Joe Gans vs. George Siddons (1st meeting)
Joe Gans 129 lbs drew with George Siddons 127 lbs by PTS in round 20 of 20
- Date: 1895-07-15
- Location: Eureka Athletic Club, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Referee: Howard Knight
GANS THE BETTER MAN.
---
His Battle with Siddons Called a Draw--The Baltimorean a General
Before nearly one thousand spectators, who attended the Eureka Athletic Club's sparring tournament last night, George Siddons, the noted New Orleans pugilist, proved that he was not so good a man as Joe Gans, the colored lightweight champion of Maryland. The contest lasted twenty rounds, and though it was decided a draw, it was decidedly Gans's fight.
Siddons said he could further reduce himself when the men stripped and weighed at 3 P. M. at Rowland's Turkish Baths. The stipulations were that they were to weigh 125 pounds, give or take two pounds. Siddons was down to 126 1/2, Gans weighed 129 pounds. Siddons demanded the forfeit of $50, refusing to fight if it were not paid, and the money was handed over.
The men went to their training quarters to rest, and when they reached the amphitheatre, at 9 P.M., each was three or more pounds heavier. Both were in the pink of condition. While they were stripping for the contest a photographer planted his camera and took a picture of one section of the spectators, when he was discovered and a howl went up, and he left.
When the sparrers entered the ring each was greeted with applause. Siddons was the favorite among the spectators at about $50 to $30, but the Baltimore boy had many friends. It was to be the fight of his life and he knew it.
The fight by rounds was as follows:
Round 1.--Fiddling was done through the round. Once Siddons led for the body and failed. Gans got in a slight face blow.
Round 2--Gans landed on the face, raising a mouse under Siddons's left eye. Siddons ended the round with several ineffectual leads, which Gans tried to counter. No damage.
Round 3.--Gans got in on Siddons's left eye, and after a clinch caught Siddons on the body with his left and followed with his right on the face. Siddons slipped as he was struck and went to the floor. It was not a clean knock-down, but the spectators hurrahed for Gans.
Round 4.--Siddons kept up his aggressive work, though he was accomplishing little. Gans was continually landing counters on the Southern boy's face. Siddons did not seem to mind them much, and he got a shade the better of a mix. The last minute of the round was occupied by Gans in jabbing Siddons's face.
Round 5.--Gans continued to land on Siddons's face, though Siddons was on the offensive. The best blows of this round were a left which Gans planted on Siddons's body and a right which followed on the jaw.
Roung 6.--Gans landed four times upon Siddons's face before he got a return blow. Then he received a thumper upon the left ribs. Siddons landed a second blow on the body before the gong sounded, but it was light.
Round 7.--Siddons led off with a stiff right hand blow in the colored boy's wind, and a clinch followed in which Siddons again reached the body. Gans contented himself with playing for Siddons's face. Siddons remarked to Gans just before the round ended: "You take your time and I'll take mine." Gans then hit him in the nose and the gong rang.
Round 8.--Gans had been so successful that the crowd tried to encourage him to go in and finish his job. He was too good a general. Siddons was still strong but he did little fighting in the round. He allowed Gans to punch his face often.
Round 9.--No damage was done and no one could pick a winner. Each had proved himself a finish-fighter rather than a quick one. Round 10 was even, and in round 11 a hot mix occured. Siddons's left leads and Gans's clever stop were the features. Siddons had a shade the better of it.
Round 12--Siddons's face now showed plainly the result of the many times it had stopped Gans's glove. Gans showed no marks. Early in the round Siddons caught Gans a stiff facer, but got one in return. Both were for the first time of the fight a little wild toward the close.
Round 13.--Gans hit Siddons where he pleased and was only wary of Siddons's right in the first half. Siddons woke up, and the rest of the round was give and take.
Round 14.--Siddons came from his corner holding the Stanton Abbott close guard. He twice reached the colored boy's body hard. Gans continued to counter on the face.
Round 15.--Gans landed twice on Siddons's disfigured face, but got a stiff left-facer in return. Gans went down, but got up smiling, and after keeping away for a minute he had Siddons guessing. Suddenly he became aggressive and landed twice on Siddons's face. After the round Gans said the knock-down blow did not hurt him, but his seconds told him not to lay himself open for another of the kind.
Round 16 was a succession of clinches. The next was full of vicious infighting, both hitting quickly at short-arm work. Not a hard blow was hit in the first two minutes of the 18th. Siddons reached Gans's face with the best blow of the round.
Round 19.--Gans went in to win and had all the better of the round, both at leading and infighting. Not much was done in the twentieth and last round. Both were strong.
Referee Howard Knight, of Washington, said: "This fight is for points and I want five more rounds before I decide it."
A terrible howl went up and a draw was declared.
--The Sun, 1895-07-16.