news letter vol 2 no 1

[robert.snell1]

The Boxing Biographies Newsletter
Volume 2- No 1 8th January 2008

http://www.boxingbiographies.com please visit our parent site http://www.crapboxingchat.com

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As always the full versions of these articles are on the website


Well this is the first one for this year and I hope you all had a happy Christmas and New Year

My sincere thanks to Corey Gardner who provided this article

George Gardner
Alias: George Gardiner
Born: March 17, 1877 Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, Ireland
Died: July 8, 1954 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Occupation: professional boxer and saloon keeper
Title: Light Heavyweight Champion of the World (1903)
Record: 44 - 12 - 10
66 bouts
44 wins (32 by knockout)
12 losses (6 by knockout)
4 no contests
6 draws




George Gardner is one of the few sixty - one heroes who have been ranked the number one fighter in the world. He is also one of the top ten light - heavyweights in history. Gardner was also ranked as number 29 out of 100 all - time heavyweights when he was actually a middleweight turned light heavyweight, weighing anywhere from 155 to 175 pounds. Gardner was a very good fighter and a well respected boxer, however, today he is a side note usually mentioned as the man who lost the title to 40 - year old Bob Fitzsimmons, making the "old man" the first triple - division winner in the history of boxing.

George Gardner was born on St. Patrick's Day in 1877 at County Clare, Ireland. He was the son of a prize - fighter and the Gardner family ranked high in the field of fighting. The family immigrated to America in the late 1800s and settled at Lowell, Massachusetts. The elder Gardner most likely taught his sons the trade of a fighting man. George, Billy, and Jimmy Gardner all became well known boxing champions.

The slender, tall dark George Gardner began his career as a scrapper in 1897 at Manchester, New Hampshire against Hugh Colgren, whom he defeated after four rounds. He then defeated nine men in 1898, eight being defeated at Manchester, the last named Ed "Thunderbolt" Smith whom he knocked out in the seventh round at Montreal, Canada. Gardner often boasted that he had the heaviest punch in the business and his first knockout win came on March 10th of that year, in which Gardner knocked out J. Young in three rounds.

Gardner would win thirty - one more fights by knockout. Boxers during this time normally boxed with bare - knuckles, which made the sport much more brutal than today's boxing. These old - time prizefighters were much like the U. F. C. fighters that we have today. However, George received a draw in 1899 against Bob Montgomery and Bill Hanrahan and his first loss came at Brooklyn, New York to Jimmy Handler. Gardner drew three times with the muscular George Byers, but defeated him after fourteen rounds in 1900, and that year Gardner also managed to knock down Jimmy Handler at Brooklyn, New York after three rounds. The Irishman then defeated Charlie Goff after seven rounds and the middleweight champion Frank Craig after four rounds at London, England.

Gardner proved himself as a fighter out West in 1901 when he defeated Jack Moffatt and Kid Carter at San Francisco, California. George claimed the Middleweight Championship of the World in 1901 and 1902 according to newspapers of the day. The fighting Irishman lost to Joe Walcott after a twenty round decision, but the next year in 1902 he defeated the "Barbados Demon" after another twenty round decision.

Gardner then fought his nemesis, the popular Jack Root. George had lost to him on a foul the first time they fought, but he knocked out Jack Root within seventeen rounds in front of a crowd of Arizona miners at Salt Lake City, Utah, the first man to end Root's six year winning streak. Root defeated him twice, once on a foul, while Gardner defeated Root twice, both times knocking the Austrian down. Their last bout went on for six rounds, the decision given to Root, but Gardner was no doubt the better man.



Gardner's next bout was against Jack Johnson, the first black Heavyweight Champion. Gardner weighed in at 155 pounds while Johnson weighed in at 185 pounds. However, the "Galveston Giant" couldn't knockout the fast, clever Irishman. The two talented boxers fought for twenty rounds, the decision given to Johnson. Most then began to recognize Johnson as a contender and Gardner moved on in the ranks. Gardner defeated Billy Stift and Kid Carter time and again, once more proving himself as a talented fighter.

One of Gardner's most sensational victories came on April 6th, 1903 at Boston when he knocked out Peter Maher within one round. The "Irish Giant", regarded as the most dangerous hitter of his era, was knocked down three times in the first round until he was knocked out by Gardner. Gardner then defeated Marvin Hart, the "Fighting Kentuckian" after twelve rounds but would draw with him the next year.

