OCR Text |
Show BLOODY BATTLE OF FORTY ROUNDS the minute's iost at tho end of the-round- , ' ROUND 11. " olga6t looked much tho freahcr as thoy caruo up. He flung his right hard to the face and followed with left and right to the body. Nelson's' faco was badly swol Ion- - Wolgast fought fiercely, taking the Egbtin; right to the Hauler. Nelson' Nel-son' almost forced Wolgast through the ropes and then assisted him in the center or the ring. Wolgast sailed sail-ed and shook the champion's hand warmly. Wolgast then hooked his left twice In quick succession to the Jaw and followed It with a straight rlht to the face and the bell ended a rather tame round, i ROUND 15. Betting now even money. They whaled away Ineffectively Ineffec-tively at one another, both displaying display-ing more caution than In any previous pre-vious round. Nelson then wrestled his man about tho ring, only to be rewarded with a kit uppercut In hla sore mouth. Nelson, out pointed badly, continued to force the pace, all the while the target for Wolgast's well-timed well-timed swings. Nelson missed a tor rifle swing that was labeled 'knockout" 'knock-out" and this taught Wolgast that he had better be careful. It was another anoth-er tame round. ROUND 1C. Wclgast swung In Beveral times oTer the kidneys and they roughed It, Nelson receiving the lion's share of the punishment. Wolgast Wol-gast kept pegging away with rlcht and left to th Jaw and finally a tre- mendnua drive caught Nelson's Jaw. Nel.con neer wavered, but closed In, exchanging punch for punch. Nelson l swung left and right to the body and forced his antagonist against the rope, landing Beveral times with right and loft on the Jaw. Nelson went to his seat dancing. ROUND 17 Wolgast backed away Nelson throwing himself at him with great vim Wolgast met these onslaughts on-slaughts with right and left swings to the body. Nelson fought hard and never stepped Finally Wolgust swung a terrific right to tho Jaw and then shot In a half dozen right swings for the face and ear. Nelson received a hard left upper cut on the Jaw, causing the blood to flow afresh, 7 he men fought every Inch of the way. ROUND 18. "How do you feel?" Asked Nelson as the men camo up. "As if I were punching a bag," was the quick rcjolner of Wolgast, with which he wadi-d In. landing right and left on Nelson's sore mouth. Wolgast slipped to his knees In his own corner, cor-ner, but was up In a jiffy. lie cohered coh-ered up with Nelson battering away at him but falling to land. Wolgast apparently stageered the champion, sending In sexeral vicious right swings to the Jaw. Wolgast deliberately but- Richmond Arena, California, Feb. 22. His face battered to a pulp, h!s eves clo.-nd, bis Hps puffed, covered ' with blood and staggering helplessly about the ring today, Battling Nelson, ennquerer of Joe Cans, was saved from a knockout in t-he 40th round of Ms fight with Ad Wolgast, when Referee Ref-eree Eddie Smith humanely stopped a most unequal contest. Nelson, grime to the very last, stood In the ceDter of tho ring and, even though he could hardly raise his hands, bagged to be allowed to continue. He was led to his corner brokenhearted.-In brokenhearted.-In the opposite corner of the ring, the new lightweight champion of the world. Ad Wolgast of Cadillac, Mich . was lifted to the shoulders of his trainers amid the cheers of the big crowd. Only once during the fight did Nelson Nel-son h3ve a chance the twenty-second round, when, with a stinging right cross to the Jaw, he staggered Ms opponent. .Before the round had eloped be dropped Wolgast In the middle of the ring with a similar Mow and three seconds were tolled before Wolgast regained his feet. The crowd prepared to leave the arena; the word went from bench to bench through the spectators that another an-other boy had fallen victim to the wonderful durability of the Daue. Hut In the next round Wolgast recuperated, re-cuperated, and from then on, slowly, steadily, but surely, wore Nelson down. For twelve rounds before the finish Nelnon seemed bewildered and his blowo were sent an though he held weights In his hands. From the HOth round Nelson could hardly seo or hear, the left side of hta face having hav-ing