The Washington times., 1935-01-09
enFrank "Buck" O'Neill

decision was 3#$$### An $$$$$$$
mere formality s M $
Rivers won eight n $~S$SSszlsss ~
of the tenFrank Buck" o'Nein
rounds without question.
Throughout the battle Rivers
battered his man from pillar to
post, but could not knock him out.
Neither did he knock him down.
In the third round Rivers suffered
a cut under his left eye. This
was practically his only souvenir.
There were several times, not
ably in the seventh round, when
Rivers caught Burl flush ON the
chin with right cross, that it
seemed as if the Florida boy
must go down.
The bell came to his aid then.
In the fifth Burl was in dire dis
tress, but the bell changed mo-
mentary respite that in reality
only prolonged his evening Of
suffering.
In the ninth round Burl earned
an even break with the swarthy-
skinned descendant of tho Con-
uuistadors, his sodden gloves driv-
ing his rival before him. But
even in his best round Burl did
little damage. The power and
speed of his punch had been
sapped by the fearful blows
driven piston-like into his body.
The rules that give a round to
a fighter who suffers a low
punch gave Burl the tenth and
final period of the one-sided fight.
AS Rivers, swaying back from
one of Burl's wearily swung
! punches, leaped in with a right
hand drive for the body, Burl
blocked and drove the punch
down below the belt. 1t was
palpable, but accidental foul.
Rivers was penalized.
One-sided Fight
In seven of the remaining eight
rounds the battle was one sided.
Burl was not knocked out. but q
finishing wallop might have been
a mercy blow. Harsh relief, to
be sure. but the beating the
plucky Burl took last night will
remain with him for many day.
The human nervous system does
not rally quickly from such pun
ishment.
The cheers of the crowd beat
upon the battered ears Of Burl
in the ninth round as he charged
and made Rivers give ground.
Perhaps that recurTent wave OF
sound asSuaged some of the pain
that Wracks his battered body to-
day. Perhaps the cheers may re-
paw him in some minor way Tor
agony endured in the fifth round
when Rivers, timing one OF Edd1e's
sweeping left hooks, stepped in
and drove home a right to the
floating ribs.
BurPs face twisted in pain. He
staggered and turned his face
from his foeman for just a second
Rivers, seeing a chance to end
the fight, leaped in with right
to the head that spun Eddie on
his heels. Again Rivers charged
for the kill, but as he stood with
right hand poised, the bell rang
a minutes rest from the awful
rataplan of blows.
A Long Round
Burl will tell you today, If he
tells you very much OF the
seventh round that every single
minute of the period was
century; a century whose days
were years long. At the bell Eddie
walked out to meet his man and
swung a left for the head. Rivers
timed the lead half turned:
twisted inside, and as he cleared
the glove drove his right to the
chin.
Back on his heels went the
stricken Burl. His arms drop
ped to his side. He rocked for a
dizzy moment, teeterlng pre-
cariously on legs that were
numbed by the blow.
"Stop it," yelled some one IN
the ringside chairs.
Don't hit him, Joe" shouted
another.
Pleading for mercy in the prize
ring! Does the cougar give the
drinking deer at evening glow
chance for his life?
Rivers flashed in and drove
another right. Burl shlVered
under the blasting shocks but
did not fall. Another right, and
this last one ignited the spark
that had almost been extin-
, guished. Burl leaned forward,
swung a right and landed. He
charged his leering opponent as
a torme14ted bull charges in the
Plaza los Toros. but Rivers
glided away and handled him
with ease.
Rivers a MatadOr
The Plaza los Toros; yes, that
was it. Rivers was the matador.
, His left hand was the rapier
D with which the coup de grace IS
administered. But the matador
of the bull ring carries no Sledge
hammer in his right hand to
supplement the work of the
rapier, and that right Of the
i CONTINUED on Page ~, Col. -