Then on July 4th, 1903, Gardner became the top fighter in the world when he knocked out Jack Root within twelve rounds at Fort Erie, earning the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World, the second man to hold the title in history (although some evidence shows he was the first champ). George, at age 25, would then defend and lose his title to 40 - year old Bob Fitzsimmons after a tough 20 round decision. One of the reasons Gardner is not recognized as one of the "greatest", or the "greatest", is because he won the title and then lost it in the same year. However, so did Jack Root, as well as Bob Fitzsimmons, although he drew with Jack O' Brien in 1904, but then lost it in 1905, which is quite a time span. The boxer Max Baer won the Heavyweight Championship in 1934, fought only exhibitions (winning all of them) and was defeated for the title in 1935 by none other than Jim Braddock, the "Cinderella Man", who then lost his title in his next fight. Braddock chose not to fight for two years after he won the title but in his next bout he lost the title in 1938 to Joe Louis.

Most champions hold their title for more than a year, but the reason being that they are not eager to fight anyone because the fear of losing the title. Jim Braddock, Bob Fitzsimmons, and Marvin Hart held their titles for more than a year because they did not fight until a year or more later. Most champions lose their title in their next fight, possibly the pressure.

Perhaps it was Gardner's Irish ancestry which made him so eager to fight and gamble. A newspaper headline read that Gardner bet all of his money that he would defeat Fitzsimmons, while "Lanky Bob" boasted he would knock out the young man within one round. Both men were sadly disappointed.

Gardner defended his title on November 25th, 1903 at San Francisco, California. Both men weighed in at 168 pounds and were both the same height. Fitzsimmons, who had killed two men in the ring, was cautious of Gardner while the latter did not give his all, but as always proved himself as a game fighter. The fight was described as boring and Fitzsimmons had knocked the Irishman down twice according to the New York Times. George was in no danger of being knocked out, dodged some of the old man's hardest blows, and the only hard punch he gave was towards the end in the 20th round when he punched Fitz in the face ending the fight. The decision was given to Fitzsimmons and history was made, but nobody really cared. It is now just another piece of the Fitzsimmons' legend, an impossible feat that only the Cornishman could accomplish against the younger, stronger, and clever George Gardner.

However, in December of 1903, according to a newspaper, Gardner challenged Fitzsimmons, but "Lanky Bob" did not care to fight the game Irishman again. Then in 1904 George fought Marvin Hart at Boston and it was declared a draw. Gardner then defeated Fred Cooley and Jim Driscoll in Chicago, six rounds each on the same day. Gardner was once again getting back on a winning streak after he defeated Kid Carter, but he fought Jack Root twice more as previously mentioned, drew and then lost the decision after six rounds. Jack Root even challenged Fitzsimmons trying to put himself on the level of Gardner's talent, but never fought him.

Towards the end of 1904, Gardner had knocked out Jim Jeffords at Butte, Montana after three rounds, but then he drew to "Fireman Jim Flynn" at Denver, Colorado after ten rounds. Then in 1905 both Jack Johnson and George Gardner challenged Marvin Hart for the Heavyweight Championship of the World after Hart knocked out Jack Root after twelve rounds. Hart declined and was careful about his next fight, but soon lost the title. It seems that George wasn't given a second chance to earn another title. It's very likely that if Fitzsimmons or Hart would have been brave enough to defend their title against Gardner, it would have made him the light - heavyweight champion again, or even the heavyweight champion.

Gardner managed to knock out Billy Stift after five rounds at Odgen, Utah in 1905, but this would be George's last victory. He then fought seven more bouts, receiving draws and losses to Al Kaufman, Jim Flynn, Terry Mustain, and Tony Ross from 1906 to 1908. He retired at age thirty - one, an outstanding career lasting for about ten years. The Gardner name was still in the headlines in boxing though. His brother Jimmy Gardner claimed the Welterweight Championship of the World in 1908 at New Orleans, Louisiana, making the Gardner boys the first Irish - American brothers in history to hold world championship titles.

