Charlie Mitchell By Rob Snell

[Mofo2]

The Boston Globe

Robert Edgren-1916-12-23

"I've come back to America to see my old friends just once more," Charlie Mitchell told me when he landed in New York a few weeks ago. There was a touch of pathos In Mitchell's tone. The man who once fought John L. Sullivan to a draw after three hours and 11 minutes of desperate battling, is only a shadow of the once famous "Boxing Champion of England."

Mitchell's visit is well timed. Today there is a situation in the heavyweight boxing ranks much like that when Mitchell first visited America, 33 years ago. Bob Moha and Jack Dillon, by easily defeating some of the big heavyweights, have forced themselves into a position next to Willard, the holder of the heavyweight championship.

Thirty-three years ago it was little Charlie Mitchell who was ready and willing and able to prove that a small man can give a big man a fight, if he has skill enough. The chief difference between Mitchell and Dillon and Moha is that, while the modern "giant-killers" weigh about 135 pounds stripped, Charlie Mitchell In his best day weighed 21 pounds less than that! Yet he was considered the great John L. Sullivan's only dangerous rival.

Charlie Mitchell was discovered in a peculiar way ,a way that shows the man who is eventually to become champion in Willard's place may be walking about among us today without attracting

even a passing notice.

John L. Sullivan's manager was Billy Madden. Sullivan and Madden had a falling out. Madden went to England to try to find a man to whip Sullivan. He knew Sullivan's pride in everything American.

He remembered how John L. had offered to whip Jem Smith, champion of England, in a private bout before the Prince of Wales, and not only to fight for nothing, but give Smith a thousand dollars if he stayed two rounds. So Madden wasn't satisfied to hunt up an American to fight Sullivan. He wanted to humiliate John L. by bringing over an Englishman to trim him.

Madden went to England and laid his plans for finding a man to beat Sullivan. Going to the office of Sporting Life, he met Mr Atkinson, the editor, and proposed to get up a series of big tournaments to develop an English heavyweight fit to fight for the world title. He advertised in Sporting Life for men from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England to fight in heavyweight contests. Thirty-three men answered Madden's ad. They were from all over the British Isles, and Madden paid their traveling expenses and brought them to his headquarters.

Sports Objected to Carpets

He leased a big show hall at. Lambert's Baths, put his men into training under his own supervision and made all arrangements to hold the tournament. An inspector was sent from Scotland Yard to watch the contests. His only objection was that the men fell too hard on the bare floor. He ordered a carpet put down In the ring, which was a new idea in those hardy days, and much criticized as a sign of "modern effeteness." English sportsmen liked to hear the thump when fighters fell. They still had the London prize ring idea.

The first tournament went off with no startling features. The winners were nothing to look at, and Madden was as far as ever from having a man to fight Sullivan.

The next series of contests was at St George's Hall. The tournament was open to all comers, the winner to get £20 and the second man £10 sterling. A sensational middleweight, known as "The Deaf 'un," from Norwich, knocked out all rivals until the tournament was nearly over.

He was only 5 feet 7 inches tall, and he was a terror! He weighed a little under 150 pounds, yet when he hit the big men their heels flew up in the air and their heads struck the floor first when they fell. The "Deaf 'Un" made a tremendous hit, especially with Madden. The "Deaf 'un" upset all of Madden's theories that a giant was needed to whip Sullivan. After a number of knockouts Madden was about ready to make him a proposition for an American trip.

Sensation at Very Start

But in the same tournament was a small, smiling- fellow who dressed with extreme care when out of the ring, had some education and offered the greatest contrast in the world to the rest of the fighters. A novice, he had amazing speed and natural ability in both defense and offense. He outboxed so many that Madden looked him over and decided that he'd do to light the "Deaf 'Un" in the windup.

Mitchell met the "Deaf 'Un," who immediately rushed furiously. Little Mitchell, smiling, slipped aside. Billy Madden, standing in the wings, waited to see the "Deaf 'Un" knock Mitchell cold. The "Deaf 'Un" used a terrific right swing. Mitchell, smiling pleasantly, watched the right, and every time It started slipped under it and drove his left stiffly into the pit of the "Deaf 'Un's" stomach. When he drove the "Deaf 'Un" back he varied his attack by jabbing him swiftly on the nose. The "Deaf 'Un's" fury cooled suddenly, and after three rounds he was backing away, while little Mitchell punched him all over the ring.

Mitchell won the tournament. But he weighed only 143 pounds, and Madden couldn't believe that he'd have a chance against John L. He started another tournament. This time he found two giants, known as "Keenan's Big 'Un" and the "Eighty-One Tonner." They were bigger men than Jeffries. Madden matched them to see which was the better man. They both fought hard for a couple of rounds, then both slopped.

