Featured Fighter: Mysterious Billy Smith (WIP)

1899-10-20 Charlie McKeever ND6 (Philadelphia, PA, USA)
1899-10-21 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 6)
The wind-up at Industrial Hall last night between Smith the Mysterious one, and Charley McKeever was interesting from a scientific point of view, but it hardly satisfied the average follower of the game, who always wants gore, and lots of it. There was nothing to choose between them at the finish.

1899-10-21 The Philadelphia Record (Philadelphia, PA) (page 14)
Charlie McKeever never showed up to better advantage than in his six-round bout with "Mysterious Billy" Smith at Industrial Hall last night. After the first round McKeever held the upperhand throughout the entire contest. He did most of the leading and landed with good effect. In the second round he split Smith's left ear with a heavy right. The men had agreed to break away cleanly, but they failed to live up to their agreement, especially in the last round, when it almost became a rough-and-tumble fight, the referee having considerable trouble in separating them. Smith was probably to blame, as he was holding with his left in the clinches and trying to get home his famous kidney punches with his right, but McKeever took advantage of the opening over the stomach, and as fast as Smith was showering blows on McKeever's kidneys "Mac" was getting in as many effective blows on the stomach. McKeever had the best of all the mix-ups, and Smith's rushes were stopped in great shape, which several times brought down the house.

 

1899-11-08 Charlie McKeever W20 (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
1899-11-09 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page 14)
It was a vicious fight while it lasted and early in the fight McKeever had clearly the better of the argument, but tired under Smith's continuous rushing. Smith began to forge ahead and toward the close had McKeever in serious straits. Both men roughed it at times and fought foul. Once Smith so far forgot himself as to throw Mac to the floor, but on the whole he was as clean as in his work as McKeever.

1899-11-09 The Evening Telegram (New York, NY) (page 10)
"Charlie" McKeever, of Philadelphia, barely escaped a knockout at the hands of "Mysterious Billy" Smith at the Broadway Athletic Club last night. He kept up with his opponent on points until his strength gave out and then he received a severe pounding.

1899-11-09 The Morning Telegraph (New York, NY) (page 3)
It was one of a long series of contests between these men, both of whom are so clever and quick it is difficult for either to score decisively. For half the fight it was so tame the spectators yawned, and neither man had the slightest advantage. Smith woke up after the tenth, and had the best of a majority of the remaining rounds, putting McKeever on queеr street in the nineteenth. He therefore received the referee's decision.
C.F.M.

1899-11-09 The New York Herald (New York, NY) (page 13)
It was even up for a considerable period, but toward the close Smith's strength was in evidence and enabled him to force the fighting and outpoint his man.

1899-11-09 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 5)
At the start off the fight looked as if it would be a very tame affair, but toward the finish there was plenty of excitement for the crowd. Smith was not what he used to be, but still he was able to outfight and outslug McKeever in the last few rounds, which convinced the referee that the "mysterious" boxer was the better man.

1899-11-09 The World (New York, NY) (page 8)
McKeever was weak, groggy and tired when the fight was over, while Smith was fighting as hard and seemed almost as fresh as in the earlier part of the fight. Hard body blows and swings on neck and jaw won the bout for the "Mysterious" one.
Smith started the fight with his own peculiar style, the little waltz step and his ferocious look being with him as of old.

 

1900-03-12 Jack Mahoney D25 (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
1900-03-13 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page 14)
Mahoney proved the biggest kind of a surprise, for he not only stayed the limit but landed two blows to Smith's one and escaped without a mark, except a bright red spot over the left kidney. Had he been in the least aggressive and not been content to let Smith make the fighting throughout, he would have undoubtedly received the decision and not a draw.
They met at 145 pounds and both were in excellent condition. Smith started to force the pace from the start, but Mahoney met him every time with left jolts to the face. He feinted Smith into all kinds of ludicrous positions and the crowd soon realized th prove no easy proposition for the mysterious one. Except at close quarters Smith was absolutely unable to land a blow and not once during the entire twenty-five rounds did he put in a clean punch on Mahoney's face. The crowd howled with glee as the Quaker feinted Smith out of position and punched him seemingly at will.
Smith grew wild with rage at Mahoney's aggravating tactics and rushed viciously, but could do no better than land his famous kidney punch and a few swings on the body. He tried repeatedly to bring over his right, but without avail, for Mahoney was always inside and it slipped harmlessly around his neck. The bout grew tiresome as it proceeded because of Mahoney's defensive tactics, but the crowd stayed with the expectation that Smith would finally stop him. He failed to do the trick, however, and Referee Charlie White declared his decision a draw.

1900-03-13 The Morning Telegraph (New York, NY) (page 4)
The decision was a draw, and was met with hisses, as it seemed to the spectators that Mahoney was entitled to the decision. Smith fought foully all the way throughout the bout, and was warned repeatedly. In the seventeenth round he committed such a palpable foul that Referee Charley White wanted to stop the bout and award the decision to Mahoney, but Mahoney refused to accept it, and the fight was continued. Smith was unable to touch Mahoney, and only when they came to a clinch did he land with any effect.
Mahoney used his left frequently, and his clever feinting and footwork made Smith look like a novice at times.

