Fighter First and Last

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 809, 1 November 1929, Page 6

Fighter First and Last

Stanley Ketchell’s Meteoric Career

Long List of K.O. Victories

HE A \ Y -WEIGHT and middle-weight professional boxing champions of the world defend their titles so seldom in these days that a very long time is likely to pass before the ring knows' again an event such as that the anniversary of which fell this week—a battle between the middle-weight and heavy-weight champions for the title held by the heavier man. It was on October 16, 1909, that Jack Johnson knocked out Stanley Ketchel, in 12 rounds, at Colna, California. October was an ill-starred month for Ketchel. Just one day short of a year after he was beaten by Johnson a man who could not lay him low with the fist sent him to his grave with a revolver bullet.

Stanley Ketchel was not unlike Jack Dempsey in his Way of fighting, and it is not surprising that Dempsey considers him to have been the greatest middle-weight that boxing lias known. That, of course, is a matter of opinion, but no one is likely to dissent from a. suggestion that Ketchel may be ranked among the best four middleweights in the recorded history of the ring. If the ranking list be confined to men wlio have held the world’s middle-weight championship, Ketchel would be among the best three. Tom Thomas, of Wales, who has been classed by some authorities as the best of all middle-weights, never won the world’s championship. Nor did Australia’s Les Darcy, who would contest a place in the best four. Most of the American authorities who have made pronouncements on the subject place Bob Fitzsimmons, Tommy Ryan and Stanley Ketchel as the best of their weight. Those three men followed one another in the brightest period of middle-weight boxing. Fitzsimmons was champion from 1893 until 1896, when he entered the heavy-weight division, although he could still get under the middle-weight limit without trouble. Ryan then claimed the title, but he retired in 1907, and the championship was vacant until Ketchel claimed it and made good by knocking out Jack (“Twin”) Sullivan. In one respect, at least, Bob Fitzsimmons and Stanley Ketchel distingtiislied themselves from the ordinary run of middle-weight champions. They were natural middle-weights, but they were always ready to fight heavyweights when they could not get bouts in their own division. Fitzsimmons was more of a fighter than a boxer, but he was by no means devoid of boxing skill, and he was as crafty a fighter as ever stepped into the ring. Ketchel was not a boxer at all; he was a sheer fighter in every ounce of him. Several times he was packed and punched to a frazzle by superior boxers, yet his indomitable courage, his great reserves of energy and his terrific punching powers enabled him to knock out these opponents just when it seemed that he himself must be knocked out. After he graduated definitely from the beginners’ class, Ketchel did not once lose a fight on points, and he was knocked out only twice—once by Billy Papke, on whom he turned the tables, and once by Jack Johnson. And only thrice did he win fights on points. In all his career he had 60 contests, including several no-decision affairs, and he won 45 of them with knockouts. It is interesting to notice the internationalisation of the best three middle-weight champions of the world, only one of whom fought under his proper name. Bob Fitzsimmons, who held three world’s championships—-middle-weight, light-heavy-weight and heavy-weight— at one time, was considered a New Zealander, although he was of Cornish birth; Timaru was his home town as a fighter. Tommy Ryan, whose right name was Joseph Youngs*, was an American with an I English mother and a French father. Stanislaus Klecal—one can easily imagine a ring-announcer turning that ! name into Stanley Ketchel—was of Polish-American parentage. He was

born at Grand Rapids, in Michigan, on September 14, ISB7. tie had his first recorded fights when he was only 16 years of age, and he won one by a knock-out in one round, and the other by a knock-out in 24 rounds. In 1904 he had a dozen fights', winning nine of them by knockouts. He was beaten twice, on points in short bouts, by Maurice Thompson, but these defeats happened when he was only 17, and inexperienced. Jack (“Twin”) Sullivan, then 27 years of age and a fighter of much experience, fought a 20round draw with the young PolishAmerican early in 1905, but after that Ivetchel won 19 fights in succession with knock-outs! A six-round exhibition bout broke the sequence. Two more opponents were knocked out, and then Ketchel had a series of three fights with Joe Thomas, a wellknown light-heavy-weight. The first of the three was of 20 rounds, and was drawn. The second went to the thirty-second round, when Ivetchel knocked out his man. Ketchel won the third on points; it was a 20-round affair. After that Ketchel tucked the Sullivan twins to bed. Fighting twins are very rare in the boxing ring, and the Sullivans were not of even quality. Jack was a much better fighter than his twin brother, Mike. Ketchel first took on Mike, and put him to sleep in one round. A little less than three months later he faced the more formidable twin, Jack, who had drawn with him three years earlier. This Sullivan, half a stone heavier and much more experienced than Ketchel, was knocked out in the twentieth round. As Sullivan had claimed the middle-weight championship pf the world, then vacant. Ketchel got the title. That was in February of 1908. Before August of the same year was out, Ketchel had beaten Billy Papke on points in a 10-round bout, and had quickly knocked out Hugo Kelly and Joe Thomas in fights for the championship. . Then he suffered the first of the two knock-outs recorded against J ll Fapke putting him out in the twelfth round of a fight in September, and so winning the title from him. toward the end of November, however, Ketchel won the championship back again by knocking out Papke in the eleventh round. From then until his death Ketchel reigned as the middle-weight king beyond question. Papke had one more shot at him for the title, but was beaten in 20 rounds, and had to wait tor Ketchel’s death before he could get the championship. Ketchel was adventuring among heavy-weights in those days, although he did not exceed the middle-weight limit himself. V 1? .heavy-weight victims was Philadelphia Jack’ O’Brien, who once had claimed the heavy-weight championship. Ketchel knocked him out in three rounds! We come now to Ketchel’s fight With the great Jack Johnson, who had * le h favy-weight championship ° r ., tlie world from Tommy Burns in Sydney about 10 months earlier. Ivetchel had the heart of a bulldog but, wonderful fighter that he was he was ill-matched with the much big-’ ger Jack Johnson, who was one of tne greatest defensive boxers who ever lived, and who, gifted with fine skill,

a very long reach, and with tremendous punching power, was also a very punishing fighter. Johnson, 6ft Oiin tall, weighed 15st at his best. Ketchel, sft 9iin, weighed 11.4. The physical differences between the middleweight and heavy-weight champions of their day were too great. The smaller man made a valiant fight, and at times he showed unexpected cleverness in blocking Johnson’s blows. In the seventh round Ketchel swung his left with ter.rific force to Johnson’s jaw, on which it raised a big lump, but the negro was too strong. Repeatedly Johnson jabbed Ketchel’s face with straight lefts, but the white man seemed impervious to the negro’s right uppercuts. Once, in the eleventh round. Ivetchel got his own right to the point of John’s jaw, with great force, and Johnson was glad to clinch and rest. However, in the twelfth round. Johnson swung his right hard to Ketchel’s jaw, left to the body, and right again to the jaw. Ketchel dropped like a stone, and was counted out. The odds were too great. Ketchel beat several good men by knock-outs in 1910. but these fights were not for his middle-weight championship. And then, on October 15, 1910, a man—not a boxer—who had a feud with him, shot him dead. He was only a month over 23 years of age Avhen that cowardly bullet slew him.