lost all Bemblance of Its former contour. He staggered and hung on. In the 37th round he was all uu. out, but survived the round. In the 3Sth round John Robinson, Nelson's manager, wanted to throw tho sponge Into the ring, but Abdul the Turk, one of the second, tore it frorn his liands and threw It Into the bucket From then on. during each round, Robinson protested, on the verge of tears that his man was beaten. funny for just a few seconds. I cannot can-not say anything as to my future plans, but am ready to g.ve any deserving- lightweights a chance." When Nelson was able to talk, he said: "I am sorry they called the fight off when they did. 1 think I could have stayed the forty five rounds, but have no complaint to make " ROUND 1. Nelson 6wiing his left on the head and a moment later planted plant-ed a solid left to the face They fought at close range at a fast rlip. Wolgast stood with his back against the rope and flayed the Battler with Ehort-arm abs on Jthe face. Nelson forced the fighting, landing right and left on the jaw and face. Wolgast, maddened, fought back fiercely, landing land-ing seeral powerful wallops on the champion's Jaw and nose. It was an even round. ROUND 2. Nelson started the I round with a left smash to the face and forced his man against the ropes. Wolgast swung two powerful lefts to tho face and a right and left to the Jaw at close ranpe. Nolon slipped Both exchanged rights and lefts to the face. A right svtln? by Nelson opened up a cut under Wolgast's right eye that bled s'lghtly. Nelson took the fighting to his opponent but was met with two hard lefts to the stomach stom-ach and a right to the Jaw. Wolgast had a rhade the better of the ro-nd ROUND 3. Wolgast shot In three straight lefts to the face, Nelson rebuking re-buking him with a right sning fairly on the Jaw. Wolgast smiled and they mixed it aealnat the ropes. Neleon brought the blood from his opponent's Dose, crossing hlra with a vicious right. After some wrestling Nelson forced his mnn against the ropes, but Wolgast covered up and smothered neatly. Nelson was doing the major portion of the work and both men slowed up considerably. The round was even. ROUND 4. Nelron piled onto his man and the Milwaukeean fought back ferociously. Nelson staggered WolcflSt with a left nnnpr rut fr thr to the Jaw and an Instant later nwung twice with rlphts to tho face and left to the body, meanwhile covering up cleverly. Nelson sent Wolgast to the ropes with a straight left, and one to the Jaw. They mixed It In the center cen-ter of the ring, Wolgast bringing a fresh stream of blood from the champion's cham-pion's face. As the bell rang, Nelson swung a hard right over the heart. The round was fairly even. ROUND S. Nelson rushed In, planting his right solidly on the Jaw. He forced the pace, but was met with a straight right and left tp the face. The champion never faltered, however, how-ever, and kept Wolgast coneUntly at work covering. Nelson started the blood flowing from bis man'8 nostrils as he chased him about the ring, landing land-ing several times with right and left to the face. Wolgast sought a haven i against the ropos with Nelson slugging slug-ging away unceasingly. 'Wolgast look-I look-I ed tired at this stngo of the contest ( and his blows s emed to have lost some of their sting. The round closed clos-ed with Nelson enjoying a good lead. ROUND 9. Wolgast broke ground before the Battler, ever and anon, trying to reach Nelson with right and left for the stomach. Finally they mixed It, fighting at a fierce clip, each landing on the face and jaw. One mix up was a repetition of another, Nelson forcing his man back and Wolgast trying hard to stop the pace leader Wolgast uppercut to the Jaw, with his left, and a moment la'er cut open Nelson's ear with a right swing. Nelson Nel-son danced to his corner with blood streaming from his Injured ear. Nelson Nel-son had a shade. ROUND 10. Nelson forced the pace, constantly backing his opponent against the roper. Wolgast, In a corner, cor-ner, fought back fiercely but tho champion cham-pion was not to be stopped. Time and lime again, Wolgast landed but Nelson never faltered. Wolgast peppered pep-pered the champion's face with