Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-12
|Br0SS "COn1eS Back"
in Hard Hitting Bout
With Eddie Shepherd
Great Falls Fighter Substituted at Last Moment
for Delaney Wins Decisive Battle and
Old Time Popularity.

four medical specialists examined De-
laney's left arm, which became infected
while on his way west from st. Paul.
and ruled that the Twin City lad should
not enter the ring. The advance seat
sale had been tremendous. for Shep-
herd has always been popular here n
Delaney's reputation as a t%op-notch
middleweight was well known.
To stop the show meant a loss to
the American Legion boxing commits
sion. What to do that was just TO the
Legion and to the public made Match
maker Frank Mcdonnell cry real tears.
He had built up a strong fort and a
shot in the dark shattered it. And all
of Delaney's remorse and that of his
manager, Billy Rhodes, added no sweet
ness to the dilema. They lost a lot
of money and it wasn't their fault that
they stopped the headline act of the
show.
Mcdonnell asked Bross if he would
go in and meet Shepherd to save the
show. Bross had battled Shepherd to
a draw here in February. so it wasn't
wholly an unfair thing to ask. Bross
keeps himself in perfect physical con-
| dition by playing baseball and living
clean. and he said he'd take another
whirl at Shepherd just to help his
friends out in a pinch and to show the
skeptical that he was still in the fight
ing game. What he showed was a
plenty and the clean sportsmanship
that he showed in agreeing to meet
Shepherd was the most fortunate oc-
currence for him during his fighting
career.
1t was a poor crowd in comparison to
the throng that would have gone had
Delaney shown, but Bross' name will
mean more the next time he is billed
to fight on a card here. and those who
turned in their tickets for a refund
Tuesday missed the toughest fight
staged here in years.
After the first two rounds. which
were fast and furious, but in which
little punishment was exchanged, the
boys stood out there and lambasted
each other with terrific blows. Bross's
nose was bleeding and Shepherd was
/ splitting blood. Honors were even foi
the first two rounds and Shepherd
emerged out of the smoke of a terrible
third round with a possible shade over
his fighting opponent. Bross took the
| fourth by a shade and his body blows
began telling on the tall Utah fighter
The fifth was Bross's big round and
ne na1 dll out OUT. i1au Ht
| stepped out of the clinch and cut loose
a straight left to the jaw, the fight
would have ended there. Shepherd
was virtually helpless, but hung on and
the bell saved him.
He fought hard in the sixth, flashing
terrible rights and lefts into Bross's
face and crowded him TO the ropes
Bross appeared tired, but exchanged
many vicious punches. Without split.
| ting any hairs for an advantage, the
round was even.
The next two were all Pete's. Shep'
herd seemed dazed and the glaze in hiS
eyes showed that he was fighting auto
matically. He covered UP and allowed
Bross to punish him terribly. And ht
was still fighting when his second:
stopped the fight, defeated. but no
whipped. Shepherd weighed in at III
pounds, Bross at 155.
! Billy Freeman of Butte won the col
ored middleweight title of the state il
a decision over Slick Merrill of Grea
Falls in the 10-round s~emi-windup
The big dusky lads put up a real fight
with Freeman's straight left to Mcr
rill's jaw, which he landed repeatedly
the outstanding feature of punishment
exchanged. Freeman weighed 16t
pounds. Merrill 1871.
Harry L%effingwell. Canadian light.