Madden decided that they couldn't fight Sullivan. Not satisfied, Madden had tournaments at Newcastle and Birmingham. Before 8000 people Birmingham Mitchell won again, beating- "Tug" Wilson. He beat Alf Greenfield. Then he beat Clark of Newcastle, one of England's

best heavyweights, with ease. Clark claimed afterward that "Mitchell oughtn't to have hit him as he did." The last tournament was in London, the big concluding show. Mitchell beat every one again. His skill was growing in every fight. All over England he was becoming a popular hero.

Thought Him Too Small

Finally Madden sat down with Mitchell one day and said: "I don't know if you can make any money over there in America—you're so small. American people will naturally think it'll take a big man to fight Sullivan." "Then I'll fight Charlie Norton, the American lightweight champion," said Mitchell. Madden threw up his hands. "If you mention Norton that'll settle it!" he exclaimed. "You'll have to go after Sullivan. It you get a match with Sullivan I'll furnish $1000 to back you." "Yea," said Mitchell, "and you'll bet $2600 the other way." "No," said Madden. "I'll bet $1000 on you if you fight Sullivan, or $2500 if you fight any one else."

When Mitchell and Madden landed in New York a great number of reporters and sporting men boarded the boat, to see the heralded English invader. When they saw him, a little, thin, dudish fellow, they wouldn't believe he was Mitchell, the lighter. When Madden insisted they laughed.

Madden offered to have Mitchell fight Sullivan in Madison Square Garden, Sullivan to set a third of the gross receipts. Sullivan wired an offer of a third of the receipts if Mitchell would fight a friend of his, Mike Cleary. Mitchell accepted. Mayor Grace had stopped "prize fighting," but four-round bouts were, allowed. Sullivan was in Cleary's corner ( Cleary was a 175 pound man) and saw little Mitchell sink lefts into Cleary's stomach until the police jumped in, in the third round to save Cleary from a knockout. After that Sullivan could not longer ignore the

little "Boxing Champion of England." They fought in the Garden. This was one of the most sensational fights ever held.

Put John L. on His Back

When Sullivan rushed, little Mitchell met him squarely instead of backing away like all other rivals. Sullivan had a habit of feinting once before swinging his right. As he feinted with his left Mitchell stepped in swiftly and drove his right fist straight for Sullivan's jaw. Sullivan's heels flow up into the air and he struck the flat on his shoulder blades.

He rose with a roar of mingled rage and astonishment. Sullivan had never been handled like that before. With a bull like bellow, he ran at Mitchell, brushed his arms aside and, catching him about the waist, threw him against the ropes and leaned his weight on him, Mitchell struggled to get away, and Sullivan, grasping the ropes on each side pinned him there. Little 143-pound Mitchell had no chance against the 200 pound Sullivan at roughing.

From that time on Mitchell jumped about and hit Sullivan hard and often, but the big follow roughed him until in the third round, with Mitchell very tired, the police jumped into the ring.

The master of ceremonies (there being no referee) gave Sullivan a "decision," although it was a no-decision bout. Mitchell went on fighting and beat a number of good heavyweights. He was still a welterweight himself, seldom weighing more than 143 or 145 pounds even at catchweights. It was nearly five years later that he fought Sullivan for the championship of the world at Chantllly, France, just outside of Paris. This is one of the worlds historic ring battles. Mitchell weighed about 145 pounds, Sullivan over 200. The fight was on turf, in a glade in a private park. Few spectators were present. It was cold and rainy. Both men were chilled through and the soft wet turf under foot was trampled to mud ankle deep.

Both Roughed It

It was London prize ring rules, to a finish, Sullivan, relying on his great strength, threw Mitchell violently and full on him many times, while Mitchell cut. Sullivan to ribbons with vicious hooks and jabs, spiked him in the clinches and sometimes threw him in the wrestling. After a couple of hours of this both men grow almost too weary to bit. Mitchell was becoming worn down because Sullivan held him and leaned on him with all his weight in every clinch.

Sullivan’s legs gave out so that he could only stand on one spot in the mud and turn to meet Mitchell's attack. At last after three hours and 11 minutes, when neither man had strength enough left to push the other over, the seconds, backers and principals agreed to call it a draw. Mitchell's downfall came 6 years later. By that time high life had cut down his strength and speed, he fought Jim Corbett, the new champion, who had knocked out Sullivan, and was beaten down and knocked out, game and defiant to the last, In three rounds. Mitchell weighed 144 pounds in that fight, Corbett 188. And Corbett was the fastest, and cleverest heavyweight that ever put on a glove. He was a great lighter in his day, this "Boxing Champion of England," welterweight, fought the greatest heavyweights of his time. Mitchell, even more than Corbett, who

showed the Queensberry world that brute strength cannot dominate when opposed to courage, and skill.