The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-21
FORBES AND TERRY
IN THRILLING BOUT
Famous Bantams Fought Most
Exciting Battle in History
of the Glass.

the past. The toriter 4ciH oonfne his
observations to contests and incidents of
,ohich he teas an eyewitness, aud his
first contribution tpiH deal toith one Of
the early bouts u, tohioh Terry MoGovern
,oas contestant, long before he became
the bantam champio1..)
Pugilistic history contains the record
OF many thrilling encounters in the
bantam class, the midgets of the roped
square who weighed from los to 116
pounds a quarter of a century ago, but
under modern rules lis pounds. Joe
Lynch and Jack Sharkey. two of the
ablest examples of the modern bantam.
recently engaged in combats in Madison
Square Garden and the patrons of the
gloved sport voted the contests the most
exciting they had ever witnessed. In
truth. the bouts were deeply interesting
and the Herman-Lynch bout tomorrow
night at the Garden may also prove an
attractive one. Yet in the matter Of
arousing spectators to frenzy of en-
thusasm, the writer is compelled to cast
his vote for the bout between Harry
Forbes OF Chicago and Terry McGovern
Of Brooklyn, which was staged at the
Pelican A. c., Bay Ridge. October /,
1898. The bout was scheduled for TWEEN
ty rounds, but terminated in the fifteenth
with knockout in favor of McGovern.
This contest really decided the BAN
tam championship In favor Of McGovern,
for Jimmy Barry of Chicago, a los
FOUNDER with punch like middle
weight, had formally announced that he
would retire from the game. This left
the title open to competition. and Harry
Forbes, chunky youth from the Windy
<.H.- \ -. III Il
puted the claim registered by McGovern.
The Brooklyn Terror had been eager TO
meet Barry in a title bout, but Barry,
who was getting along in years and
whose three last bouts with Caspar
Leon, resulting in draws, indicated that
his hitting powers were on the wane,
wisely decided that retirement was the
bests move he could make. So he
stepped aside and left the bantam title
for Forbes and McGovern to tusslc
about. Barry was little redhaired
chap. standing feet 3 inches in his
fighting shoes. His legs were short and
slender, but he had the torso Of weller
and carried a tremendous punch In
either hand.
Up to the time of the arrival OF
McGovern Barry outclassed the bantam
division. and Walter Croot. the English
title holder, who was knocked out by
Barry In the twentieth round Of a bout
in the National Sporting Club Of London,
December 6. 1897. died after the con-
test. The fatality seemed to depress
Barry, who retired the next year.
AS soon as Barry announced that ne
was through with pugilism Harry
Forbes, regarded in the West as the best
bantam in the country next to Barry,
laid claim to the title and came East to
prove that he was entitled to the'honors.
AS McGovern had vanquished nearly all
the best bantaams in the East, he and his
supporters vehemently disputed the claim
by Forbes and defied the Chicagoan to a
meeting in the ring.
Johnny Reagan, who once battled with
middleweight champion Jack Dempsey.
was conducting a club at Bay Ridge
called the Pelican A. c., named after
famous London Club, got the match.
and while II was one of the best looking
bouts ever arranged. there were not
more than 500 or 600 people in the club
house when McGovern and Forbes en-
tered the ring.
The bantams had not boxed more
than three or four rounds when the
spectators were standing on their chairs
yelling like Comanches. Forbes, who
was at the top of his form, showed an
attractive style. his boxing. especially
in defence, being superior to that OF
McGovern.
Terrible Terry had but one style of
fighting. and that was to rush violently
at his opponent and belabor him with
both hands. He did so against Forbes.
hut the Chicago boy ducked, side
stepped and parted like Jim Corbett
and for q few rounds baffled the
Brooklynite.
Gradually McGovern's onslaughts be-
pan 10 worry Forbes. who found him.
self so busy lodging wicked punches
that he was compelled to devote all his
time to defence.
Forbes at times checked McGovern
with stiff lefts to the face. but the
wonderful vitality of the Eastern claim
ant carried him along to renewed at
tacks.
then there we're thumps that could be
heard all over the house. In these ex-
changes McGovern had the advantage
and Forbes was soon bleeding at nose
and mouth from the solidity OF the
smashes. a..
In the four rounds preceding the III
teenth Forbes tried TO make lone
range fight Of II, hoping to go the iinn
and win on points, but the Brooklyr
boy was still pounding away with re-
sistless force and was scoring more
points than his opponent.
When the boys faced each other foi
the fifteenth round Forbes decided e
risk all on a toe-to-toe smuggling match
with the hardest hitter In the bantam
division. The Chicagoan met Terry IT
the centre of the ring. and for nearly
two minutes they snapped terrific BOWS
neither stepping back an inch excep'
when sent by a punch. They were fight
ing like a couple OF wildcats. hooking
swinging. jabbing and upper cutt ne
when suddenly McGovern's right glove
crashed against the point OF Forbes jaw
and the Chicagoan fell senseless on hi
face, in which position he was counted
out. The 500 enthusiasts who witnessed
the spectacular bout talked about II To-
weeks. The victor received 5000 ana tn'
loser 800. Sharkey and Lynch each re
ceived $4,000.
The assertion recently wns made tina
the Lynch Herman bout would be tn
first bantam title fight here since Barry
and Leon met. May 30. 1898. Quite the
| contrary. The last previous bantam
! fight In New York was on December ~
| 1899. when champion McGovern knocked
out Harry Forbes for the second time
| This bout took place at the Broadwa,
| A. c. and lasted but two rounds. Afte
| that bout McGovern vaulted into tn
/ featherweight division and defeated
/ Dixon for the title