Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1911 — BOXER GIVES MUCH PROMISE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BOXER GIVES MUCH PROMISE

Sam Fitzpatrick Declares He Has Another Kid Lavigne in Antone Lagrave, Western Fighter. If Antone Lagrave is as good a fighter as Sam Fitzpatrick thinks he Is (and Samuel’s judgment is fairly good), there is trouble in store for Ad. Wolgast and any other lightweight who may have an eye on Wolgast’s title. Fitzpatrick* once handled Kid Lavigne, champion lightweight of ths w'orld, and the rotund manager believes he has a second Lavigne in jLagrave. It (is a significant fact {hat both Lavigne and Lagrave are Of French extraction, the only difference being that Lavigne sprang from the pine-clad hills of Michigan and Lagrave is a native of the Pacific slope. Fitzpatrick naturally was much impressed with the 15-round draw that his boy recently fought with Battling Nelson, and considers it a great performance. In a note to the writer, Fitzpatrick says: “Lagrave is another Kid Lavigne, and that li> rounds with Nelson very much resembled the Lavigne-Wolcott fight at Maspeth some time ago.” It is quite evident that Lagrave put up a sturdy fight, and the only question is as to the condition of the Dane on the night of the battle. The general impression! as to Nelson’s present form is that he has deteriorated, and that Lagrave did not meet the man who toppled Gans from the lightweight championship throne or even the man who Wolgast so stubborn a fight before yielding the scepter of the 133-pound class. Be that as it may, any man who can buffet Nelson for 15 rounds must have some class, and Lagrave therefore will

be watched with interest the next time he starts in the lightweight handicap; —'■ ' — —- Fitzpatrick’s reference to the La-vigne-Walcott battle at Maspeth in 1895 revives recollections of one of the fiercest glove fights in the history of the Queensbury game. The bout was a handicap affair, Walcott stipulating to knock out Lavigne in 15 rounds or forfeit a SSOO side bet. The men weighed 133 pounds ringside, and this was a severe handicap to the negro. who was compelled to resort to baths and drugs in order to make the weight. , The match grew out of an argument betwen O’Rourke and Fitzpatrick as to the lelative merits of their men. Walcott started in with a rush and for a time punished Lavigne severely. But the Saginaw’ Kid, with his wonderful vitality, took all Walcott could hsyid out and then came back for more^ The bout lasted the scheduled limit of 15 rounds, and while bosh men were on their feet, Walcott had weakened under the enforced low weight and the fast pace and probably would have been put to sleep in a few more rounds. Lavigne, by staying to the end of the bout won the wager, and Tim Hurst, the referee, was not called on to make any decision. He had his troubles separating ‘the men in the "clinches. Had a decision been rendered on the bout itself it would have been a draw, a 3 Walcott had the best of the first half of the bout and Lavigne camo very strongly In the latter half. Some of the records erroneously set forth that Walcott lost the bout. All that the Black Demon lost was SSOO and some prestige because he failed to put Lavigne to sleep.

Antone Lagrave.