Evening star., 1938-12-04
:Unorthodox Marvel
First Of His Kind
Since Nelson
Defies All Boxing Form
As Durable Dane Did,
Relies on Stuminu
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

D.
conquest of Ceferino Garcia was the
latest development in career that
is a blow to those whose fetish is the
art and science of boxing. Henry
hasn't beaten any really good fight
ers, but he has beaten some very
good fighters who knew exactly how
to beat hin-but couldn't put their
theories into execution for the SIM
pie reason that Henry wouldn't let
them.
Armstrong is strictly an unortho-
dox fighter. If any one wants to
be technical about it he has no form
whatever and he violates every form
known to students of the game. But
his terrific speed and his amazing
stamina have overcome the most
skillful opponents that have been
tossed into ring with him.
Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard and
other masters of boxing have de-
scribed-sometimes very convinc-
ingly-how the little Negro can be
handled. It's all great-on paper.
But what are you going to do with
fellow who jars you with his shoul-
ders, clips you with his elbows, stems
your punches before they are started,
rolls out of their range or shakes
them off when they land-and rips
punches at you from every angle
and with a more bewildering speed
than anybody else has mustered
going back to and beyond fellows
like Jackie Kid Berg, Kid Kaplan
and Harry Greb?
Nelson Was That Way.
No one has so successfully defied
the rules of form and convention
In boxing since Battling Nelson. Bat
wasn't as fast as Armstrong and
couldn't hit as hard But he dis
couraged his opponents and wore
them down. too. His technique was
very simple. He just took all the
punches the other fellow could throw
and kept walking in until the other
:ellow grew arm weary. When he
was completely at Bats mercy, Bat
finished him off.
Little is said or written of Battling
Nelson any more, but if only because
over a long span of years he was
impervious to punishment and wore
out and beat some great fighters, he
veered close to greatness himself.
Nelson was Dane. His right
name was Oscar Matthews Battling
Nelson and he was born in Copen-
hagen, but was brought to this coun-
try as child and grew up in Heges-
wich, III. He was pale, blond, blue
eyed and almost scraWny in build
and he was physical marvel His
heartbeat was below normal. so much
so that at first doctors we're afraid
to certify him for competition in the
ring. He seemingly had no nerves.
He was-at least for a long time
insensible to pain.
He couldn't box and he couldn't
punch. There was nothing spectac-
ular about him. For years he was
Just another fighter around the small
clubs in the territory adjacent to
Chicago. Everything happened to
him in the ring-save one thing
He won decisions and lost them. He
fouled and was fouled He scored
knockouts and fought many a draw.
But he never was knocked out.
He Wore Them Out.
There is no other way to describe
his progress than to say that he out
lasted the opposition. Boxers and
fighters took crack at him-and,
at last, faded before him. No mat
ter how we'll they could box or how
hard they could punch they could
:: do nothing with him. They set him
up skillfully for knockout punch
and when they landed it he didn't
even blink. They roughed him and
hurled blows upon him and he shook
on the blows and walked into them,
still punching.
After seven years of campaigning
he emerged from the tank towns and
appeared on the bigtime. He was
meeting good fighters, even great
lighters. To combat him, they tried
everything they knew-and nothing
would avail them. They knew a lot,
too. some of them. But they didn't
know what to do with fellow who
couldn't be hurt.
The hardest-hitting lightweight
that ever lived was a Mexican named
Aurelio Herrera. He trained on
cigars and whisky, but he could
wreck an opponent with single
punch. He and Nelson tangled for
20 rounds and he hit Nelson with
everything he had. But at the end
OF the goth round Nelson was on his
feet. grinning at him through
mask of blood and the Mexican, bat
tered and exhausted. saw the Danes
glove hoisted in victory.
Jimmy Britt took a 2O-round de-
cision over him, but the fight vir-
tually finished Britt. A year later
Nelson knocked him out in 10 rounds.
Great Fights With Cans.
The lightweight champion was
Joe Cans. Cans was getting on in
years then. but he still had plenty
Of stuff left. There are many who
think that. even Judging him off
his form at that time. he was the
greatest Of all lightweights.
The first time Nelson fought him
was at Goldheld. New, in 1906. That
was the first fight promoted by Tex
Rickard and brought Rickard into
national prominence. They called
Cans the old master then. He was
. wonderful boxer and a deadly
puncher. For Al rounds he hit Mel
son with everything. In the 42d
Nelson nailed him with low punch
and Cans was the winner on a
foul.
Two years later Nelson knocked
Cans out in II rounds. Joe wasn't
satisfied-or maybe he merely needed
the money. At any rate, they fought
third time and Nelson knocked
him out in 81 rounds.
Time caught up with Bat, of
course. In 1910, two years after he
had knocked out Cans and IA wears
after he had first climbed through
the ropes in Hegeswich, he was