemed to the writer that the Mil
y<1kee battler was the principal
p/offender Viewing his exhibition last
evening explains how Len managed
to stick 10 rounds with Mike Glib
bons at Denver.
The Rowlands faction maintains
that Murphy was responsible for
the hugging and stalling. 1t is said
the stockyards boxer early in the
second round knew that he had met
his mater and from then on rushed
to close quarters in order to fall
into a ciinch. The Rowlands fans
say that the Cream city boy did all
the leading. displayed more clever
boxing stuff, landed the most clean
punches, and in substance, fought
rings around the Chicago Irishman-
Be that as it may. fans are one in
their disapproval of the battle, and
it is practically assured that either
Rowlands or Murphy, if matched
here, would practically kill the en-
tertafnment as a drawing card.
The semi-windup between Kid
i. Ferdie of Rock Island and Battling
Mitchell of Chicago also proved
disappointment. 1t was short but
far from sweet. Mitchell was no
match for the local smoke and
after receiving his first hard wallop
IN the first round the Chicago dusky
had no stomach for further fight.
He was knocked out in the second
round.
Bum" Sells of Rock Island and
Tommy White, an arsenal soldier,
two unknowns here, offered the
best exhibition of the evening, Civ
ing the fans cause to forget their
discomforts. Two tougher Boys
have been seldom seen in tri-city
ring. The mix was a toe-to-toe
Suggest, with both men fighting all
the time, and the give and take con-
test had the crowd bowling its ap-
prevail in every round. Each boxer
was given a great hand upon leav-
ing the ring. Sells earned a slight
shade by his work in the fourth and
fifth rounds.
In the opener Kid Reagan of
Rock Island quit after four rounds
of milling, claiming illness.
Battling johnson, his opponent, had
earned a clear shade until the
match was stopped.
7DUo0TN mn RETTIm