Gardner then began his life as a family man and businessman, being the owner of a saloon in Chicago. Although Fitzsimmons was a formidable boxer at age 40, Gardner was a formidable fighter at age 60 and "snowy haired". According to a newspaper headlined, "Old Ring Champ K. O.'s Tough Guy", a man came into his saloon and pulled a gun. Gardner walked up to the intruder and unhooked a left to the jaw which sent the bully reeling. The intruder was arrested and was sent to jail as soon as he was well enough to leave the hospital.

George's son Morgan Gardner began his career as a professional boxer in 1927, also using the alias of Gardiner (they like their last name). Morgan had fought four professional bouts, winning three and losing one. Gardner's first fight ended with a victory, a one round knockout to be exact. His last, he was knocked out and decided to end his career in 1928 to begin a career in law enforcement. Gardner was a real tough guy, he was a narcotics detective in Chicago on the infamous Maxwell Street and their were stories of him knocking and punching people out of plate glass windows and such. It is said that Gardner was based on "The Man" in the novel titled "Knock on Any Door" by Willard Motley. This is very possible, Motley being raised in that area of Chicago.

George Gardner died on July 8th, 1954 at Chicago, Illinois, at the age of seventy - six. He was never given the credit he should have been given but he was one of the biggest names in boxing history. He has been referred to as a "top notcher" in newspapers and a "classy veteran" in books on boxing. If he was not the greatest, then he was one of the greatest.


By: Corey Gardner

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/gardner.htm

The Syracuse Herald
26 July 1926

The Fight Game from The Inside
By Jack Kearns



I welcomed the chance to clear up Dempsey’s record even though there wasn't to be any money worth while in the fight with Jim Flynn at Fort Sheridan. At the same time, winner take. all, was good enough for us and we went after it. There was no money at the fort, but reputation was hotter than the dough right then.

Jack Curley and Torn Jones were managing Flynn and were making quite a fuss over him. I decided that because of what Jones had tried to do to Dempsey in Chicago I'd not spare his Fireman. Dempsey whaled him down in just one minute and 20 seconds.

Half the small -crowd was composed of Chicago newspapermen who had come to Racine to see for themselves whether or h not I had been bunking them on the Dempsey stuff. Jack opened their eyes. They all admitted that.

We took on Homer Smith, a hard hitter, and knocked him out in one round. The ballyhoo went over big again and then they began to take the first real serious notice of Dempsey. All had been taken as pure bally before, but when he speared. Flynn and Smith in a round apiece they began to take plenty of notice.

Leo Flynn had a fellow called Bill Shanks who had gone along and run up a record of 20 or 30 straight knockouts. Flynn finally changed his name to Brennan. Yes, that's the fellow, big Bill Brennan, He was going at his best right then and I proposed a match. We agreed to meet at Milwaukee. Flynn said he would bring him on and the match was closed. Of course, Leo was laughing up his sleeve. He didn't mind a bit about slapping- over my fellow, especially as Jack was getting more and more publicity every day.

Brennan was a 2 to 1 favorite over Dempsey on the night of the fight. There were many bets that Brennan would stop Dempsey. He had a good reputation around Milwaukee and they were going hook,. line and sinker on him to stop my fellow.

PLENTY OF NOISE

It was a whale of a fight. One of the best I ever saw. Dempsey knocked Brennan down in the second round, but Bill got up and came back for more. The end came in the fifth. It came with one of the strangest accidents I've ever seen in a ring, Brennan was hit so hard in that fifth round that the force of the blow broke his ankle. Actually broke it! I know that it crumpled under him before he hit the floor. The force of Dempsey's punch had twisted Bill's body around so that the ankle simply had to snap.

Poor Bill, now dead and gone, was on crutches for months after that. When we picked him up we saw that his leg was gone, for he couldn't stand on it.

I know of only two other instances like that. Al Neill, the California middleweight, hit Hark Shaughnessey in Tacoma one night and broke his leg in the first round with the first punch of the fight. Then, too, Dixie Kid hit Eddie Cain so hard in the preliminary to McGovern and Hererra that his ankle was broken. In this case, however, Cain fell in a sitting
position with the leg under him.

I made plenty of noise out of this latest feat of Dempsey. I flooded the East and West with papers telling of the new wonder who was breaking legs like pipe stems with a single blow. It had actually, happened, but how I drove it home!

