The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-26
ny JOE BECKETT


London. Oct. 5s.--Down they go, one
after another! First IL was Billy
Wells, then It was Frank Goddard,
and now Eddie McGoorty has been
added to the list of my recent vic
tins, every one Of them Knocked out.
1t has been a bnsy time for me late
ly. and short rest won't do me any
harm. l think / have earned 1t and
am now able to afford it.
1t is far cry from my boxing
booth days to these times when
have got to put up with larger
share of popularity than liz quite to
my liking. That was good purse I
won from Eddie McGoorty. and 1t
makes me smile to think that only a
very few years ago was standing
up to all-comers in my mothers
show, and fighting my hardest to pre-
vent any of them winning the pound
she could ill-affordN to give to men
who kept their feet against me for
three rounds.
HIS HARDEST BATTLE.
MY seventeen rounds night with Me-
Goorty was the toughest battle OF
my career so far, and ] shouldn't be
surprised II McGoorty would say the
same thing Both Of us came ont Of
the contest . good deal the worse for
wear, though It 10 Astounding how
quickly one pulls round again after
Turkish bath and = good sleep.
MeGooety ana had never mot BE-
measure Of the other as the contest
went on. I was not living IN any
FOOLS paradise about the American
and mother was he about me. AL
ways admitted to myself that my op-
ponent was . dangerous fellow, I
notice that he was good enough to
say afterwArd that was the best
man ne had ever fought. and I sup
pose he meant It I can honestly say
that McGoorty was far and away the
best man I have fought
AMERICAN SHOWED HAND.
The fight WAS Just beginning when
McGoorty showed mo plainly that he
would be beyond me. He made fatal
mistake In letting me sec his hand.
so to speak.
The highest cunning hides cunning.
From start to finish the American
told me as plainly rs n he shouted 1t
that ne planned to knock me out
with his long right hook, and from
start to finish / planned 10 prevent
him from landing that blow ut all.
His short left hooks didn't hurt
much. but I took quite a number of
them by way of experiment., to find
out how hard he could hit in that
way. He wanted me to dodgo the left
hooks so that I could then come into
position for the long right hook. In
this. however. I disappointed him
time after time in almost every round.
FEIGNED GRoGGINEsS.
Several times I let on that I was
a bit groggy and some of the news
paper men referred to this as IL they
took me seriously. That, of course.
was how 7 wanted McGoorty to take
me At the worst 7 was never more
than just rather uncomfortable when
my nose bled too freely.
In the second round McGoorty aid
everything he could to box me away.
with the apparent object of putting
, me at a sufficient distance to get In
the full force of his right hook.
didn't mind taking his punches at
close quarters. while ne didn't like my
blows at the same distance.
Tho two left and right hooks with
which I finished of my plucky OPP
/ ponent in the seventeenth round w ere
| delivered at no greater distance than
I about foot. But into these hooks I
/ gave the whole strength OF my
| shoulders and back. timing them SO
that a doubt whether any man alive,
after an hours neYce fEhting, could
have taken them without going down
In tho fourth round McGoorty was
seen At his bert. and I knew when
retired to my corner that had got
his measure, but 7 was stfll . Uas
way from wanting to take neerttes
or run into unnecessary dsnger
/ Though had counted on being abb
to knock McGoorty out about thu
myth or, tenth. round. or. falling this
Is box hfm 70 tire end ana WIN o.
points I was now quite contsnted 4
90 on a. was doing until ] shoult
have sufficiently worn him down Il
mako sure OF Knockout
DIDN'T LIKE BODY BLOWS.
Quite late In the tight McGooft,
administered some very nasty bod!
blows. which did not like At all
He also got one or two rather jsrrfni
KNOCKS Mt my head, with tho result
n