Carl Morris

[robert.snell1]

Name: Carl Morris
Alias: The Original White Hope
Born: 1884-02-23
Birthplace:
Died: 1951-07-11 (Age:67)
Nationality: US American
Hometown: Pasadena, California, USA
Boxing Record: click
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 6′ 4″ / 193cm
Reach: 81″ / 206cm


Manitoba Free Press
12 August 1913

Carl Morris
Stops McKay By Knockout In Third Round




With a left swing to the jaw and a right hook to the chin, Carl Morris, the Oklahoma heavyweight, sent Fred MaLaglan, alias "fighting" McKay, of New York, and formerly of Winnipeg, through the ropes, for a period long enough to give Morris a knock-out decision, in the third round of a scheduled twelve round bout, at the Auditorium last night. The fight, which attracted a large attendance, thus terminated in a fiasco. Morris left the ring, but after McKay got up the latter seemed! desirous of continuing. But he certainly had been down over the ten seconds, and Morris had every right to claim the bout. Dept. Chief Newton, of the police force, stepped in and notified referee Foley to stop the bout.

There was little to it from the start. Morris had apparent advantage in weight and the fight had not been
in progress long when speculation was rife as to how long it would last.

The finish, however, came earlier than most had bargained for, and it took some time for the fans to realize that the bout was over. McKay made no showing at all against Morris, what blows he did get in being but futile taps which could not have sent a baby to sleep. It was a poor exhibition, both of boxing and pluck. Morris deserved his victory in that he stood up when he might easily have claimed the bout after McKay had landed his foul blows.

McKAY SHOWED YELLOW STREAK.

McKay, to put it correctly, showed distinct yellow streaks from the opening, his display was puerile and
menaces the fighting game in Winnipeg with a real knock-out. He certainly did get up to continue the bout,and showed every sign wanting to "get his own back," out perhaps he saw that Deputy- Chief Newton was in 'the ring to stop the bout before he evinced this pressing desire. After the affair, Carl Morris explained that he was sorry the bout had terminated as it did, but he had no other recourse as McKay had been down for a knockout. He felt that it would hurt the game in Winnipeg, would hurt himself,
would hurt McKay, but hoped to be extended fair treatment should he box in the city again.

OPENING ROUND TAME.

The principals took the ring both seeming fit, and the bout started with an exchange of body blows which were too light to damage much. Morris forced, and McKay landed a right hook to the jaw, lightly. Morris had somewhat the better in the clinch which followed and on the break got in an upper cut which landed too light to rock. Morris sent both right and left to the heart in a clinch, and McKay was clown on the ropes in his own corner. With Mac entangled, Morris sent in left to jaw, and the round terminated with the honors to Morris.

McKay opened with a right to jaw in the second round, and scarcely managed to evade a right upper cut
in return. He came back, however, with right to stomach, and the fighters went to a clinch. In this McKay distinctly fouled Morris with four blows all dangerously low, but Morris, like a good sport, preferred continuing the bout, to claiming it on the foul.

Following this the boxers mixed it rough in the centre of the ring, exchanges favoring Morris, who had McKay going, blood coming from his mouth. The round was Morris all the way.

THE FINAL ROUND.

McKay opened out in the third round with several right swings to face which went rather wide, but one managed to stagger Carl, who slipped. McKay forced and did the leading, and landed a right hook to the jaw. His blows lacked pith, however, and did not trouble the Oklahoma giant' any. Morris landed a heavy kidney punch, and sent two to the face on the break.McKay sent a feeble right to the jaw, to which Morris retaliated with a left swing to the jaw, followed up by a right hook to the chin, which had McKay lying through the ropes. He made no attempt to get up and Referee Foley in order to prevent the knockout,
tried to pull McKay up and finally succeeded in getting him to his feet,

THE CONSTITUTION, ATLANTA, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1913.

Jim Corbett Says the Giant White Hope Has Improved
Enough to Give Them All A Battle.

BY JAMES J. CORBETT.

Former Heavyweight Champion of the
World.

New York. October 18.

Who's white champion now , We all know the Athletics are champions of the baseball world, but now about the boxers?

Around town here fight fans had come to regard "Gunboat" Smith as the class of all the white fellows, and his record looked pretty good at that. Until last week, anyhow, when the huge battleship Carl Morris was warped alongside. Smith didn't look quite so good then as we had him figured.

Ever since experts and newspaper critics have been divided over what happened in the fifth round of that match - when the gigantic Morris was disqualified by the Referee for
fouling his lighter but harder hitting opponent. Some contend the "Gunboat" was a beaten man at the time, and, realizing that he was up against it, decided the easiest way to escape a beating was to claim a foul - which the referee allowed.

