Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-03

Pete Bross and Johnny Nichols
divided honors in a 12-round go as
headliners on the American Legion
boxing card in the Grand theater Tues
day night. Technically there was some
fair boxing displayed. From the view
point of the average fan the mill was
dull and uninteresting.
Bross had a bloody nose all during
the fight as a result of the steady
swiping of Nichols right glove, and
he weathered a lot of punches to the
kidneys. but was not called upon to
take any severe punishment. In re-
turn. the blows that he struck that
landed fairly could be counted easily
on 10 baby fingers and no baby toes.
1t was an even exchange of boring
and clinching and mitigating. Nichols
much touted left failed to material
ize. Time and again he swung
v~iciously. but the swing went wide and
as Bross would rush him following
such swings he would open his arms
and they would cIinch. From punish
ment exchange most of the rounds
were even. The second. third and
fourth rounds were Bross' by a shade.
with Nichols claiming the eighth and
possibly the eleventh round by a shade.
Bross Aggressive
Both fighters weighed 1902 pounds
at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. and
when they stepped into the ring to-
gether it looked like q show of cham
pionship caliber. And it would have
been if either fighter had cut loose
with different tactics. BroSs showed
aggressiveness at the beginning of the
bout and the first couple of rounds
were pleasing to watch. Then Bross
adopted a crouch and Nichols met
him at his w game. making vicious
.sw') ,es at his nose in the close-ups
that bothered the Great Falls lad and
marred his countenance. At times
both fighters crouched SO low that it
looked as if they were sparring for
a toe hold.
The friendly crowd became antago-
nistic and yelled for action. Time and
again Bross forced the Twin Cities
favoritee to the ropes. but was unable
to punish him effectively. Nichols
showed superior ability in the cIinches.
but he wasn't fast enough to hit Bross
an open blow.
Fight Too Friendly
The fight was friendly. too friendly.
to suit the crowd. and it was only
occasionally that the boys stepped out
of their crouch and showed flashes of
speed. One had the feeling at the
end of the battle that the fighters
still feeling each other out.
They were evenly matched and there
was no hesitation on the part of the
in calling the match a draw.
Bross shaded his opponent in ag-
gressiveness slightly. and a few of
friends ciamored Tor a decision
in his favor at the end of the bout.
but to the majority the decision met
with approval.
At times the fighters exchanged
lefts to the face that drew blood. but
only at n time during the fight was
either groggy from punishment. In
the tenth round Nichols missed a
hard left swing and Bross landed a
hard left and a right to Nichols jaw
rocked him. He recovered
and ended the round tired but
still fighting. Both were slow in the
round and failed TO respond
to the crowds demand for open fight
ing. In the last round they shook
hands and fell into a clinch. exchang-
ing short jabs to the face in the close
up. They ended the fight good
naturally and stood talking together
until Matchmaker Frank Mcdonnell
indicated that the fight was a draw