Spider Kelly the Freddie Roach of his time

Found this and thought I would share about one of the first name trainers in the 1900's. I like to know more about the early trainers and their methods.

The San Francisco call. (San Francisco [Calif.]), 13 July 1913

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MEN HE HAS ESQUIRED
"Spider" Kelly has seconded many
of the most prominent fighters of the
country, among the number Jeffries,
"Walcott, Sharkey, Peter Maher, Tommy
Ryan, Jack' O'Brien, Jimmy Brltt, Abe
Attell, AI Neal, Frankle Neil, Dal Haw
kins, Eddie Hanlon, Jack Moffatt, Jack
Boot. Eddie Connelly, Kid McFadden,
Gunboat Smith; McVea, the big black,
against Jack Johnson; Eddie Campi,
Jimmy Ryan, Bobby Dobbs, Charley
Johnson, Eddie Santry, and last, though
not least, Joe Rivers, In his fourth of
July battle with Willie Ritchie.
"When asked if, in his opinion, Joe
Rivers "quit." the "Spider" said: "I
believe*. Rivers was not in good con-,
dition. That is, he was too fat. "Why,
Rivers had to take off his stockings
to make the weight."
MEXICAN TIRED
"Rivers tired after the fast work he
did in the early rounds. Some think
that all a second has to do is to tell
his man to go In and win. It's a mis
take. A carpenter can not plane a
plank without a plane, and a second
must have the tools with which to win
a fight. Rivers went well for a few
rounds; then was all in. He knows
better than any one else Just what
.shape he was in when Ritchie floored
him. Ido not think he could have won
even had he struggled to his feet.
RITCHIE A GREAT FIGHTER
"Believe me, Ritchie is a great
fighter. He hits harder than people
give him credit for.
"We hear much about old time fight
ers, and unfair comparisons are often
made. We know .that the game has
not progressed, for the very reason
given by Eddie Graney because boxing
Is so largely prohibited, and you can
not make athletes without practice.
"Rivers Is a Mexican, and we know
there is a strong prejudice against
fighters of the Spanish persuasion. We
once had a very clever, game boy here
by the name of De Soto. He lost a
few fights against better men, and was
accused of laying down.
FORTUNES IN PURSES
"Think of the incentive of a purse
of $18,000," said Kelly. "Why I re
member when Billy Meehan and Tom
Meadows fought here for $500, and the
way they talked about that magnifi
cent purse was a caution.
"We hear a lot about modern box
ers not fighters as long as did the old
timers. That is, easily explained:
There was no hugging nor wrestling
in the earlier days, and the men were
not worn down In that way. Now It
Is rush right In and slug in the clinch
es. Billy Smith, the mysterious, fought
In that way, and was often accused of
fouling when he did not fight foul.
COMPARISONS DIFFICULT
"In fact,"' continued Kelly, "It is
most difficult to make comparisons of
old and new fighters. The styles are
entirely different. There are no great
boxing instructors today save where
an oldtimer handles a youngster for a
latter day battle. Take Van Court,
who was an amateur instructor. He
was great, and you could pick one of
his boys Instantly. The same applies
to Harry Gilmore. The minute a Gil
more student put up his hands you
could say 'Gilmore.'
"In the old days fighters trained for
stamina as well as speed and skill. To
day they prepare solely for speed.
They do not go through the gruelling
that the oldtimers were compelled to
take.
MORE TRAINING NEEDED
"In olden days the fighter went
through a course of training extending
over a period of three months, often
more. They thus grained that rugged
stamina that is lacking in the boxer
of today. I do not believe that the
20 round boxer needs the gruelling
training of the finish fighter. Ever
hear of the 'black draught"? .Well, we
have none of that now, but it was
good for the physique, and horrible to
swallow.
"The early day boxers, instead of
punching a lively bag mauled a heavy
sack filled .with sand, weighing some
2OO hundred pounds, and hammered
away at it 'until exhausted. There
were dally runs of from three to ten
miles, boxing, wrestling and all sorts
of hard work, and eight hours' sleep
in the same room with trainer no
chance to ***** on that.