ON WILLARD AGAIN



I started on Willard all over again. I blasted him from one end of the country to the other. I would make him fight Jack or quit the ring, and I began .to think that this latter was what he would do, The stories of Jack's hitting were being laid right before his eyes at every meal. He couldn't duck them.

The news of Dempsey's achievements electrified Charley Murray, the leading promoter at Buffalo. He sent me a rush offer to meet Carl Morris.

I wasn’t quite ready for that match, for I had put Dempsey in Burlesque following the fight with Brennan and he was going biig. I was offering $500 to any man who would stay four rounds with Jack. The old John L Sullivan revived, but it was riot.We made quite a little tour and I took up the matter of the Morris fight with Murray. The match was closed by wire and I promised to have Dempsey in Buffalo a few days before the fight. We started on time all right but ran into a blizzard on the way and were snow bound. I’ll never forget the morning we finally arrived in Buffalo.

CHARLEY MURRAY RAVES

It was the day of the fight and Murray was leaping. He had had no chance to show Dempsey at work in Buffalo and the newspaper boys had about decided that he had run out on the match. It certainly looked that way. Rather unusual for a fighter to get in on the same day of an important bout, and this was important with Buffalo and us, too. We went to the Iroquois Hotel. I got Murray on the phone and he came tearing for us.

Dempsey lay on the bed resting. And to tell the truth he looked pretty low physically. When Murray came into the room he took one glance at Dempsey and then began to look all over, winding up in the bath room. All the time he was chattering about the big house and the crowd that we would have had had I brought my man in a few days earlier. Looking at Dempsey on the bed again, he turned to me and said; "Where's Dempsey? I thought you said he was in the room. Are you kidding me? Where's Dempsey?" Jack still lay stretched out on the bed, not giving Murray a tumble. I pointed and said, "Who the devil do you think this is if it isn't Dempsey?

"What!" shrieked Murray, "You don't mean to tell me that is the fellow who is going to fight Carl Morris the giant ?.

Charley Murray was a scream tome all| that day in Buffalo, He raved like a mad man. I'll admit Dempsey didn't look like a man big enough to fight Morris as he stretched out on the bed but Murray, saw him dwindle to a lightweight when I finally got Jack up on his feet to shake hands. Murray almost wept. "You've kidded me, Kearns. I've sold my house out and here you bring a welterweight to fight this big guy. I'm going good in this town. I’ll be here when your forgotten and do you think I’m chump enough to risk my-future here by-putting this little fellow in to be slaughtered by big Carl Morris?

“The fight is off”.

"I wouldn't even show this little-un . You must be daffy to think that he can fight Morris? You can pack up and go, so far as I'm conceded. I'll call the sheriff. My partners will shoot me when they see this fellow. You've made a sweet sucker out of me."

Well, I had to let Murray get it of his chest. He had expected some sort of a giant, I guess fellows who were going around breaking legs in a single punch ought to look the part of the hairy monster, I suppose, and Murray was stumped.

When he had finished sputtering I horned in. I didn.'t blame Charley so much, for Dempsey had always been deceiving in his looks.

Tex Rickard had to do a lot of talking at Toledo to convince visiting scribes that he wasn’t putting on a murder instead of a bout. And down in his heart Tex always thought that Willard would win that fight as Dempsey was "too small. He told his close friends this the day of the fight: I know that. He had even planning a tour of the world for Willard following the fight with Dempsey.

I felt sorry for Murray. He pleaded with us to duck out of town. It wouldn't be too late. He could tell them anything and he had the blizzard to fall back on. Do it quick before the cops saw Dempsey. On our way.

I had to talk some against that kind of stuff, Murray was in a panic and my assignment was to push him down. "Murray I began, "there is no cause for all this noise. Just because that big stiff Morris weighs a ton is no reason why we have to. This fellow I've got will knock him out for you. He'll stiffen him ,We're here to fight Morris .

DEMPSEY MAKES PROMISE

Murray protested. He was walking around the room his hands clasped behind his head you'd have thought that it was his last hour before the electric chair.

Dempsey took a hand, listen, Mr, Murray. I'll beat this fellow," threatened Dempsey. Size means nothing to me. You needn't worry . I've taken care of myself against better men than Morris. I'll hang him over the ropes for you. If I don't hang him over the ropes I don't want a nickel. I'll go into the tonight with that agreement, hang him over the ropes for pay.'

