BoxRec

The Days of Finish Fights
By Joe Choynski

BIG crowds watched me through my training stunts. My bag punching created excitement. The Australians had used only heavy bags. They were, fascinated by the speed and skill I showed with the light bag and in a short time were practicing on their own punching bags Imported from the U.S.

The night of the fight came around and I was stripping .in my dressing room when in. walked the "Jawbreaker." "I propose that we save a score," said Fogarty. "I don't get you," says I. Then Fogarty explained that "saving a score" was the Australian way of proposing a loser's end of twenty pounds instead of fighting winner take all, as the articles of agreement stipulated.

I agreed that the loser should have something. The fight with Fogarty went the scheduled ten rounds. I jabbed him almost out and did not receive a scratch in return. The newspapers hailed this victory as a remarkable performance and the Australians were so impressed with my work they sent for Joe Goddard, known as the "Barrier Champion' to come from Melbourne to fight me.

This Goddard was one of the greatest natural fighters I ever saw. Unlike the other Australians he was not clever, but he was fast and prodigiously strong, with a head like a lion. He was almost a glutton for punishment, almost impervious to knockout punches. He was then rated as one of the great heavyweights of the World, on a par with Peter Jackson, Frank Slavin and even John L. Sullivan. In fact I believe that Goddard would have beaten Sullivan then, considering the condition of John L.

This match with Goddard was quickly made and I realized it was my most ambitious. undertaking so far Goddard outweighed me by fifty pounds. I finished my training in the hottest weather I ever experienced. The newspapers said the temperature went up at times to 120, and I believe it. It certainly gets hot in Australia in the summer time.

The first round opened at a terrific pace. Before the fight had gone one minute I knocked Goddard down with a blow that split the massive chin. The Australian rings are twenty four feet each way and the referee stands outside the ropes. When Goddard went down, the referee was on the opposite side and he ran all the way around the ring before he began counting. The "Barrier Champion" was on the floor at least six seconds before the count began, and he took the full ten.

Then Goddard began a series of rushes such as I never experienced. Each time he rushed I ducked and his hurtling body would ram with great force against my shoulder or elbow. The referee ordered me not to do this, asserting that it was foul for my shoulder or elbow to collide with Goddard's body. This was a .new ruling for me and there was nothing left for me to do but trade wallops with a far heavier man and one of the most dangerous hitters in the world.

The fight became a slaughter. First Goddard would be knocked down and then It would be my turn. Talk about thrills. The crowd was standing from the first exchange. The Sydney referee described the battle as "the most terrible ever seen in. Australia." In the fourth round I was knocked out. In my scrap book is a remarkable description of the combat which I wish space permitted to reproduce in full, both for the details it gives of: a memorable battle and to show, the vivid handling of boxing events by Australian, sports writers. I will content myself with the referee's description of the third round of this battle with Goddard.

"Round 3—Like two whirlwinds the men went at each other and smash, smash with sickening force fell the hailstorm of blows. 'Keep away, Choynski,' yelled some one in the crowd, but he could not, or would not, for. Foley had given the Australian his orders, and he was never to leave his man for a second. Fight for his body, Joe, was Larry's mandate, 'He's slippery with his head.' And well was It for-Joe Goddard that, he had the king of seconds at his heels last night, for never in the world did a man need wise counsel In time of desperate. need more than did Joe Goddard last night.

"Smash'on the point went Choynski's left with a peculiar swing. Chop went his right, and down flop on his knees went Goddard. Then the frantic, furious, maddening struggle sped on, and the men, locked together from sheer exhaustion, swayed like two drunken men, and fell in. their tracks all in a heap on the floor. "As they struggled up Goddard was bleeding from nose and mouth and gash over the eye, and Choynski did not show a mark, but his body, neck and side of the head must, have felt as if one of the posts of the gates of hell had fallen upon him.

"Now for a moment it looked as if America had the battle won. Again and again did the plucky lad send home left and right on the iron frame of the giant, but he pegged away in vain. Flesh and blood would have quitted beneath the powerful blows Choynski had landed, but the Barrier man' is iron and road metal, with a heart of steel.

"Once on the ropes there was a .fearful rally, and' Choynski got his back on them to support himself while trying for a. knockout blow. Goddard did then as he did the first night he fought Owen Sullivan he drew back and hurled his' gigantic frame upon the slim Tankee lad, and crushed ,him over, the ropes,, and Joe, poor, game, dashing lad, slipped down looking, as If the ribs had been brushed out of him.

