The Connecticut labor news., 1921-02-04
NEW HAVEN FIGHT FANS AT LAST GET A DECENT
 RUN FOR THEIR MONEY
Marlin A. c. Bouts Provide Good Entertainment Even Though All the Crowd Didn't Agree With Referee-Big Dave Right, However, Close-ups Say.

New Haven fight fans, ever gullible and ready to swallow anything in the fight line in the hope of getting a run for their money, had an agreeable sur prise on Monday night when they were actually treated-yes, treated-to set of first class bouts, run i'll first class manner and in which every boy worked like a first class man. The fans always thought 1t could be done and by Heck 1t was-by Heck Maher of the Marlin A. C. Whether or not the fact that he is a pal of Capt. Billy Doherty, mem Der of the boxing commission, had any thing to do with it or not doesn't mat ter. The fights were run off and the game given one great big boost toward the restoration of its former popularity here.
 The crowd got so much action that it forgot itself time after time and let Ter rip as strong as the lungs could roar. Even the cops forgot to stop the cheer ing so surprised were they themselves at actually being i'll on a good show. In fact everybody got excited and so balled up that when the bouts were over didn't know who won and so therefore took exception to the decisions of Big Dave Fitzgerald, the third man in the ring. Fitz's decisions, however, were close but nevertheless, according to the facts as he saw them in the ring and the boys themselves were apparently satisfied so why should the fans worry.
 The bouts opened with a corking mixup between George Proto and Joe Hall of Bridgeport which Big Dave called draw after the boys had smash ed at each other for six fast rounds. The fog wasn't out of the eyes of some of fhe local 1Vr1terc hu that time and of course they differed as usual with the referee and themselves after ward.
 Next came forth Joe Currie and Sam my Waltz of Hartford and they didn' t lack energy and pep even if they did not do much damage to each other. As a semi-fnal 1t was all and more than the crowd expected and they didn't take much exception when the referee awarded the decision to Currie A num- Der of Waltz's friends thought that he should have gotten at least a draw but those close to the ringside agreed with Fitzgerald that Currie had a shade the better of the set-to.
 Pilkington, the Meriden bear cat, went into the ring big favorite over Willie Murphy of Staten Island, but he didn' t come out that way for after IS rounds of hard and fast battling the referee gave the decision to Murphy and of course the Pi1l1ington cohorts at once set up howl. On the whole, however, Murphy's aggressiveness and the fact that he had to give Pilkington five or six pounds of weight, and that he did all the forcing the entire route, seemed to give him shade the better of it. The match was so near even, however, that the fans before leaving the hall were clamoring for another bout be- tween the boys and they will likely get 1t.
 The show was financial as well as artistic success. There were more than 3,2OO fans in the Arena and the net receipts were something over $4,1OO. The main bout was fought on percent age each cutting 25 per cent. and taking down $1,033.75 apiece. A neat little nights work to be sure.