"Listen, sonny," said Murray putting his hand on Dempsey's shoulders, "you look a nice kid. You are a
nice kid. I don't want to see you get killed. Take my advice, will you., I'll give you your end of the purse if you'll fold right up now and go to station. Get to hell out of town before I'm lynched. You don't know what this means to me. I'm made here. The fight is off now."

"I'll tell you what I'll do Murray," I began. "I'll give you $1,000 cash if you let Dempsey fight this fellow. We have a reputation to uphold as well as you. You heard what Dempsey said.. If he promises to hang Morris on the ropes he’ll keep his word.

FINALLY A FIGHT.

We paced the room, the three of us. Murray was being talked to good and plenty, I’d never seen Dempsey so earnest before and he began standing on his toes and swelling out his chest to give Murray best possible eyeful. I began to think we were in a fix, There seemed no way to convince Murray that he was too small to fight Morris. Carl had been going great and Murray was certain that he'd slap Jack down in the first.

He finally decided to get his partners on the telephone and have them come over Dempsey the once over. He said he knew that they'd be no match no sooner than they saw Jack. Well they came over and joined Murray in the terror talk, I heard iron doors banging shut, I began to doubt my own as theirs was a powerful argument against letting Dempsey into the ring with Morris.

I repeated the offer to fight for nothing or to pay for the privilege and pointed out again that we had all to lose if Morris beat us and if I was willing to take the chance with our reputation why shouldn’t they. I was going good now and Dempsey spoke up again, and said; “I’ll hang him on the ropes in six rounds”. One of Murray's partner had cooled off and He turned to Murray and said "Well, let him go, Charley.This fellow will make-good he'll do what he says, or come close to it. We'll Chance with him. The fight is on,"

That was a great session up in that hotel room in Buffalo. I told Murray and his partners they need have no fear of Dempsey not making good and that fear of him being hurt by big Morris was quite unnecessary. “This boy can lick any sucker in the world. You don’t think we’re going to let Carl Morris stop us in our drive on Willard do you” I asked them. “He’ll do as he says tonight. Get good strong ropes, for he’ll keep his word. He’s going to hang Morris over the ropes for you. Hav’em strong for Morris is big boy at that”.

And so we finished the argument. They went away a glum lot of promoters. They felt sure that Morris would crush Jack to death and we were just as sure that Dempsey would hang Morris just as he said he would.

Before Murray and his friends departed I asked them who the referee was going to be. “Dick Nugent” Murray told me. “Well I want to talk with Nugent” I said “You know and I know that Morris is afoul fighter. He isn’t particular where he hits you. Now we want this understood. We don’t want to win over Morris on a foul. Were in tonight to win and winning on the straight is the only thing that will help us. We don’t want to win on a foul. There’ll probably be some but under no circumstances is Nugent to halt it and give it to Dempsey on a foul. We want to knock him out. We may have a rough trip but we’ll stand for anything. Were a little rough ourselves if we have to be. Is that agreed, no award on a foul. Agreed ?

"That's agreed," said Murray, "I'll tell Nugent and it will have to be pretty raw before he'll give it to you on a foul, though I think you're a chump” .

In the course of the next few hours Murray had sent up a-small army to look "little" Dempsey over* He was worrying about the boy's size. He came back himself after awhile and had another look.

”You know Jack," Murray said, Morris told me about that four-round fight he had with Dempsey on the Coast. He says he wasn't in condition and he's going to break this little fellow in two tonight”

"'Well stand for all the breaking that's to be done. We intend to knock out Morris. You might just as well' get the stretcher crew ready for he's an awful mess to cart out, this Morris." If there was to be any bullying about this, I was certain that Murray wasn't going to hand me anything.

We came to the club that night and it was packed. Murray was running around white-faced. He still couldn't get Dempsey's size through his system. He couldn't figure how a little hundred and seventy-five pounder was going to handle big Carl and his 210 pounds of weight.

Everywhere I turned I was met with the warning that Carl was big and rough and tough and my rejoinder always was;

“Were tough and rough ourselves, though were not big. We whipped this fellow before and we will do it again.