left and right swings and finally crossed with a left to the Jav. Nelson never winced, all the time compelling Wol Fast to step back against the ropes. Nelson again danced to his corner at the sound of the bell. Nelson's round. ROUND 11 Wolgast outboxed tho champion but could not make him WTien the fortieth came, Referee Smith nsked Nc-Ibod If ho wanted to quit, ajid Nelson, unable to talk, merely shook his head negatively. When thirty-seven seconds of the 4"th round had gonf, and as darkness was beginning to creep over the , sceno of tho right and a full moon to peep through the clouds, Reforoe Smith raised 'Wolgast's glove Into the nlr and a new lightweight champion had come Into flstanla. Both men fought tho same Wolnast had outgeneraled, out-generaled, outboxed and all but out-gamed out-gamed tho great Battling Nelson. After the battlo Wolgast scampered out of he ring like a schoolboy and galloped through the crowd. Nelson, on the other hand, was taken out on the arms of his seconds. As he was carried through the crowd, he was cheered by the crowd for the remarkable remark-able grit and gamenoRs displayed, such as old ring followers nay seldom has been seen In tbe prize ring, Referee Smith made tho following statement to the Associated Press: "Wolgast fought: Nelson at his own game and beat him fairly and square- ! y. Nelson complained at times of Wolgast butting, but I paid little heed ns It was simply a case of tho Battler getting tbe worst of a game where i both men wero equally guilty, "Both men fought the same, but ' on had youth, the power to como back, vigor, life and all that goes with It, while thirteen years of fight-lug fight-lug through which Nelson had gone had sapped Lis utrength and loft him without his old snap, dah and stamina." stam-ina." Wolgast said after the fight: "Jfy fight today was like a training 1kuL Only once did he bother me, and that was in the twenty-second round. NolRon hurt me more by butting but-ting me than anytning else, and I felt Jaw. followed with left and right swings to the body. WolsftfU fought back gamely playing for the head and body. Nelson forced his antagonist against the ropes and tried to land a knockout punch, but Wolgast was too elusive. Wolgast landed twice with a right on the fare and then they fought at close range, Wolgast's right finding find-ing the stomach and his loft landing land-ing on the Battler's Jaw. Wolgast's ee was swollen as he took his seat and both men bled from the nostrils at the close of the round, which was even. ROUND Z. Nelson forced his man around the ring and delivered a telling tell-ing right 6mash to the Jaw, which Wol-gabt Wol-gabt responded In kind, lifting Nelson Nel-son In the air. They went at it like a pair of bull terriers and both men were cnutloned for butting. The round ended In a furious exchange, Wolgast having the better of It. ROUND C. Wolgast talked to his seconds as Nelson battered away at hlra. After Wolgast had landed two rights to the jaw, and a left swing to the name place, Nelson closed In and an exchange of short arm rights and lefts to the head followed. Nelson Nel-son swung n hard right to the jaw which the Battler duplicated a moment mo-ment later. Wolgast backed Into his own corner and scored on the stomach with a tremendous left that sent the crowd howling. A moment later he sent In another to the same place. The round closed with the honors In favor of Wolgast. ROUND 7. Nelson appeared to have slowed down a bit. Wolgast swung two lefts to the face and a mld-rlng rally followed, tbe men exchanging ex-changing right and left swings to the head. Wolgast met the on com-Ing com-Ing Battler with two left upper-cuts ted the champion with his head and was quickly rebuked by Referee Smith Tho crowd hissed and the round ended end-ed without damage. ROUND 19. The men came up almost as fresh as the beginning. Wolgast Wol-gast time and time -ac;ain jabbed hja left to the face, Nolson fighting back fiercely, but Ineffectively. They battled bat-tled about the ring, Nelson the aggressor ag-gressor and never relenting, and Wolgast Wol-gast slowly breaking ground and playing play-ing for the face and jaw with short arm Jolts Wolgast staggered the champion