BOXING.

NZ Truth, Issue 97, 27 April 1907, Page 3

BOXING.

FIGHTERS I HAVE SECONDED.

(By Spider Kelly.)

Solly Smith.

The night Dal Ha.wkins fought and beat Spider Gallagher m four rounds, which was fifteen years ago or more there jumped m the ring a kid who looked more like a hosier than a fighter. He wore a slouch hat, his trousers were high-water, and his coat was of the '73 vintage. To add to his greenness, he was bashful and hung bis head when he was introduced. I said to myself : "Where did they find that farmer?" To make a long story short, he said his name was Solly Smith, and that he wanted to fight the winner. Then everybody had a laugh. The '.dea cf a rube fighting a fellow like Hawkins who was knocking them all out! It was too preposterous to think about. Smith said he had won some fights at Los Angelos, which was his home, and he thought he could hold his own up here. At any rate he was willing to try. Solly put up a pretty good talk, and the club finally Condescended to try him out.

In those days Harry Dally, a clever little Australian fighter, who had met such boys as Deacon Jones, Billy Donnegan, and Billy Milller. who afterwards was killed by Hawkins, was knocking about here, and the club picked Daily to try S»Yy out. If he made good v-ith Dally it was a cinch that he was all right. Solly turned the trick all right and the club put him on with Hawkins. Dal thought he had a pipe, and so did everybody else who knev r.ny-. thing about fighters. Solly was. em the short end of the betting, I guess they laid as good as 2 to 1 against, him. My, but what a surprise Solly went at Dal and punched him out m thirteen rounds, and oar native sons lost their bank rolls- This victory was enough to. &\fs Smith a

standing m the community, and his services were m big demand. He then went ,on and knocked out Johnny Van Heese, a great little fighter ; beat Danny Dally m three rounds, breaking Ms jaw to boot, and fought a draw of about sixty rounds with George Sidldons. Siddons was then m his prime, and a wonderful fighter. In 1893 Solly went to Roby, Ind., and beat Johnny Griffin m four rounds. Griffin was so well thought of m the East that notwithstanding Solly's Coast record they made him 1 to 1 favorite. It was a big shock to the Eastern sports when . Smith won so easily. Solly then went on to New York and fought .George Dixon, who was then, m his prime. Dixon beat him m seven rounds, but that was no disgrace, for he was champion and' -bleating them all. After his defeat at Dixon's hands he won over such . men as Oscar Gardner, a winner of 100 tattles or more : Martin Flaherty, Tommy Dixon, Tommy White, and others. In 1897 Sntith and George Dixon fought twenty rounds at Mechanics' Pavilion m this city, and Solly won on points, and won handily. I was behind him m that fight, which gave him the championship. This was about the last great fight he made, for he began to go down bill. Like many fighters, he dissipated, and this was his worst enemy. He was m the ring ten years, which was nothing ! fos an old-timer. Nowadays if a fighter lasts five or six fears he thinks he is doing well. Smith is now living at Los Angelos where I saw him when I was there last. Smith was the kind of fighter who 1 was popular With the public, for he was a rough-house kid. He joyed t n sail m and mix it with his man. There was no loafing when 1 little Solly' was fighting, and th*s is what the public likes to see. He was one of the best defensive fighters I ever saw, and Dixon never had a harder punch. No matter how long Solly had fought, whether it was ten or forty rounds, he was dangerous, for he always had his- punch. Fighters have thought they had' him groggy when he would cut loose a wallop, and then the curtains would go down. You could never tell when you had him beaten, and no gamer boy ever went into the ring. Kid Lavigne was a great pal Qf his. I remomiber one time they boxed six - friendly rounds at Saginaw, Mich., which was Lavigne's home. They packed the house, for if ever there was a popular fighter among his home people Lavigne was one. The Kid could have anything he wanted m Saginaw, and he deserved it. They never made many grander little fellows than that little Frenchman. Tim M'Grath and I had a bushel of friends ribbing Smith and Lavigne over that six-round bout. I would say to Solly, "The Kid tells me that you asked him to let un and not' hit so hard." With blood m his eye Solly would come back, "Did Kid Lavigne say that? If he did I will co to the floor with him." Then McGrath, with that ministerial face of his, would get hold of Lavig-ne and whisper m his ear ' that Solly said lie, the Kid, wanted t,o quit. , To call. Lavigne a quitter was the biggest insult you could hand him, and he would tear his hair. Before McGrath finished with the Kid he I would have him hopping mad. Of course, when Lavigne and Smith got together they would find out that McGrath and I had been coming them, but it was fun fbr us.