Ketchel redder seg selv

På fredag, June 10, 1910, Verdensmester i mellomvektboksing, Stanley Ketchel, kjempet sin siste kamp mot den ukjente Jim Smith. Ketchel har ryddet ut mellomvektsdivisjonen, så boksepromotørene slet med å finne passende konkurranse for Ketchel.

På bare 24 år gammel, Ketchel levde hardt og kjempet konstant og forårsaket et tidlig sammenbrudd av kroppen hans. Etter å ha kjempet mot Smith, Ketchel intended to stay with his friend R. P. Dickerson at Dickerson’s ranch in Conway, Missouri. Would Ketchel be leaving with his world title?

Ketchel fought Smith at the National Sporting Club in New York City, New York. Ketchel was taller than Smith but both men weighed about 160 pounds.

Newspaper reports and fans expected Ketchel to make short work of Smith. I stedet, Smith pushed the action from the beginning.

Smith did not show skill but constantly bulled Ketchel into the ropes. Pushing Ketchel up against the ropes, Smith windmilled blows to Ketchel’s body.

Smith’s herky-jerky style caused Ketchel to miss with his counters. Smith responded by windmilling more blows onto Ketchel’s head and body.

At a distance, Smith could not hit Ketchel. Smith had remarkable success hitting Ketchel when the fighters ended up near the ropes.

Smith continued this treatment of Ketchel for the first four rounds. Ketchel landed few blows in return.

To start the fifth round, Smith had not done any real damage to Ketchel, but fans wondered if Smith could win a decision. Ketchel supplied the answer.

Smith came out of his corner throwing wild left hooks. After Smith hit Ketchel with one of the left hooks, Ketchel stepped back and off to the side. As Smith tried another wild left, Ketchel hit Smith solidly with a right cross.

Smith dropped to the mat unconscious. After the referee counted Smith out, Smith’s corner men drug Smith to his corner. The corner men revived Smith, who came around quickly.

The narrow escape with the unheralded Smith convinced Ketchel that he needed a rest. Ketchel travelled to Dickerson’s ranch to rest for six months. Little did Ketchel know that he would never come back from vacation.

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Sources: The New York Times (New York, New York), June 11, 1910, p. 13

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