with a succession of powerful pow-erful rights to the Jaw. There was no giving way with Nelson, and as the round ended he tripped to his seat . One round was practically a repetition of Its predecessor. ROUND 20." They slugged aid roughed It from one end of the rlug to the other. It was the same old story. Nelson forcing and Wolgast retreating , and peppering the champions cham-pions badly swollen face Wolgast planted his left to the Jaw with much force as the round ended. It was a tame session. ROUND 21. Nelson opened tbe round with a vicious straight right to the Jaw and Wolgast sought refuge In a clinch. Nelnon then jdantod right and left to tho jaw and Wolgast almost al-most backed through tho ropes. They milled It to the center of the ring without inflicting damage . and then exchanged rights to the face. Wolgast Wol-gast swuug a hard right to the Jaw, Nelson countering with a right cross to the same place. The bell ended a round of tame milling. ROUND 22. Nelson staggered Wolgast with a right drlvo to the stomach. He followed his advantage A break ground Nelson mercilessly waded In unmindful of the constant tattoo that Wolgast beat against hla face and Jaw with short-arm hooks ' and jolts. Wclgait 9wung right and I If rt to the Jaw. The bell ended th I round with Wolgau hammering away J at Nelson's Jaw nnd face, landing al I most at will. Nelson's face was a I mass nf b'ood ns he took his seat with the honors of the round against him j ROUND 12. Wolgast was cau-' cau-' tloned to let go by tho referee. Nelson Nel-son forced the pace as usual. Wolcast meeting him with several hard left swings on the Jaw. Nelson apparently appar-ently was determined to tire the Mil-waukeean Mil-waukeean out but meanwhile he received re-ceived featful punishment, Wolgast flaying with risht and left with almost al-most pendulum precision Wolgast seemed to gain confidence as the men roughed it, head to head against the ropes. Wolgost never let up and again start-.'d the blood flowing from Nelson's face with a series of right and left punches. ROUND 13. As tho men toed tho mark. Nelson's lips were puffed and his mouth and eyes swollen. They mixed like tigers, Wolgast landing repeatedly on the body and Jaw with Nelson fighting wildly and 3plttng blood. Wolgast literally cut the Battler's Bat-tler's face to ribbons, but still tho Daue came on for more. Nelson wrestled his man against the ropes, Wolgast covering up. There was a temporary lull In the battle, after which Wolgast swung right and left to the body. "The worst beating the champion has ever received," said old followers of Nelson His seconds worked over his damaged face during hands' up. WoVacf Per.'. X'.i'cn to the Moor, landing hV'vr afte- m.vv upon up-on tho d:fc!iK(ii"i cl'n:;i;in:; f.ico. Ring followers slid that iu-- i "d they seen such an ol-T. I'i n - vno-ness vno-ness as displayed l y Ne;-w. . 'Vro Smith said ho wov.M ko- thr ;..:V.f i:i the next round If .Willi's ; o. n l.t did not. Round 40 Wolgisi ba'nl away, looking for an opening for a final b'ow. He smashed the beaten rhanpion flush on the jaw with a terrific r!?ht, putting all his remaining strength in the blow. Nelson tottered and was on the point of collapse, when Referee Eddie Smith stopped the fight and gave the verdict to Wolgast. Nelson tried to shake the band of his con-querer con-querer but was so weak that he w-as quickly dragged to hla corner. SL Joseph. Mo., Feb. 22. Ad Wolgast Wol-gast began his real fighting career In St Jcseph when he went 15 rounds with Buck Plotcll, of St. Joe, on March 17, 1907. He came back a month later and knocked out Plotell In the fifth round. Baltimore, Feb. 22. Joe Cans, for-I for-I mer lightweight champion today issued is-sued a challenge to Ad Wolgast for a 20-round contest to be fought anywhere any-where the champion wishes and under un-der any conditions he may name. landing right and left to the Jaw and body. A right swing sent Wolgast to his haunches. Ho was up quickly, but staggered about the ring. He j clinched and then both swung fierce- ' ly at each other. Nelson tried with j all his might for a knock out but fail- j ed. Wolgast's seconds gave him j whiskey as ho took his seat It was