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Show frtXING; BEFORE DOUBLE--CROSS WAS INVENTED f Opponents oMie sport of boxing as-j as-j isert that It Is a brutal sport, but If they I J i really want to know what the real j I ( thing-.used to be they ought to read the records, of the Olympic fames in i Greece about tweaty-flve centuries ago. The old Greek pugs were there like a I duck when It came to the swings. Jabs, upper cuts and side steps, and what Is mgre, every bout went to a finish. There were no draws, and the prise money consisted of a laurel wreath and a meal ticket. They used to use leather leath-er bandages studded with brass arid lead slugs in place of gloves, but they i had no managers, and the double cross had not at that time been Invented, at feast In the fighting game. The color line was strictly drawn, however. 1 There were not many entries In the light, welter and bantam divisions, but the heavy-weight champions had the Klnjr of B part a . skinned forty ways from a the Jack on popularity. - They were game as pebbles, too. There is one fight on record which makes the old battles under London prise ring rules look like a six-round Phlladelphiasbout Two heavy-weight champion possibilities fought all one afternoon, and were so clever that neither nei-ther could knock the other out, although al-though both men were evidently trying hard. Just before the game was declared de-clared off on account of darkness the referee decided that as no decision could be given at that stage, the men should toss up a drachma (otherwise two bits), and that the winner should have an uninterrupted wallop at the loser. If he failed to put him out with this blow the other man was to have a chance to swing on his antagonist. The man who won the toss swung a hard right to the Jaw, Jut failed to drop his opponent. Said opponent then shot a straight right Jab to the solar, which called in the dead wagon. The crowd was sore and demanded money back, and the rule was made then and there that whenever a bout had to be called on account of darkness the fighters fight-ers should answer the gong early next morning, and eontmw the battle. ' This is a true story, according to the historians, but If you wander down Second South street to the Rio Grande offices and look at the descendants of thoM great athletes watting for a Job on the section 'you will probably say that all historians are liars. - jr |