The guardian., 1941-05-17
"BLACK DYNAMITE"
In REVIEW
By THE ROVER


Editors Note: This is another of a
series of reviews of "Black Dynamite. -
the authentic history of colored boxers
compiled and written by Nat Fleischer.
editor and publisher of Ring magazine.
JOE CANS
Joe Cans, "The Old Master" of box
) ing (1874-1910), has a true life story
that reads like fiction thriller and no
one tells the story better than Nat
tlelscher about Cans who won the
lightweight crown May II, 1902.
How Cans, in 1890, was earning his
livelihood shucking oysters in a Balti-
/ more fish market and then, following
his entry in a local theatre "battie
royal, entered the realm of boxing, is
well told in Black Dynamite.
The fights with the famed frankie
Erne, Spider Kelley, Elbows McFad-
den, Young Critic, Joe Walcott, and
Sam Langford, among other greats of
the Cans era, are all wildly told.
GREAT C0UNTER-PUNCH
Nat Fleischer relates the time when
Joe Cans was undergoing a ring work
out with Harry Lenny. Said the
Great Cans one day:
Mr.. Lenny, you have a left hand
like Mr.. Erne. Will you keep on trying
it with me. want to sort of study out
something"
Fleischer writes that Lenny and
Cans then boxed together for two
weeks with Lenny employing "many
varieties of left-leads. Finally Cans
appeared satisfied and said:
Il think I've got the idea now. Let
left come in for all you're worth"
When Lenny obeyed, Cans nailed
him with counter to the jaw, and then
pulling off his gloves commented
That's good enough. I've got Erne's
number now That lead will beat
him."
Cans beat Erne with one punch in
the first round!
GETS OFF FLOOR
Dal Hawkins, a killer puncher with
string of knockouts, really showed
the true greatness of Joe Cans. Quot
ing "Black Dynamite" "The first blow
struck, a left hook by Hawkins that
crashed on the point of the jaw, put
Cans on his back. Cans lay still for
a moment and Hawkins, smiling wick
edly, stood away and looked at his
fallen foe. Joe took the count of nine
and staggered to his feet barely in
time to prevent a knockout.
He was dazed as he reeled away
but he had sense enough to cover up.
Hawkins tore at him savagely, cutting
loose every kind of swing and punch
in an eager effort to finish his work.
That Cans lasted through that
storm of blows was due to his master
full defense. =.
CROWD WILD
g.. Then as if by magic, Cans sud-
denly regained his equilibrium. AS
the men stood toe-to-toe and banged
away with flying fists, blow-for-blow,
Cans suddenly crashed a short right
hook to the chin and this time it was
Hawkins who landed fiat on his back.
His head bounced on the floor and he
barrel ly made the count. :. Never before
or since with the exception of the wild
first round of the Dempsey Firpo fight
has a scene such as this been dupli-
Gated with two great fighters taking
and giving no quarters taken and given
without a letup. The second round
got underway. . Cans was stagger-
ing. A right to the jaw almost dropped
him. A left to the body caused him to
vince with pain. Hawkins, in his
eagerness, began to fight in a wide
open style, trading punch for punch.
:. That proved his undoing. Cans
landed hard right on the ear and
Hawkins WINGED. He didn't wait for
Hawkins to recover, but followed with
a jarring left hook to the jaw that
bounced Dal's head to the side and lust
as the left was brought away from
the chin, out came Joe's right. This
time Dal fell like a log. It was a
fight of fights, one long remembered
and cherished by those who witnessed
it. When the affair was over, the
crowd stood with hats off and sang
"Auld Lang Syne"