all Nelson's round. ROUND 25. Nelson went light after his man and Wolgast fought back gamely. He swung twice to the Battler's jaw with right and then hard rally In mld-rlng followed, both landing land-ing telling punches. Nelson appeared to be the stronger of tho two. He shot )ila left hard to tho Jaw, Wolgast Wol-gast retaliating with left swings to tho Jaw. Nelson, tried for a knockout knock-out but Wolgast covered up cleverly and closed In ro clinch. The round ended without damage. ROUND 24. Wolgast came up fresher. Nelson forced him from one end of tbe ring to the other, Wolgast In the meantime swinging viciously to the jaw with right and left Nelson only shook bis head and then shot a bard right to the Jaw and a left swing to the face. Wolgast hooked his right to the Jaw, Nelson countered with a left hook to the body. Wolgast slowed slow-ed up percoptlbly and the crowd yelled yell-ed "fight, "fight." The round ended tamely. ROUND 25., Nelson drove his man against th'e ropes but his swings were badly directed. They exchanged savage lefts to the face and Nelson crossed his right to the Jaw. Wolgast set bis backers cheering by scoring twice on the jaw with hard right swings. Soon thereafter he duplicated duplicat-ed the performance but Nelson never wavered Wolgast appeared to be tiring tir-ing at this stige. The crowd cent up a great cheer when thoy realized that Wolgast had lasted the twenty-five twenty-five rounds. ROUND 2V Tbey wrestled to the center of the ring and refused to break. Then they battled head to head, Nelson almost closing Wolgast's right eye with a straight left After some slugging al close quarters Wolgast Wol-gast swuug a powerful wallop to the battler's face and the Dane went to his corner spitting blood. ROUND 27. Wolgast changed his tactics at tho start of this round. Flgbtlnx shoulder to shoulder, each landed repeatedly on tho face. Nelson's Nel-son's left eye was almost entirely closed at this stage. Wolgast clipped Nebon solidly on the Jaw with his right and the spectators cheered. Wol-ga,st Wol-ga,st closed lu and played for the Dane's body but hi efforts wero blocked and Ncleon broke it up with a stinging rlht to the face. It was Wolgast's round. ROUND 23. Nelson, came up with his let t cheek badly' swollen. They fought at a hot pace, locked In tuch other's embrace nnd were cautioned to break. Breaking, Wolgast swong twice with right on Nelson's sore fac and at close rane swung left and right to Nelson's mouth, starling the fclood. They slowed up considerably and frequently fought to a clinch. Nelson Nel-son went to his corner In a trot. No damage. ROUND 30. Wolgast rushed In. grabbed Nelson with one arm and sought to land on tho body with the other. Ho finally landed several swings , over tho kidneys and twice shot his left to the face Nelson unhooked un-hooked a left that caught Wolgast over the heart and the latter winced and groaned audibly. Nelson caught his man with straight left on tbe jaw as they rushed in close and then followed fol-lowed a succession of clinches. Breaking, they exchanged toiritlc left swings to tho Jaw and then fought to another clinch in which position they wero at tho close of tho round ROUND 30. As tho men came up for this round, Nelson's left eye was completely closed. Tho men roughed It, Nelson hitting rather low. The crowd yelled its disapproval. At close quarters Wolgast drove right and left repeatedly in the stomach and Nelson covered up. Nelson then swung a terrific right to tho Jaw and missed two similar blows. Wolgast swung a right to the Jaw and the champion broke brouug for an Instant. Nelson ended tho round with a right smash to the chin. ROUND 31. Nelson trotted to the center of tho ring and Wolgast landed I Beveral short arm Jolts on the stomach stom-ach following them with a right swing to tho chin. Nelson fought more care- I fully. Wolgast swung a hard right I to the sore cheek, after which both rested In a clinch. Breaking, Wolgast swung twice with his right on the Jaw and he danced away as the Dane rushed after him. Wolgast had the advantage of the round. .ROUND 32. The men came up slowly and immediately closed In, volleying at each other's stomachs, with Wolgast