 

TRAINING HARDEST TASK
"With the oldtimers training was the
harder task of the game. A man had
to deprive himself of everything save
hard work. This treatment was. taken
By such famous gladiators as Tom
Hayer, John Morrissey, John C. Heenan,
Joe Coburn, Tom Sayers, Jem Mace, Joe
Goss and a host of other's.
"And if you will take time to con
sider you will realize that in a recent
boxing history the men who trained most
faithfully gained the'greater fame.' in
the ring. Jack Dempsey, Bob Fitzsim-
mons, Jim Corbett, Tommy Ryan,
George Dixon, Joe Gans, Jem Carney,
George Lavigne, George Dawson, Young
Mitchell, Tom Sharkey, Joe Choynski,
all worked hard and faithfully for a
battle.
"John L. Sullivan was the hardest of
all to manage, and might have escaped
disaster had he trained more faithfully.
PAYS TO TRAIN
I would say to the youngsters of
today that it pays to train faithfully.
Work will bring success. Take old
Bob Fitzsimmons, for instance. The
Cornishman was a glutton for work.
He needed no watching. It came to
him naturally. His delight was an
opportunity to take off his coat and
make a horseshoe. When Bob couldn't
find horseshoes to hammer he would
hammer any old thing, just to keep his
muscles in proper trim. He was un
happy when Idle, especially just before
an Important battle.
"The fighter of today takes chances
when he enters the ring not properly
seasoned. Nature will not respond for
him when the supreme test comes:
Shadow boxing is good, but real work
that tires is better."
BOXER AND FIGHTER
The "Spider* paid a high compli
ment to Champion Willie Ritchie: "In
Ritchie we have a rare combination
that of boxer and fighter. Ritchie
Is both. Jack Dempsey Is entitled to
the name 'old master.' It was he who
taught the rising generation of boxers
how to fight with that' long left hand
jab. 'Young Mitchell' was along, the
Dempsey lines, a great fighter. I know
he was great, for I seconded Jim Ryan
against him in a battle that" tried the
stamina of each man. And 'Young
Mitchell' was all the goods.
"San Francisco has produced some
wonderful rlngmen. Take Corbett,
Choynski, Dal Hawkins, Jimmy Britt
and a host of others of national fame,
not to overlook Willie Ritchie. All
great men with the gloves. Where
can you beat them?
BACK TO COMPARISONS
"Coming back for a moment to com
parisons." said the "Spider." "With
whom of today can we compare Peter
Maher, the hardest hitter of them all?
Joe Gans, clever and game? Jim Cor
bett, the fastest of the big ones? The
only difference is that the oldtimers
had everything, while the modern
boxers depend upon a certain style.
Young Grlffo was the cleverest glove
man I ever saw, and I do not know with
whom I could compare him.
"In short," said Kelly, "one might as
well attempt to compare Mike Kelly
with Ty Cobb. There is nothing; upon
which to base such a comparison.
Everything In the baseball* game was
different then from now. '
OPINION'S OF RITCHIE
"I would like to see Ritchie fight
'Packey' McFarland,"said the "Spider."
"That would be a battle in which
would be a guess as to the
winner. And it would show just how
great a modern boxer Willie Ritchie
really is. I give him credit for being
all that his most ardent admirers
claim.
"Ritchie and Welsh? Why that would
be a great match. Ritchie Is coming on
and Welsh Is going back. The outcome
would rest largely upon just how far
back Welsh has gone, not how far for
ward Ritchie has progressed; If Ritchie
is matched to fight Harlem Tommy
Murphy, I believe Ritchie will win.
Murphy will never hurt Ritchie in a
battle. He is clever, but not the hitter
Ritchie is.
GRANEY GREAT BOXER
"And, on the side, Eddie Graney
would have made a great boxer. I do
not mean that he was not a great ring
man, anyway, but; he would never seek
the limelight. In the old days I have
seen Graney box four rounds with
George Dawson that were worth the
price of admission to a championship
battle. Graney's work was a revelation.
He was clever, a hard hitter, cool and
calculating under fire, and as game as
a pebble.
"And Graney would take on the big
gest of them for a tryout and make
good. As they came over In the palmy
days they would be stacked. up against
Eddie just to show what they could do,
and Eddie would make them do it."
EFFICIENT REFEREES
Asked an opinion as to referees the
"Spider" said:
"Eddie Graney Is a great referee. His
work In the Ritchie-Rivers fight could
not have been harshly criticised even
by, a Rivers crank. He was superb.
That coolness for which he was noted
when boxing stands him in hand.
"Jim Griffin Is also a. good, referee,
but lately Jim has had the misfortune
to run up against several hairline de
