The Connecticut labor news., 1921-09-23
VETERAN KILBANE
 RETAINS HIS TITLE
 BY BEATING BRUSH
Rough Tactics Almost Causes End ing of Bout Early But
 Referee Interferes.

Johnny Kilbane is gray-haired, 5I wears old, and has look ot age around his eyes. but he still is the featherwe1ght champion of the world.
 The Cleveland veteran of the ring de tending his championship for the trst time in five years, knocked out Danny Frush of Baltimore, a challenger ten wears his junior, in the seventh round of a scheduled 12-round championship contest at Cleveland Saturday. he match was fought in the Cleveland American league baseball park before crowd of 22,OO0, which paid approximate lv S1OOOOO to see Kilbane, who has been the title holder for nine years, knocked into the .pugilistic scrap heap.
 The fight developed into one of the rouehest and most exciting contests ever staged in the featherweight division. It came near being ended in the tlrst round when Kilbane deliberately hit Frush in the groin with his knee, III retaliation for punch that Frush had landed low.
 ~ Kilbane, his face reddened with lett iabs protested to the referee, Walter L. Kelly, who paid no attention to h1m. AS he fell into a clinch, Kilbane brought h1s knee up sharply, and Brush fell to the canvas apparently in pain. Referee kel- ly allowed him to lie there. Kelly walk ed to the edge of the ring, raised his hand for silence, and announced:
 II am not going to let this fight end in a huke You came to see light, and you're going to see one.
 Kelly then ordered Frush's handlers to carry him to his corner and after minutes rest the second round started as if nothing had happened. Frush car ried the fight to the gray-haired k1lbane and staggered him with a left hook to the chin. It was the only time that Kill bane was in danger during the fight
 After boxing cautiously for the first two rounds Kilbane opened up with desperate attack that brought roar of cheers when the bell sounded. Neither heard the bell and they continued to fight until the referee stopped them.
 Tn the sixth round Frush was foored for count of nine with right and left to the jaw When the challenger strug- gled to his feet Kilbane rushed at him and again fought after the gong.
 Frush was knocked down three times in the seventh round. He opened a cut over Kilbanes left eye which brought stream of blood across his face. This served to anger the champion, who caught Frush with a terrific right to the chin. The dazed Frush fell in a heap but managed to struggle to his feet at the count of nine With a victory with in his grasp Kibane piled into Frush with a series of right and left hooks that dropped him in neutral corner for the second time Frush tottered to his feet at the count of nine and sWayed onto the ropes.
 Kilbane tore into his dazed opponent as he lay on the ropes, his arms hanging Imply at his side. The champion show cred him with rights and lefts and Frush slid to the floor of the ring completely knocked out. Referee Kelly started to count but did not finish, waving Kilbane to his corner as a sign of victory.
 Thousands of ringsiders swarmed through the ropes to congratulate Xiii bane and fought with the police. who were obliged to use their clubs to clear the ring. Press tables were torn in the wild scramble.
 The match was fought in a drizzling rain. Dark clouds began to gather be- fore the preliminaries were finished and these were cut short so the main bout could be staged before the rain
 Kilbane received $62,000 as his share of the purse. He was guaranteed $60,- GOO, win, lose or draw, and was given an additional $3,000 as a bonus for signing Brush got $2, 500, merely enough to cover his training expenses. Kilbane did not weigh in for the fight, but his handlers said he was about 128 pounds. Frush was obliged to make 126 pounds half an hour before the match.