Still others argue the "Gunboat" had the original white hope licked to a frazzle and that Morris deliberately fouled to escape the ignominy of a knock-out.

Unfortunately I did not see the bout. Being a baseball fan I was in Philadelphia
to watch the Giants and Athletics play and am therefore not in position to speak, except from hearsay. However, my representative was on the ground, and I consider him as good a judge of a boxing match as anyone I know. From what he tells me the “Gunboat” was struck a foul blow in the fourth round, but that it was unintentional on Morris’s part and anyway it did no damage and did not warrant punishment.

Not Foul Blow.

In the fifth round - when the claim went in and was allowed - my representative
states the blow was not foul at all and furthermore it looked as if it had been blocked by the "Gunboat's arm. Nevertheless the latter immediately put in his claim and the referee allowed it. It looked to those who sat in the neighborhood of Carl's corner, where the men were engaged at the time, as if Smith quit "cold turkey."

Now, I am not going to attempt to judge any fight I have not seen, although I have talked with at least a dozen well-posted men since the bout took place and they have confirmed my representatives story – that Carl was given the worst of it and it looked like he had the “Gunboat” going. None of these men is prejudiced one way or the other, either and even so I believe would tell me the truth.

Instead of helping clear up the heavy-weight situation, the fight just sort of tangled things up more .There is only one way out of the difficulty that I can see and that is to have them fight it over again. Morris is willing, I understand, but Smith's manager says the "Gunboat" is booked for a trip abroad and that he will do no more fighting until he returns.

Meanwhile Carl is willing to take on any heavy-weight in the business Morris is no longer the big, green boy of two years ago, when he came east to "conquer the pugilistic world. At that time he knew absolutely nothing about the game of fighting at all. He was just a big target for everything in the shape of a punch that was aimed at him. He was the best wallop assimilator that had happened along in many a year, and when it ticked over the wires not so very long ago that he had been knocked out by Luther McCarty, the fight public was greatly surprised.

He had seemed a bit more than human when it came to taking punishment, and, knowing McCarty was no demon walloper, local fans who had seen both in action could hardly believe the report. Later Carl said he had been "robbed." and after looking the big fellow over again one is inclined to believe that there is something in his story.

Morris is Coming.

Morris will give any heavy-weight a battle from now on, white or black. His enormous bulk and weight give him a great advantage over his rivals, with the possible exception of Jess Willard, who has him tied or perhaps beaten in size. But Willard is not the type of
fighter Morris is, or at least was not the last time he showed here, about a year ago. Jess is too easy going in his methods to accomplish much.

On the other hand, Morris is all business in the ring and never loafs a minute. Naturally, with his weight and size, he is on the aggressive from the start of the bell. Furthermore, he has learned considerable about boxing, and for such a huge piece of humanity, moves around fairly well.

There is nothing flashy about the Oklahoman. He is a steady plodder, but his style is effective just the same. Give him another year and I think he will whip any heavy now before the public. A little more skill at hitting and it will take a tough man to stand
up before him any great length of time. He has the strength, and he has the wallop, too, but he don't know how to use either to the best advantage as yet.

But for a man who was whipped to a standstill two years ago by roly-poly Jim Flynn. fifty pounds lighter than he. Morris has done remarkably well. One thins to his credit is that he did not permit the setback by Flynn to discourage him in his ambition to become
champion. In spite of all the unkind and thoughtless things said about him.

Morris kept steadily on the job, until today he would enter the ring favorite over any other white heavy-weight in the business, not excepting the "Gunboat." who has just been awarded a victory on a foul.

A word or two about the "Gunboat." He put up a wonderful battle while it
lasted, according to all accounts. He may have been fouled, as he says, and he may not, as others say. He knows better than anyone else. But he must be given credit for putting up such a grand contest against such great physical odds. It must be remembered that he was outweighed about 50 pounds, and if he was really hit low by Morris he should not be accused of "dogging"it. His record has been so splendid and he has shown such determination and courage in all his previous starts that he should be given the benefit of the doubt.Still if he does not grant Morris a return match it will give his enemies the chance to say he is afraid of the outcome of a second engagement.

[Brutu]

Reportly he later became a real dirty fighter and had more success.
Jack Dempsey was one of his sparring partners,and said he was the only man he ever felt some hate for in the ring.

[Brutu]

It was the fight with Fireman Jim Flynn,that really messed up Morris's career.
Most likely all those cuts were from Flynn using his butting tatics.

[Ambling Alp]

That was a pretty interesting article. It was interesting to hear Corbett's thoughts.

Supposedly Corbett was known for picking the winners of fights incorrectly.
In the book "In This Corner" Gunboat Smith talks about how Corbett predicted that Bombardier Billy Wells would whip him (Smith). This made Smith mad. Gunboat knocked Wells out in two rounds.