cisions, such as might not again come
to him in 20 years. But Jim gives the
decision; as he sees It without fear or
favor."
CHOYNSKI AND SHARKEY
Kelly seconded Tom Sharkey in his
meeting In San Francisco with Joe
Choynski, Joe was to stop Sharkey In
eight rounds.
"When the; men entered the ring,"
said the "Spider," "I said to;Sharkey:
'Don't let that fellow stop you; go
right over, to him and stop him.' And
Sharkey did as directed, and this so
surprised Choynski that he left himself
wide open. Joe expected Sharkey,'to
do the Tug Wilson act to get the
money Just hug and hang on for the
eight rounds. The fight lasted only a
round, Choynski claiming a foul and
the police stopping the fight; Eddie
Graney was In Joe's corner and was a
mighty help to him."
GOOD ONE ON MCVEA
"Spider". Kelly seconded the big black
McVea in his battle with Jack Johnson,
in which McVea was 7 knocked out in
the twentieth round of the fight, and
in the final seconds of the round.
"McVea was out all right," said
Kelly. "And; it took quite a while
to bring him around; The first thing
he asked when he opened his eyes was:
"'Who won the fight?
'Well,' I replied, they declared it a
draw, but they cheated you. You
should have had the decision; "And the big black was for enter
ing a protest until some one told him
that he had been in dreamville for half
an hour."
"SPIDER" YET ACTIVE
"Spider" Kelly is active as a cricket
despite his years. He was Pacific coast
champion at 133 pounds from 1892 to
1900.,- He was tractable, and trained
faithfully. He dodged no battles. A
few pounds made no difference to the
"Spider." He was a humorist In the
ring and his raillery helped him dis
comfit many a boxer.
Kelly is happiest nowadays when In
the corner of .one of the principals in
a battle. And he may be depended
upon to bring out all there is in a
boxer.
TALKED HIMSELF A VICTORY
Up in Seattle in the earlier days of
his career Kelly was pitted against a
man 15 pounds heavier than himself.
The "'Spider'" had not trained for the
meeting, and after, a few rounds the
extra weight of his opponent began to
tell upon him. Kelly saw disaster un
less he stalled, so he kept away from
the big fellow and began talking him
out of the fight.
"Not this round, but in the next
one I'm going to get you,'' Kelly would
say. "All I want is for you to keep
on coming to me. Come on."
The less experienced boxer took
Kelly at his word. and kept away,
"just to fool him." Finally the "Spi- ,
der" recovered his wind and stamina,
and, won out after a battle that he
says; was tho most trying of any of
his career.
WORK AS ESQUIRE
As a second there are none better
than Kelly. He carries fear to the
opposing corner, where it is realized
that the "Spider”. is up to all the tricks
of the game. He. Handles; his man
most scientifically, and his advice is
invariably, good. It was he who spurred
Rivers on to make "such a great show
ing against Ritchie, in the fourth of
July championship battle. After the
fourth round Kelly admits he saw it
was all up. That Rivers was In.
"Then it was that the great esquire
changed tactics and sought to save his
man by giving him new line of ac
tion. But Ritchie was wise to that
and gave Rivers no chance to recup
erate. When Rivers stopped rushing,
as advised by Kelly, then Ritchie be
gan the same game, and, soon had
Rivers on the floor.
END OP RING CAREER
"Spider" Kelly's last battle was with
Sam Boland of Denver in 1902. He has
not, been in the ring as' a principal
since then," though repeatedly appearing
in, the corner back of a fighter.
Some of the best battles Kelly has
esquired In were when he was back of
Kid Carter - against Joe Walcott. Joe
Kennedy against Gus Ruhlln, Jimmy
Brltt in all his fights, and Bobby Dobbs
of Minneapolis. Dobbs was the colored boxer who
once ranked with', the ' best for clever-;
ness, Kelly tells of the fight between
Dobbs and "Iron" Burge, ln which
Bobby hit, Burge so often and so hard
that he wore his hands out and bat
tered Burge until he was scarcely rec
ognizable, and; then lost because the
iron man could go on and Bobby
could not.
NEXT BIG BATTLE
"I believe," said the "Spider," In con
clusion, "that the next big battle In San
Francisco: will be; between Willie
Ritchie and Harlem Tommy Murphy.
That Is the match the fans want, and
they will likely get it on Admission
day."
"I think Ritchie is wise in remaining
away from the east, at least at present.
There ls little save a bit of coin for
him to gather, there, and he might hit
a snag in a climate so different from
the one he is accustomed to.
"Ritchie Is a real champion, and I
believe' he will win over Murphy."