Jack Curley had been in town several days with Morris. I was on the door watching the tickets when he came along. He greeted me like along lost brother. “Hello Jack” he began “glad to see you, I’ve been at the Statler. Why didn’t you call me up”

“Why didn’t you call me up in Frisco before you ducked out “ I came back. You left me holding the sack on the Strangler Lewis and Zbyskzo match. And I’m still holding it”

“Well lets forget about that, what kind of boy have you got here tonight”

“Good enough to knock out that big egg of yours, were out to stop him you know”.

“Don’t be silly, I’ll bet that you’ll not knock him out, and you will be knocked out yourself”. “I’ll lay you
$200 at the odds that we stop Morris” I says to Curley. “Tut, Tut, run away. I don’t want your money. Your raving. Morris is in condition this time, don’t forget that”.

I bandaged Dempsey’s hands and put on plenty. We came to the ring and Morris came lumbering over to have a look at Jacks hands. He began to squawk like a crow over the thickness of Jacks bandages. I expected that. That’s why they were thick. Curley came over and took a peek.

“Aw, nothing doing; nothing doing. You’ll have to take off some of that junk. What do we look like a couple os Sammy Saps, get it off, get it off” he bawled. “We won’t fight if you don’t take off some of that stuff” said Curley.

Morris was bellyaching for fair. He was threatening to leave the ring, and the more he roared the less we moved to take any of the tape off. We had his goat, I called the referee over, and speaking loud enough for Morris to hear, I said: "This big stiff is a rough-house sucker, Mr. Nugent, He's a foul fighter and Dempsey knows it. Yet we don't want to win on a foul. We're hear to knock him out. He's crying about the bandages. He seems to think we've got a couple of bolts under the tape. We don't need 'em. Dempsey will slap him over with his bare hands any time. Just don't you give it to us on a foul, when he does foul. We want a knockout over Carl Morris in our record."

All this time old Carl was getting an awful earful. He was steaming mad. He threatened to leave the ring again, and Murray, fearing that he would do so, made a personal appeal for us to cut down on the thickness of the bandages. Of course, I had three times as much on as I needed, and after faking a terrible protest, injured feelings and downright injustice, I took the most of the bandages off. I was tickled pink. I wanted just that. The less Dempsey had on the surer he was to knock Morris kicking. Dempsey without any bandages at all was far more dangerous than he was with all the wrapping on his hands.

I kept up the bellowing about the foul fighting and our keen desire to win with a knockout at any cost. We'd stand for being crippled if we got that K.O. on the record books. Every time I got within a foot of Morris I repeated the knockout talk. He was sputtering and ready to bawl, he was so mad. They called us to the center and I repeated the rough stuff. The bell rang.

My final word in Dempsey’s ear was “Go out and feign this big stiff fast once and hook over your left to his whiskers. Let it go with all you got. Floor him with the first punch or don’t come back to this corner. This is the softest thing we have had so far” I want to say this about Dempsey. Never in any fight I’ve had him in was it necessary for me to tell him to do a thing a second time. He lived up to instructions every time. He wasn’t swell-headed about his fighting, and it was a pleasure to second him because you could plan things and see them carried through. Never once in all the time that I've been with him has he displayed a disposition to fight the way he" thought he ought to fight. I fought his battles before hand in the corners most times, and he ran true to instructions always. I can't and don't intend to take that away from him.

The bell rang, "Remember, now, kid two and over with the left hook and down." Dempsey slipped
out of his chair like a lightweight. The crowd groaned when it saw the difference in size, and there were boos and catcalls for Murray, I suppose. For once they figured that Charley had handed them a lemon match.

Dempsey tiptoed in with a little crouch and feigned twice for Morris' stomach. He brought Carl’s shoulder down from his chin and—wop—over went the left hook to the jaw and down goes Carl! What a crash! Flat on his back went 210 pounds of Carl Morris with-the worst thud I ever heard in a ring. I thought for a moment that he had cracked all the boards in the platform and that it was going to collapse. The building actually shook. He's a big, rough, game sucker, and he got up. And then what a whale of a fight it was. Dempsey put Carl down couple of times more and gave him a terrible shellacking. Foul followed foul so fast that the crowd was yelling, "Kill him, little feller—kill the big murderer." Dempsey kept going at top speed. Never once did he even look around to complain to the referee. Low, back heel, thumbs, back hand everything went with Morris, and no peep from Dempsey.