"A cry of 'Foul, foul!' was raised, but the fight went on, though now both men were helpless. Neither could lift a hand to deal a blow, and If the fate of the nation had been in the balance then neither would have hurt a child. A few seconds they stood there thus, then the vitality that comes of a vigorous frame and good training, set them on their legs and again they, fought, and to the astonishment of all, Choynski dashed in his left four times hard and banned Joe Goddard so hard with his right that he dropped his hands and stood In the centre of the ring, rocking on his heels with a sickly smile."

Despite my defeat by Goddard, or Perhaps because of it, the Australians regarded me with great favor, and offered me a. match with Owen Sullivan, another leading heavyweight six feet five Inches tall. Sullivan had fought two terrific battles with Goddard. The match was made, and an admirer of mine whose name I cannot now recall, startled the Sydney sports by offering a wager of 300 pounds that I would stop Sullivan in four .rounds. The wager was promptly accepted of course.

Please give your source for this.

granberry wrote:Please give your source for this.

oops
Manitoba Free press 15 Jan 1927

Two words. THANK YOU.

More great stuff!!

Thanks much.

apparently he did a series of these of 10 or more but I have only managed to get 6 of them and one is so feint I cannot read it.such is life eh

should have some of it done shortly

robert.snell1 wrote:apparently he did a series of these of 10 or more but I have only managed to get 6 of them and one is so feint I cannot read it.such is life eh

should have some of it done shortly

Thank you, Robert.

Great reading as always Rob, many thanks.

still reading the rest of them and will try and get round to posting them soon

from the same source

15 January 1927
by Joe Choynski

OWEN SULLIVAN was not only of gigantic proportions, but he was one of the clever boxers of the Larry Foley school. My friend who wagered I would stop. Sullivan in four rounds was considered "balmy," and I confess I believe he had acted rashly. But I knocked Sullivan out in the first round with a punch to the ribs. He had to be carried from the ring and we were afraid he was going to die. It was a week before he could leave his bed.

Still believing I could beat Goddard, I asked for a return match, and the Barrier Champion consented. The second meeting was held at Melbourne and was almost a repetition of the first. Goddard again beat me in four rounds of desperate fighting. Again I came, against the referee's ruling prohibiting me from "striking'' Goddard with my shoulders and elbows when his body collided with me as I ducked.

While it does not belong at this point to tell about it, I think it fair to record here that I met Goddard a third time, two years later at Philadelphia, with an American referee, and gave him a bad beating in six rounds! In that contest Goddard did not lay a glove on me.

Despite my two defeats by Goddard the Australians rated me as a. great fighter. In that country a defeated man is not thrown in the discards. I
like several other characteristics of the Australians. For example, after I knocked out Owen Sullivan I went but to the race track the next day and was nearly floored when strangers would introduce themselves to, me and tell me they won on me and offer to divide their winnings with me. Who ever heard, of such a thing in America?.

Another delightful custom, was the way they paid over the stakes. A banquet was held the day after the fight, to which the principals their
seconds, managers and members of the press were invited. Complimentary things were said, and the fighters were given their money.

One day In Melbourne I was sitting In a popular oyster house conducted by .Jack Warner, a well-to-do Australian sporting character. Suddenly I heard a fearful, uproar accompanied by a crash of broken glass. I looked around and saw a man riding through the front door on a horse. I was amazed to recognize the rider as Duncan Harrison, manager of John L. Sullivan, who was then touring Australia with his melodrama, "Honest Hearts and Winning Hands."

Harrison was arrested for drunkenness and fined the customary, Australian "seven and six," meaning 7 shillings, 6 pence, equivalent in American money to about $1.85.

The Sullivan show was a flop in Australia.The Australians are lovers of art and patrons of the drama, but the spectacles of Sullivan playing the, role of a poor blacksmith whose family was threatened with eviction from home — Sullivan dressed in silk shirt, black velvet pants, silk hose and wearing big diamonds — was too much for their critical Judgment.

I was next matched with Mick Dooley; cleverest of all Larry Foley's pupils. Dooley had also fought Goddard' two hard fights, losing the last in
18 hard rounds. Doolev had also fought hard-battles with "Frank Slavin. then generally regarded as the equal of Goddard. Dooley weighed only 168 pounds, and was the first man of my own weight I had met.

