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Bob Edgren Says WilsonPut It All Over O’DowdBy ROBERT EDGREN NEW .YORK, March IS—In a 15-round battle that was gory at.the flnlsh and sensational only in spots, Johnny Wilson easily defended his middleweight championship here last night. So far as Mike O’Dowd is concerned, Wilson can hold the title as long as he has any use for it.Wilson won by having a plan of battle and sticking to it without 'variation forrounds. From start to finish he let Mike come to him, and then at intervals as regular as the ticking of the town ciock pelted terrific left hooks into the pit of Mike’s stomach.Only O’Dowd’s good condition allowed him to stay the limit. And at that, Mike did a lot of protesting to the referee ail through the last four rounds, when it was apparent he was whipped and sticking it out only on his nerve and natural ability to assimilate punishment. .From the very beginning of the ngm Wilson was smoothlv smiling and at ease, die wasn’t pale and ho wasn t nervous. Mike was just the opposite— drawn, pale and apparently on edge., But Mike came out doggedly and wont after his man. Wilson showed little aggressiveness, but waited for Mike s floundering, pawing rush, and hailed him easily, either with sharp right-hand jabs—for he fought with his right hand out—or with fierce left uppercut3 that nearly always struck home just above the lino of Mtfke’s belt.O’Dowd Didn't Have Enough PunchThe bout lmd gone only a few roundswhen it was apparent to every manat the ringside that Mike didn’t haveenough of a punch to disturb the champion.Mike landed ©verxr now and then and Wilson easily gave ground before the blows, only' to retaliate with hard body punches when Mike pressed his apparent advantage.Round after round there was little variation in Wilson’s method. O’Dowd, accustomed to piling in for general assaults without meeting sturdy resist** anee, couldn't understand it. He was plainly puzzled.Now and then he stopped and pawed the air rapidly with both hands, while his brow corrugated .with the effort of wying to think out some way to hit Wilson without getting that return smash in the lower ribs. Thinking never did Mike any good. Always he gave itup. plunged in again and took his medicine. It became an occasion of much monotony.Along in the ninth round the constant hammering at Mike’s midriff began to show effects. Mike's middle was decorated with bruises that could be seen even from the gallery. His plunges became more desperate, and his blows swung oftener through the empty air as he missed the waiting Wilson through sheer bewilderment. And Wilson begun loosening up a little.He pelted Mike hard amidships, and when Mike caught that punishing left arm for a moment, Wilson laughed and .said: “.Listen, Mike—tomorrow you begin loading steamers.” O’Dowd had promised, a couple of days before, that it he failed to stop the champion he would quit boxing and go to work. The taunt stung O’Dowd. He fought harder.O' Dowd Claims FoulThen Wilson’s terrible left swingsInto the pit of the stomach and alongthe edge of the ribs were driven inharder and harder, and Mike’s efforts became more feeble, until he was onlypawing most of the time,»and only rarely sent over a blow that looked as If it might possibly bring homo the bacon.Curiously, Mike’s hardest punches, when they landed well, only made Wilson take a couple of quick, mincing little steps and shift a yard or two to Invito another attack.They had no apparent effect, except once. Just once Mike caught Wilson fairly on the point of his well rounded chin, and shook him so that he reeled sidewise a step or two and caughtMike’s arm in a momentary clinch.In the 12th Wilson sunk a fearful left into Mike’s body just above the belt, and Mike, hanging on and hi deep distress, turned his head and protested to the referee, claiming a foul.Some of Wilson’s lifting body blows had gone pretty close to that belt. But the referee ordered Mike to go on. There was no fouling at that time, and the damaging blows were quite, fair.Another crashing left in the pit and Mike turned his back, dropped his hands and started for his corner. Again he was told to go on.In sheer desperation fyo turned and rushed Wilson to the ropes. Fury renewed his strength. Wilson was shaken •by a flurry of hard swings, but he retaliated with body blows and Mike was protesting again when tho bell rang.The 13th was a bad round for Mike. One of the champion’s sharp right-hand jabs struck Mike on top of the head, nearly knocking him off his feet and cutting through the skin. From that time on, although there was no real damage. Mike was a somewhat gory spectacle.Judges DisagreedThrough the last two rounds O’Dowdtried desperately to cancel his promiseto load steamers, by putting over asingle decisive blow. He, rushed andrushed, or danced uncertainly and thenplunged in. He struck mans’ a good blow for Ireland, and the crowd was tfclth him as it always is with a game loser. ‘But he didn’t have a chance. Referee Johnny McAvoy of Brooklyn hovered around anxiously, for Mike looked probably much worse than he felt, though that was bad enough. Wilson hammered intermittently at the former champions bruised body.Just before the end Mike put everything he had left into one good sock and oaught Wilson fair and square on the chin so that he wobbled a bit. j Wilson ripped back with- both hands and the bell rang.The New York Boxing Commission Isn’t a good choser of judges. The judges disagreed, although Wilson had won as Babe Ruth can knock a home run. The referee properly gave Wilson tho decision.•Wilson walked over to Mike's corner to shake hands a moment later, but poor Mike was thinking of loading steamers and didn't feel so good. He nodded and let it go at that.So Wilson walked back again and was presented with Tex Rickard’s middleweight championship b^lt, which is studded with enough diamonds to sprinkle the milky way with a cloud of newst^rsHere the psychology of tl\e crowd; Before the fight, Wilson heard never a cheer. Ail tho roaring applause of the 14,000 was for Mike. But now Wilsonhad made pood in New York.As he left the ring the crowd swept him up on its shoulders, poured over ringside sections to try to touch his hand, and roared as loud for Wilson as it had roared an hour before for Alike O'Dowd.Aa for Wilson, he only grinned, (Copyright, 1021. Bell Sjudlcate, Inc.)lt;WILSON FOUGHT WITHrobe, that the gloves might be tne more
Newspaper Details
Boston Evening Globe
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Fri, Mar 18, 1921
Page 6
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USA 04 Sep 2020
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