I never knew him to complain in the ring. Morris was making a frantic effort to win somehow. He knew he was cooked, and just as he landed a low one Dempsey hooked him one on the jaw and another in the belly and fairly lifted Morris off the floor and onto the ropes. Morris-went right across them like an old. dishrag. He couldn't get up and he couldn't go down. He was hung over the ropes and out. As he made a last effort to foul Dempsey the referee stepped in and gave the fight to Jack. The first thing Dempsey did was to look down to Murray, who was sitting with the newspaper writers. It so happened that Morris’s finish had come right in front of Murray. "I told you I'd hang him on the ropes for you, Mr. Murray. Little longer than I expected to be on the job, but here he is, hung on the ropes just the same. Didn't I tell you that I was big enough? "

Murray, of course, was too much overjoyed to say anything. He could only scratch his head in appreciation. He had put over the greatest fight of his whole career as a promoter, but how close he came to blowing it. He let it go on under pro. test, and from that day to this he has thanked his lucky stars that he didn't call in the cops to have Dempsey and myself pinched for trying to obtain money under false pretenses. This fight was Dempsey's first appearance in the East following the fight in which John Lester Johnson outpointed him in ten rounds. We had made good in first rate fashion. I flooded the country with the stories of that fight. It went all over the world.

[Robinson]

Thank you for that. Awesome read

[robert.snell1]

thanks glad you liked it. will be posting the complete set of articles tomorrow and interested in what people think of the way in which he describes his relationship with Dempsey. I would have loved to have seen Dempsey's face when he read them !!!

[granberry]

Thanks again, Robert.

The George Gardner article would be improved with the elimination of the stupidity here:

"Boxers during this time normally boxed with bare - knuckles, which made the sport much more brutal than today's boxing. These old - time prizefighters were much like the U. F. C. fighters that we have today."

I have the film of Gardner knocking out Jack Root for the lightheavyweight title.

Gardner was a wild man who threw punches in bunches of ten or more at a time. He was a puncher, both with left hook and right hand.

Root was described by Jack Johnson as having the ideal left jab. But fighting Gardner, Root was under so much pressure he didn't get much of a chance to use his boxing ability.

The halfwits who call themselves "boxing historians" who repeat endlessly the mantra that fighters before Benny Leonard only threw one punch at a time would be very unhappy to see George Gardner and his endless combinations as he knocks out Root in 1903.

Gardner was very good from what I see of him.

The article does point out the many wins he had against top level fighters from middleweight to heavyweight.

Gardner knocked out Peter Maher in one round and stopped Marvin Hart, something Jack Johnson couldn't do.

Gardner also lost a 20 round decision to Jack Johnson, with Johnson outweighing Gardner by a full THIRTY pounds.

I always thought he came to the US after fighting in Ireland, but apparently almost his entire fighting career took place in the US.

[Ambling Alp]

The part about boxing in boxing being bareknuckles in Gardiner's era and similar to the UFC was rather odd and of course inaccurrate.

First boxing (whether bareknuckles or with gloves) was never similar to the UFC.
2nd, fights with gloves were far more commonplace than bareknuckles by Gardiner's day. The last barekncuckles championship fight (Sullivan vs Kilrain) took place 9 years before Gardiner even started his career. It's very likely that Gardiner never had a bareknuckles fight.

Nevertheless, this was a pretty good article. It had some interesting stories as well as highlighting some of Gardiner's achievements. Gardner while not a legend, was a very good fighter.

These days, only the truly legendary fighters from the 19th century and early 20th century are remembered at all by most boxing fans. (John L Sullivan,Jim Corbett,Bob Fitzsimmons, Tommy Ryan,Nonpariel Jack Dempsey,and only a handful of others.)

Often you will people belittle fighters from an era they that they don't know much about with the claim that there was little depth back then and that the legendary fighters didn't fight anyone. That some people think this is in large part because they aren't familiar with the many very good fighters that were a notch below the legends; fighters like Gardiner.

It was nice to see an article about someone like him.

[robert.snell1]

Corey had his opinion and that's his affair. what i liked was he fact that we had an article on a guy who is one of those who have been overlooked and it was for my part a welcome letter. I would welcome more of the same to enable myself and others to include on the various sites which seek to preserve the history of the sport. Even when they may include some errors of a marginal kind in terms of opinion.