But Dooley's wonderful skill was not much greater than my own by that time, for I had profited by my, study of the, boxing of Australians, adapting much of it to my American knowledge. I knocked Dooley cold in the first Round.

My last public appearance in Australia was in an exhibition bout with Steve O'Donnell, another remarkably clever boxer, 6 feet 2 inches tall; who afterward became Jim Corbett's sparring partner. Steve had every natural advantage except courage.

The next day I ran into John L. Sullivan on the street and he invited me into an ale house to have a drink. He told me was tired of the poor, patronage his show had attracted and suggested that, as I was about to return home, we book passage on the same ship. I readily agreed.

Just before I departed for home after 14 months in Australia, a banquet was given for me at Melbourne, and I was presented by the sports of Melbourne with a silk purse containing 200 sovereigns.

The Sydney Referee, of which Bill Corbett (no relation to Jim) was editor, gave me a fine eulogy in the issue of that week. This was written
by Smiler Hale, able boxing-authority in Australia, perhaps in the entire world. The articles contained more compliments for me than I care, to quote.

A great crowd was at the pier to bid farewell to John L Sullivan and myself as we sailed for America, where I had in store for me more important fighting than I dreamed of at that time. I was to fight such great men of the ring as Jeffries, Fitzsimmons, Sharkey three times, Kid McCoy three, times. Peter Maher "three times. Jack .Johnson, Jim Hall twice, Denver Ed Smith, Geo.Godfrey, Gus Ruhlin , Joe McAuliffe, Dan Creedon and 'Joe Walcott—to name only the more prominent—and a whole army of lesser-known, fighters.

Each of these fights was a real battle full of drama and action. I believe the story as told by one of the participants will be decidedly interesting to lovers of sports. Many interesting details of these battles, such as flings, of repartee in the ring, have never been told. In subsequent articles I will endeavor to recall these events of a bygone generation

ROUGH HOUSE

those saw the moving pictures of the Jeffries-Johnson fight will remember that Jeffries scarcely tried to lead. Several times when he came to his corner I pleaded with him to try something. He’s hitting you plenty Jeff. I said. “He’s cutting you up, you might as well lead at him” And Jeff would say ”Yes that’s right, I’ll go after him next round”. But there was no spirit In his words and he would continue on the defensive.

But there is one memory of that Battle that I cherish with some satisfaction and that is that Johnson was frightened nearly to death in the first three rounds. "it took him three to wake up to the fact that Jeff was not going to bite his head off, was incapable of putting up a fight, and then Johnson sailed in to punch. The once mighty Jeffries into complete helplessness.

Tom Sharkey and I met for a shindig in "San Francisco in 1898. Those who regard Sharkey as a rough-and-tumble fighter without cunning have another thing coming. Sailor Tom was about as canny a bruiser as ever rubbed resin on his soles. He was as cunning as Kid McCoy.

I had seen Sharkey almost murder Jim Corbett with his rough house style. He had Corbett beat when the referee stopped the affair. Jim was so weary he had to sit in his corner a long time before he could make a start for his dressing room. I had also seen Sharkey knocked out In eight rounds by Bob Fitzsimmon’s Only to have the decision awarded to Sharkey on a foul by the illustrious Referee , “Wyatt Earp " The only foul Thing about that was the decision. Fitz afterwards got his revenge by beating the sailor almost to death in two rounds.

But trusting Joe thought nothing Could be handed to him in his home town. George Green, known to the sporting world as Young Corbett, was to have been my chief second, and when he did not snow up on the night of the fight I thought it rather strange. The referee was to be picked at the ringside. I will connect these two facts in a moment.

Sharkey was already in his corner when I climbed through the ropes. Later I learned that Tom remarked when he saw me: "He looks like a sheep” to which "Spider" Kelly, his second, replied, "and he kicks like a mule."

Sharkey had not received a warm welcome from the crowd. recollections of his affair with Fitzsimmons and his tactics with Corbett had left a bad taste in the mouth and there were more hoots than cheers for him. A long wrangle ensued over the selection of a referee, Sharkey pretended to be terribly suspicious and uneasy. The names of Peter Jackson. Jim McDonald and Dan O'Leary were suggested but none was acceptable to Sharkey.In fact, not a single suggested suited Sharkey.