landing frequently. Suddenly Sud-denly Wolgast swung with his right, catching Nelson flush on the mouth and a stream of blood followed. Nelson Nel-son presented a gory picture as the blood covered him from head to foot The round ended in Wolgast's favor. Wolgast no longer hesitated to mix It with the champion and appeared to gain confidence as the battle progressed. pro-gressed. ROUND 33. In a clinch Wolgast drove three rights to the stomach and with bin left peppered away at Nelson's Nel-son's damaged eye. Wolgast then swung two rights to the same plico and Nelson . was half blinded. Hid blowa were wild and he found It difficult dif-ficult to locate the .Milwaukee lad. They mixed it aud Wolgast planted two hard rights, full tilt. In the stomach stom-ach and Nelson clinched. Nelson could.. only out of one eye, tho other being out of eouuulsfion. It was all Wolgast's round. Nelson's efforts to land wero fteMe, ROUND 34. Both came up quickly quick-ly aud hod to bo pried from a clinch. Beta were offered at even money with no Nolaou money In xlght. Wolpast peppered Nelson's sore facn and var- j led this with right nnd left short-arm rl;s to the stomach. Nelson seemed I to have lost all his vim and seldom make any determined effort to land. The men closed In and Wolgast started start-ed blood spouting from the champion's mouth with two well directed jolts. ' Wolgast's round. ROUND 35. Nelson was a sUht as he camo to the center of the ring All hope 6eeined to have gone out of him. His efforts wero' devoted to stopping tho blows- of his adversary. Wolgast started his arms going In whirlwind fashion, landing without return on the Dane's stomach. Wolgast Wol-gast staggered the champion with a terrific left swing to the Jaw and Nelson Nel-son appeared to be going to pieces gradually. Wolpast smashed with his ri.nht and had the champion groggy grog-gy from a succession of rights and lefts 'o the jaw. The bell rang in the nick of time, saving the champion from what looked like certain defeat. ROUND 36. Nelson came up weak. He waded In but could not seo Wolgast. The latter danced around the champion like a Jumolng Jack, sending In punch after punch. Nelson Nel-son almost tottered into a clinch but Wolgast fought warily and took no chances of tho Battler nailing. Wolgast Wol-gast played for the body an.l head alternately al-ternately but his blows were not strong enough for a knockout. Nelson Nel-son almost fell Into his chair as tho round ended. ROUND 37. Wolgast took no chances, apparently fearing that the champion was faking weakness. Wolgast Wol-gast Jarred Nelson with three right punches to the Jaw and Nelson could hardly come back. They met In mid-ring mid-ring with Nelson swinging like a babe and Wolgast landing with good and clean punches. Nelson's ability to stem the tide was a wonderful exhibition.1 exhi-bition.1 Wolgast almost sent the champion cham-pion through the ropes with a right smash to the law. Nelson tottered about the ring helplessly and Wolgast sent in smash upon smash and the bell rang, saving Nelson from a knockout. knock-out. ROUND 35. Nelson was a pitiful sight as he staegered to tbe center of the ring. Wolgast appeared to be in no hurry to complete his work. Robinson Robin-son at this stage tried to throw up the sponge, but the other Nelson seconds sec-onds took tho sponge from him and they threw it Into the bucket. Nelson, to all Intents and purposes was a beaten man and it required the use of all hla senses to sta'e off or prolong pro-long the Inevitable defeat Both men were covered from head t'j foot fjom the lane's blood and tho arena soon became a y.hainblos. Wolgast peppered pepper-ed away at the dixintegrailng champion, cham-pion, tho crowd yelling itself hoarse for the Mllwaukeean to fmi-li his man and end the agony. These cries were mingled with expressions of pity for Nelson. Betting 2 to 1, in favor of Wolgast. Roi:nd 33. Wol; as t appeared to be loath to put In the finishing punch. He Jabbed Incessantly at the battler's anatomy and again the blood flowed In n stream. Kelrfoo tried to make n la.st rally but It was only for a fleeting fleet-ing moment mul he ;)$a(n nulckly subsided sub-sided and scarcely i-ould hold his |