Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-08
The Hardest Ring
Battle of My Career"
Feather,0eight Champions
Bout in Barn With Nanes
sake Vas CrueIing 25-
Round Fracds
BY JOHNNY KILBANE

TT WAS a Kilbane that took all the
i joy out Of life for me early In my
boxing career. We were both kids of
the same age-nineteen years old
Tommy and /. We lived on the same
street in Cleveland, attended the same
school and were pals before we met
each other in the ring. Then the
rivalry started and Immediately two
kilbane factions were created. Incl
dcntally, there Is no relationship be-
tween Tommy Kilbane. who now IS in
retirement, and myself.
Back during the winter of 1908,
after both Tom and I each had taken
part III only half dozen respective
matches, talk started of Kilbane-
Nilbane bout. The conversation reached
such a fever heat that our constituents
wanted to sec finish fight. However.
fnally II was decided that q twenty
hvc- round match would be held.
Then. as | am doing now. l was my
own manager. and all details were ar
ranged by myself. We certainly had n
lot of trouble to decide on site for the
battle, as we had to duck the Sheriff.
and it was difficult to get some one to
referee. All in all, making arrangements
for that bout was the toughest thing
that I have ever known.
After several days John Reddy, in
those days fearless man, and now fire
chief in Cleveland, was prevailed on to
act as referee. Reddy was prepared for
any emergency, ! am quite sure.
ten-foot ring pitched in the second
story of n barn near roadhouse just
outsidS<6f Cleveland was chosen for the
battle-ground. About 500 people filed
the room, light being furnished by four
aim oil burning lamps hanging from the
ceiling. All windows being nailed down
tight, the place soon filled with cigarette
and cigar smoke. The air was sitting.
We started on our way, Tommy and
J.. | was handled by Doc. Payne and
Bert Wing. The timekeepers were Billy
Evans, the American League umpire ;
Bill Smith and Matt Hinckle. Because
OF the smallness of the ring there wasn't t
n chance Of either depending on clever
ness. 1t was slam bang affair. We
just punched, maulcd and battlcd each
and again being pushed away from the
improyised ropes into the center of the
ring by the crowd.
What laCing We each suffered Fot
twenty rounds we fought nip and tuck.
How | tried to knock him out ! | sue
ceeded in staggering Tom several times,
and he staggered me. I have never
been so fatigucd in all my life as ! was
that highland with every round | felt
myself becoming weaker and weaker in
that atuffy room, which was getting
! hotter and LOtter, despite the fact that
it was zero weather outside.
When the twenty first round opened
| was virtually all in. l couldn't hold
! up my arms to protect myself. 1t
looked MS if | was doomed for n knock
! out. | thought / would get 1t any sec .
ond during that rough twenty first. But
my legs kept moving and l was able to
duck and side step. Probably Tommy
was tired, too. In the next round l
was still without sufficient strength to
hold up my arms. and Tommy kept
whanging away as best he could.
! Rut | was able to keep on my feet.
Then the twenty third. To my sur
Prise l felt that my arms were becoming
/ Loose instead of stiffened. and before
| | knew it | let fly with right flush on
! TCmmy's Jaw. Down he. went. lie
barely got to his feet at nine. Twice
more ! dropped the game little battler.
and each time he managed TO get up
/ before the referee could count ten.
We both were all In in the twenty
! fourth and the twenty fifth, the end
of the contest finding us badly used
! up and battered NlrCst to a pulp. Both
| my eyes WIRE ullllo$t CloSeu, MY HoSc
! and mouth were bleeding. Tommy was
u similar sight.
On the strength of the knocklowns l
scored In the twenty third round l was
given thu GccisiOn. unI purse of S40S.
| Before the match ! weighed 119H
pounds. When 1t was over l was down
10 ~.
Not since that night in 1908 have ]
felt so terrible, SO tired. so worn-just
plain ordinary down and out, and
never again have appeared in n
twenty five round bout.