Finally someone in the gallery in a loud voice yelled, "How about Wyatt Earp?" and hardly had the hisses, and groans subsided when another wag called out: "I suggest Sharkey's brother This caused a laugh, but the wrangle went on. The crowd began to whistle "Home, Sweet Home." An hour passed and Eddie Graney, my chief second, proposed that the newspapermen name the arbiter. This suggestion was refused by Sharkey also.

All the while I was sitting in my comer wondering just what made Sharkey so suspicious. Suddenly some one yelled, "How about George Green" and instantly it was announced that Sharkey had accepted Green. I smelled a rat. but being weary from the wrangle and confident I could knock Sharkey out, I offered no objection.

The bell rang, and then began one of the craziest exhibitions ever staged In a prize-ring. Talk about a mixed match of wrestling and boxing, it was there. A spectator could not have told whether it was Queensberry or London Prize Ring rules or, whether we were boxing, wrestling or using Jiu jitsu. Sharkey committed every kind of Io-«i5 Imaginable except biting.

I did not want the fight on a foul and I offered little protest against Sharkey's tactics. I was more rugged than Corbett and felt I could stand a
lot of the wrestling and mauling ,while waiting a. chance to flatten Sharkey with a punch. In fact the audience did much more complaining about Sharkey's rough work than did my seconds. But as the battle went on the sailors work got more and more crude and my strength was gradually sapped. In the eighth round I began to tire from the furious pace Suddenly Sharkey. who was much the heavier man, rushed me to the ropes and then deliberately flung me bodily out of the ring. My head struck a chair corner as I fell to the floor and I had to be assisted back, into the ring. To the surprise of the crowd referee Green walked to the centre of the ring, and yelled: "It's a draw."

Commenting on this decision, W. Naughton, the boxing, authority of that day, observed.:- "In a contest such as last nights there should have been a clean-cut decision. Sharkey's work was rough and damaging whether intentional! or not Either he should have lost the fight on a foul or he should have been hailed as the winner."

Among the notables at the ringside were John L. Sullivan, Bob Fitzsimmons. Jim Corbett and Kid McCoy. The truth of the matter, as I see It clearly after these years, is that I gave away too much weight to an extraordinarily powerful man who used the rough house tactics habitual to Sharkey I was overconfident to the Point of recklessness in match making.

It was folly enough to concede so much weight to giants who fought fairly, but when I had to endure the mauling, heeling, gouging, butting
and general slamming around of by Sharkey it was too much.

Its cool we have Joe Choynski's account of things the way they were back then,instead of some dumba*s boxing revisionists telling us how things were or what we ought to think.

Keep them coming.

IMOP Someone at PBS should do a documentary or maybe a movie about the life and career of Joe Choynski.
Who would you pick to play him if they tried to recreate his career?

It would be a great story if done and equal to the one done on Johnson.

BTW the name is pronounced "Coin-sky" not "Choy-nski"
( just in case anyone asks you about him)

Choynski (imho) was the greatest p4p boxer of his era.

well if I was casting a movie about the life of Joe Choyski back in the late 1970's or early 1980's.
I think I would call this guy in for a screen test for it.

Joe Choynski's birthyear of 1868.
In that era immediately in front of his time the history of Boxing is completely loaded with Australians much like being referenced here in Owen Sullivan. Perhaps it was the most rich Era of the most Australians ever in history as an invasion of talent hit the shores of America.

Birthyears & Great Australians.
1851 Bill Farnan
1858 Tom Lees
1861 Joe Goddard
1861 Peter Jackson
1861 Frank Slavin
1866 Steve O Donnell
1867 Billy Australian Smith
1868 Jim Hall
1868 Bill Doherty
1869 Owen Sullivan

That's a huge wave of quality fighter's that Choynski is referencing...each reigned there own blend of trouble for the amercian fighter's. This pre-dates John L Sullivan birthyear and extend's out to Choynski's birthyear that a large wave of participant's..

Pronounced: Ko-In-Skee as per his biography.

robert.snell1 wrote: ↑20 Mar 2007, 08:00 apparently he did a series of these of 10 or more but I have only managed to get 6 of them and one is so feint I cannot read it.such is life eh

should have some of it done shortly

you may want to get one of the ultra-violet ray
small flash-lights to see the faded print.

in his younger days, Richard Boone would have made a pretty good portrayal of Choyinski.