Young Griffo vs. Ike (Spider) Weir
Young Griffo drew with Ike Weir by TD in round 3 of 8
- Date: 1894-03-17
- Location: 2nd Regiment Armory, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Referee: George Siler
- Attendance: 3,000
- Purse: $1,500; $1,000 to the winner, $500 to the loser. As bout was declared a draw, both fighters received $750 (Chicago Tribune, March 18, 1893).
Associated Press, March 18, 1893
"A crowd which filled to overflowing the Second Regiment Armory tonight saw there the 'Belfast Spider' and Arthur Griffith, better known as 'Young Griffo,' box two rounds. They had started on the third, when the contest was stopped by the police. Griffo plainly showed that he weighed more, by ten or fifteen pounds, than the Spider, and in science was more than a match for Weir."
First round - Weir led for Griffo and fell short, receiving a hot blow on the ribs in return. Griffo landed on Weir's neck twice and reached for his face, but was stopped. It was give and take with fast in-fighting, the round ending in Griffo's favor.
Second round - At the call of time, Griffo went at Weir in a lively manner, and soon had him winded. Following up this advantage, Griffo knocked Weir to his knees, and when he jumped up Griffo hit him again, avoiding a clinch, and, coming back, knocked Weir down a second time. This was followed by three more knock-downs, and Weir was all but out when time was called.
Third round - The round opened with Weir rushing Young Griffo, but the advantage of superior weight was too much for the 'Spider.' Twice Griffo knocked Weir down, and the latter was obliged to take time to get on his feet, being very groggy. At this juncture Inspector O'Shea ordered the contest stopped, and Weir's seconds rushed into the ring and helped him to his corner. The referee was obliged to call the fight a draw, much to the disgust of the crowd.
Chicago Tribune, March 18, 1893
"There was an agreement that if the police stopped the fight it should be a draw. Could it have been possible that the Spider inveigled Inspector Shea into stopping the fight? The Inspector was there simply to do his duty, and did it, but might not the Spider have played his cards so as to really force the Inspector to stop the mill."
Tacoma Daily News, March 6, 1916
Promoter called on the police to locate a missing Griffo. He was found by two plain-clothes officers at 4:00 p.m. stinking drunk in a "low dive." Houseman had him hustled into a Turkish bath until he was sober enough to "distinguish the referee from his opponent." Griffo gave the Belfast Spider a "very sound thrashing."