The Washington herald., 1921-08-07
Dapper Little Englishman
Gave John L. Hard Battles
Discovered By Billy Madden, Who Was Look
For Man to Beat Sullivan. British
Now Shy on Good Big Men.

second. John l.. was in his shirt
sleeves. with no collar, wearing a
silk hat. Mitchell, as he neatly
polished off Cleary in three rounds,
kept up a fire of remarks at Sulli-
van. offering to knock Cleary into
his lap.
In those days fighters INDUCED
in a line of conversation that would
startle a 1ongshoreman. Sports
manship. as we find II in the ring, Is
later development. Mitchell got
Sullivan's goat by inviting him into
the ring to follow Sleary.
"Come up ERE" said Charles. with
many embellishmentss "and TIL
knock you out from under that
at"
This. 50 far as history relates.
was the first tine the expression
was used. Sullivan, frothing, ac-
cepted the challenge, for q later
date.
Mitchell fought Sullivan in Madi-
son Square Garden. Sullivan threw
Mitchell OF his feet several times
in the first round. IN his bull-like
charges, but just 1t the end of the
session Charlie hit the great John
l.. on the chm with a left jab so
flat on his shoulderblades- John
got up roaring with rage. In the
next two rounds he smothered
Mitchell's cleverness with furious
rushes. throwing him against the
ropes and finally through them,
when the police stopped the bout.
The referee named Sullivan as win
ner.
Mitchell next fought Sullivan in
ChantilIy. France. 1888. with the
bare knucklec. The fight was on a
private estate, in the woods, on
turf. in a cold, driving rainstorm.
Sullivan was on the down road
from dissipation then, and after
stamping around in the mud. trying
to land a blow or the clever,
dancing little fellow. contented
himself with turning to face
Mitchell and trying to get over
heavy counter blow. The fight
went thirty rounds. when both
men were so exhausted that neither
could hit effectively. and the
seconds agreed to stop the fight and
! il draw. SSlivan was well
SCARED by the soikes in Mitchells
shoes-for they fought in spikes
under the old prize ring rules-and
swift-footed Mitchell fairly walked
on the numbering Sullivan in going
around him. The champions
hackers tried to "aIibi" John LIS
poor showing by saying that he was
chilled through by the cold rain.
Tks brought out the famous ps-
tort by Mcdonald. one Of Mitchell's
seconds:
"BIi' me. didn't see anybody
'oI5inE' a bloomin' umbrella over
Mitchell"
Mitchell fought many other good
men. with a fair average OF success.
but his health broke down from ir-
regular living. and when he met
Jim Corbstt in 1894. weighing less
than $50 pounds. he was easy VIC,
tim of a three round knockout.
This was Mitchelrs fifteenth year
in the ring. He retired with for
tune and for years afterwards was
seen at the rinGside when newer
champions met.
Mace and Mitchell. 100 pound
| men. were the greatest heavy
weights developed in England in
many years. Since their time the
strongest EnglNh heavyweight was
Iron Hague. a big fellow who
looked a coming champion until his
hackers made the mistake of match
ing him against Sam Langford. who
knocked all ambition out of him in
four rounds.
The cleverest was Bombardier
Wells, a magnificent boxer with
good punch-very dangerous until
he was hit. Wells was unfortunate
/ in being unable to take punishment,
either on jaw or body.
| He visited America and made
wonderful fight against the giant
Al Palzer. knocking Palzer down
several times but collapsing when
Palzer swung a wild right into his
body in the third round. In his
first ~Sht with Carpenter, Wells
had Georges on the floor and in
trouble in the early rounds. but
was beaten by a body blow and a
hit on the chin in the fourth. Next
time Carpenter knocked him out in
round, before Wells could even
strike blow.
A strang thing about English
boxing Is that for many years Eng
| land has been unable to produce a
/ single good heavyweight, while
scores of splendid boxers have been
developed in the lighter classes.
When Gene Cofri. the famous
English referee. came over to see
Dempsey and Carpenter be pro-
claimed Dempsey the greatest
heavyweight he had ever seen in
any ring, and admitted that there
was no man in sight in England
who might have a chance with the
man who beat the hiterto invincible
French champion.
| Copyright, 1891. BY the Bell Syndicate Inc.J