1900-03-13 The New York Herald (New York, NY) (page 12)
The referee, "Charly" White, was compelled to warn Smith repeatedly.
Nearly four thousand persons witnessed the contest, which failed to show the "mysterious" one at his best, and his rushes were always offset by the exceptional cleverness of Mahoney. Despite the latter's science, he failed to land in effective fashion, and contented himself with face cutting jabs which had not much power behind them.

1900-03-13 The New York Press (New York, NY) (page 4)
Mahoney proved to be extremely clever as a boxer, and blocked splendidly. Smith failed to land except over the kidneys and the ribs with a few exceptions, where he jolted his right to the wind and head.

1900-03-13 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 5)
Many thought that the visitor would prove to be easy game and the betting was about 2 to 1 against him winning and 3 to 1 that he would not last twelve rounds. Mahoney not only fooled the wiseacres, but showed that he is very clever and a dangerous proposition for any of the men in his class. He toyed with Smith in the early part of the fight, but as it progressed Smith did a lot of rushing and work, and this fact alone got him a draw. Mahoney was unmarked, but Smith's countenance bore traces of many blows.

1900-03-13 The World (New York, NY) (page 8)
The work of both men was slow and tedious from start to finish, and the Philadelphian was by far the better man.

 

1900-12-27 Jack Mahoney NC11 (Paterson, NJ, USA)
1900-12-28 Paterson Evening News (Paterson, NJ) (page 6)
The gong sounded and the two men stepped out into the centre of the ring. Both jumped about a bit in a bluff effort to ease up their limbs. Then Smith aimed a swing for Mahoney's head which fell short. With a mighty effort he landed lightly on Mahoney's shoulder. The two men clinched and in the breakaway Mahoney held up his hands to protect himself "don't mind that," Smith said in a hoarse whisper. "I won't nail you." These words were only audible to those close to the ringside, but they showed the true character of the men.
The sparring went along all through this round, the men standing up and going through a lot of swift motions panting, dodging and running about the ring but never landing a blow that had any steam behind it or that counted for anything. Both seemed to be enjoying some big joke and a wide smile was on their countenances all along.
In the second round it was much the same. Both landed lightly on each others arms and shoulders and swung wild of each other. Sometimes standing together and feinting making short jabs and neither landing.
The rounds were not worth reporting at any stage of the fight and these supposed stars in their hope of getting easy money carried their little game too far. They overdid it and the ruse they were working became apparent to all before the fight ended. In the clenches they stopped each other with open glove and broke away with their arms hanging at their sides.
In the seventh round the crowd became broadly suspicious and cries of "hit him" "don't be afraid, be careful you don't hurt each other" and similar expressions were shouted from all sides of the hall.
The men kept their farcical exhibition, clinching every moment and landing ineffective blows making great bluffs of putting steam behind them. Smith grunted like a stuck pig every time Mahoney gave him a love tap.
The referee kept urging the men on, and in the eighth round warned them to fight, and they warmed up a little, but soon subsided again.
In the ninth the referee stopped the fight for a moment and told the men he wouldn't stand for any more nonsence. Again they gasped and panted and swung wild and clinched and, in fact, acted the part of two fools.
They evidently thought they were in a gay town where the people didn't know the difference between a fight and a hugging match, but they were mistaken.
After the ninth round ended Referee Dougherty went over to each man's corner and warned them both to fight if they expected to get any money.
After letting them go part of the eleventh round, the referee thoroughly disgusted sent the men to their corners and declared the fight no contest.
This was a popular move and the crowd applauded Dougherty. After this fiasco was over the club would have put up another bout but a large part of the audience had left the hall and the police advised the managers of the club not to do so. When the crowd was all gone the two boxers started to holler for their money but they didn't get a cent and rightly so. They left in a big huff, threatening to sue the club.

1900-12-28 The Morning Call (Paterson, NJ) (page 3)
A couple of boxers who evidently thought Paterson was a jay town where the sporting public would stand for anything, tried to palm off a fake fight and secure some easy money in this city last night. They were "Mysterious Billy" Smith and "Young" Mahoney of Philadelphia, two boxers who stand high in their class, but to their sorrow they found that Paterson sports know the difference between a fight and a burlesque and as a result they did not get a cent of Paterson money to take out of town with them.
Mahoney looked in fair shape, while the "Mysterious one" appeared fat. After a lot of preliminary fussing about having people stop smoking and securing a couple of time keepers, that made it look as if the men were going to fight a championship battle, they faced each other. There was little doing in the first few rounds and it looked as if the men were sizing each other up before starting to fight in earnest. As they continued to make bluff swings at each other and clinched at every opportunity without doing any damage it began to dawn on the spectators that the men were faking. Referee Eddie Dougherty told the men that they would have to fight if they wanted to continue. This was in the eighth round and during the next they appeared to go at each other in earnest and the crowd yelled its approval. This only lasted for a round, however, and those who knew anything about theg ame saw that the men were not trying to hurt each other and that their swings and jabs were well executed bluffs. Dougherty again warned the men and as this did not do any good he sent them to their corners and called it no contest. This means that the men would not get any part of the purse. The crowd cheered him and hissed the fighters, calling on the club not to give them a cent.