THE END OF SQUIRES.

NZ Truth, Issue 140, 22 February 1908, Page 7

THE END OF SQUIRES.

Will Come Back Home. Says His Fighting Days are Done. Bill's Latest Defeat— Tit-Bits frem the Ringside. In all probability the last has been heard of Squires as a fighting man. He was so bad at the close of his recent fight with Flynn— in fact, all the way through it— that he decided to. Rive the game best and return to Australia. Poor old Bill ! A gamer or mo-re honest fighting man never entered a fighting rin"\ Squires' own version of his physical state is set out m the following letter, just received by one of . his Melbourne admirers : — "I have to tell you I had another fight, and got beaten. I could not train, as the rheumatism has got me dead settled. The climate is no good for me, and I don't intend to fight again unless I get right. I have never felt well since I have been here. Jimmy Russell and lam now going East, and we ' . MAY GO TO ENGLAND. If I don't get right I will probably go 'home that way. I think mv fighting days are over, as I cannot train for the rheumatism. After I fought. Flynn I couldn't lift my arms.— Yours, etc., Bill /Squires." .- ... From?.-, other sources- ; : At , is. -;1 earned that- .Plynn was favorite at .s :vto' 4 on. Before the fight, Squires told, an interviewer that he felt a bit better ■than he, did when he fought Sullivan, but was still bothered a lot by the rheumatic pains m his shoulders. He said ' 'he believed he would win though, sis he had > been watching Flynn when the latter was training fpr hjs Jack Johnson fin lit, and had .come to the conclusion that he could beat A{m .'■'• ■."■■ ' • .'•., . - Flynn' was eciuaily confident. "I think I'll find easy," he said, "but he is ; . = ... ' , rgUCH A NIGR- FELLOW : .that I'll try and :lick him without punching- him to . pieces if ' possible. -I'll just watch -my chance, and drop him with^ne right." This 1 is exactly i what Flynn did' do v and as Bill was going ;down he brought : over the -left [■and gave : him another. • Squires fell Gross-legged, and his head sank until it touched the mat. 'Then he rolled over on ; : his baclr, straightened himself out, and the thing- was, done. That; eminent boxing authority, W. W. Naught on,' of the Sari Francisco '•Examiner," says the doctor who had. just examined the pair, came and I sat by •him at "the fingsidei '■' "' j "Flynn has '=<': ■';. V | A MUCH BETTER HEART ■than Squires," was his remark; '•' ;■'. :"In what' way ?" asked Naughton. - "S}C{uires's heart shows the effect of -■■training,-" said the- medico. •'-'Flymi's doesn't." ' That was all v: the doctor had time to say.. The next moment they wove hard : at it. They 5 -' slashed and cut at an - awful; rate, neither man bothering % a'bouti defending: himself; and as earl y as the second found their faces were marked all over. But, WHAT BEAT EVERYONE was the . palpable lack of force m Bill's punch. This seemed to strengthen the theory that rheumatism had sapped all the strength out of the Australian. ; It was , so noticeable indeed that the onlookers began. ..wondering again whether he ever had a, punch of any kind. Time and again his. "rib-roasters" shot m under Flynn's arms, but they didn't hu.tt a bit. At the close of the second round they were both tired already, as the result of the pace they were going at- A. hard. one to the chin sent E ill down m the third round, but he I pull-ed-'himself up with , the aid of Ihe ropes, and caught Flynn with another of those rib-benders which looked so formida.hfe, but accomplished so little.; The next, moment Bill let fly a right to the face, which only missed by a hair's breath. Then his strength appeared to foe spent, and he "hung on," thoroughly pumped put. Squired freshened up a bit m , the fourth, and the . ■ CRQWJD YELLED WITH DELIGHT as the contest again began to taike on an uncertain look. ..Flynn made no attempt to defend himself, and they stood and "swopped" punched to some purpose near the ropes. They were both bleeding and dog tired as/ they went to. their corners. But Flynn came up the fresher of the two: for round five. Squires's legs were bending under him. but he was : 'determined to fight to the last ■drop.) Every punch that Flynn put m caused Bill to duck and grasp the American around the loins and thighs. Then Flynn whipped m a couple of hard upper-cuts. Bill staggered, but he wouldn't go down. Gathering up his remaining strength instead, he smashed, Flynn fair and square on the ohm, and (then • FLYNN HAD TO HANG ON The crowd were beside .themselves. There seemed a chance still for Squires, who knew the damage he had done by that hit, but was too weak to follow up his advantage. Then Flynn pulled away, and again upper-cut Squires, till at the close of the round the Australian's head was rocking. ' " .^quires was anyhow m the sixth,' "and last. ... He could dp nothing But fliting on, and neither had strength to duck nor step back, till that last snap on the chin. put him down and put. "It was a dashed good n>ht." agreed the sports as they filed out of the building, and so it was from their point of vdew. Biit it meant the end of the American tour for poor, plucky Bill Squires.