The New York herald., 1922-08-03
Romance of the Prize Ring
Displayed When Pepper
Saves the Kid.
BY w. o. M'GEEHAN.

The spirit OF chivalry shone in the
prize fight at Ebbets Field last night
at the end of grudge fight.
In the twelfth and last round OF the
bout between Vincent Pepper" Martin
and Kid Sullivan Martin had his man
reeling and helpless against the ropes
The crowd was screaming for knock
out. Martin owed Sullivan a knock
out Once a few years ago Sullivan
had knocked Martin out and nearly
ended his championship aspirations.
Twice in that fight last night Sulli-
van had dropped Martin with solid
punches. All through the bout Sulli-
van sneered at Martin. Once or twice
he had called him names inaudible to
the crowd near the ringside He was
laughing derisively at Martin when
Martin SUDDENLY dropped him with
right. Sullivan fell face downward to
the mat.
Referee Mcfarland began the cold,
methodical count. Sullivan rose, CLASSY
eyed and staggering. at the count of
nine- Martin rushed at him and sent
him down again. Again the droning
count, and again Sullivan was battered
to the mat. Once more he dragged him
self up painfully. and, staggering back
against the ropes. stood there looking at
the boy who owed him the long grudge
and most emphaticaily owed him a
knockout punch.
Crowd Calls for Knockout.
The crowd began to scream for the
knockout with the scream of the old
Roman mob. Drop him !" they shouted.
Go in, Martin and knock him out T.
Martin walked over to the helpless
boy and stood there with his fists poised,
but he would not send out the finishing
punch. With his back against the ropes
Sullivan waited, helpless. There was a
red mist before his eyes, but he saw
through 1t the face of his boyhood
enemy. his antagonist of street corner
and ring encounters.
He was expecting a blow and he tried
to raise his arms to block it, but they
refused to answer the summons of his
will. He was expecting something even
more cruel. a taunt of the same sort
that he had delivered to Martin.
His conqueror's lips were bruised and
bloody where he had struck them early
in the fight. The mouth was twisted
awry. Sullivan saw the lips move and
he was dazed when he heard what they
said.
Il amt going to knock you out, Kid"
said Martin. It's all right. kid. / won't
knock you out no matter what they say
Crowd Was BaffIed.
The baffled crowd in the field seats
and the galleries began TO camor, Say,
what is this? Why don't you knock him
out?" Martin slapped Sullivan's shoul-
ders with the palms of his open hands.
Then the bell rang. Vincent (Pepper)
Martin, candidate for the junior light
weight championship honorss purposely
had missed a chance to add a knockout
to his record. and a knockout which he
had been counting on for years.
have never seen anything quite like
this in the prize ring before. | have seen
fighters reluctant TO let go the knockout
punch at times. But this was "A grudge
fight, one of those bitter neighborhood
feuds. And once, you must remember,
Sullivan had stopped Martin.
II may be that Martin has lost ring
by this bit Of chivalry. but II
should give him man prestige.
1t may indicate that he has not cham
temperament for the successful
fighter must have the killer instinct, and
Yet Il was one of the most beautiful
things that the game In this vicinity
has produced.
Aside from this little bit OF human
drama, the bout was about the best they
have put on for some time. Martin was