Tommy Ryan 1911 articles by Rob Snell


Mofo2

Recommended Posts

Tommy Ryan 1911 articles

In 1911 Tommy Ryan wrote a series of articles for the Syracuse Herald

Entitled “Nineteen Years In The Ringâ€, the story of the life and battles

Of Tommy Ryan, retired middleweight champion of the world as written

By himself.

It is I believe the custom to start a story of a persons life history with the

Facts of his birth. I shall doubtless surprise some of my readers by statements Which I shall make in this as well as the other articles.

The general impression among ring followers all over the country is that I am of Jewish parentage. While I have nothing but the highest regard for that race , I am not a member of it.i was born in the little town of Redwood in Jefferson County, New York on March 31st 1870. My father was a Frenchman and my mother English I was christened Joseph Younges ( note the spelling, ) how I came to be known as Tommy Ryan will be made known in another article.

When I was a youngster my parents moved to Syracuse and I received my early Education in the public schools in Salt City. While I have been away from Syracuse at various times for considerable periods I still look upon that city as my home and will always be viewed by me as such.

However, the boyhood Joys and troubles of a youngster will hardly be of Interest to the great majority of my readers so I will pass over fifteen

years by simply, stating that I had as many troubles and scrapes as the average youngster and managed to live through them. My fifteenth birthday found me as a waterboy with, one of the construction gangs on the Toledo & Ann Arbor railway in Michigan.

The line was being constructed at that time, and it was among the railway laborers that I got my first smack of fighting. Camps were erected along the line of the railway several miles apart. Part of the equipment of every camp seemed to be a few pairs of boxing gloves, for men living a clean, healthy life. in the open are always followers of any clean, healthful sport, such as boxing is.

Prior to going to Michigan I had never seer, any regular boxing bouts. While I was in Syracuse a man named Meyers who used to keep a saloon on Railroad street and every Saturday night there would be a couple of short bouts in the bar room. . As I was a small boy at that time I was frequently kicked out. In fact, I was never allowed In the room when any of the men knew I was there. They say that boys will be boys, and when a boy wants to see anything he will generally succeed. I was no exception, and I managed by devious ways to see a few of these

bouts.

After I had been in the construction camp for a short time I was allowed to put on the gloves myself. Right here I want to tell my readers

that the boxing glove of those days and the glove of to-day are entirely different things, though known, by the same name. The boxing glove of I885 was a skin-tight leather glove that was devised more for the protection of the hand of the boxer wearing it than for the protection of the man upon whom it was to be used.

Boxing seemed to come quite natural To me I was quick on my feet and could use my hands rather well I have never had a boxing lesson In my life, but experience Is the best lesson that any one can have. I was simply put up against a man and he went after me. It was up to me to look out for myself, and It was in such bouts that I learned the first movements of side-stepping, feinting and parrying that afterwards gave me a reputation in the boxing world.

Before I had been boxing many weeks I was able to outbox any man in the camp My fellow workers took considerable pride in my ability and

being but a youngster, I came to look upon myself as rather clever. It gave me confidence, something that is greatly needed to make a good boxer However, there is such a thing as being over-confident, but I am not going to take up that question here.

The various camps soon began to arrange bouts Between their respective boxing champions – the best man In the camp meeting the best of an other. When such a bout was arranged The men from our camp would get out the hand cars and make the trip To the camp where the bout would be held.

I was taken the round of all the camps and was returned a winner In every bout. The bouts were all with the skin-tight gloves and such things

as rounds were unknown. There would be a signal to start, and it was a case of keep fighting until one man was knocked out or until one gave up. Some of those camp fights of mine lasted only a few minutes while others required a full hour. The bouts usually took place in a big mess house or in the open air. There were no padded canvas floors to fall upon, no skilled seconds to take care of you every three minutes

. the floors were uneven, rough and hard. Stimulants during the bouts were entirely out of the question.

Part 2

Some early fights

When I joined the Michigan railways construction camps I was a bit backward in giving my name. I had run away from home and for want

of something better I was known as the Syracuse Kid. After I had become champion of all the construction camps my friends began to look around for other men for me to conquer. The fact that I was the champion did not meet with unanimous approval In some of the rival camps and they began to offer inducements to get good boxers to take up residence with them.

It was in this way that one of the camps got a new cook. He was a fine built man and it turned out he had gained a little reputation as a prize fighter. His camp mates were just spoiling to see me beaten, while my own mates were not at all backward in putting me against the new man, who gave the name of English. Considerable money changed hands on the various bouts and my camp mates saw a chance to gather in some more of the surplus coin. The match was soon made.

Forty five minutes after English and I started our affair his seconds threw In the towel to signal that their man had taken enough punishment. I had not escaped myself but being quicker on my feet and as capable as my opponent with my hands I came out as victor.

With my reputation as a boxer spreading outside the camp it became necessary that I take some name or give my own .I was afraid I would be in for a good “Tanning “ if I gave my own name and my father heard about it so I took a name that seemed easy to remember. Tommy Ryan, the brewer, was mayor of Syracuse , my home town ,at that time. The name was easy to remember so I promptly christened myself “Tommy Ryan†and to this day I am known by in connection with ring affairs. There are few fans who would recognize my ring career under the name of Joseph Youngs.

Our camp was located outside of the little town of Marion, Michigan ,and the fight fans were very proud of a fellow named Joe Johnson.

It was under the name of Tommy Ryan that I fought him and it was my first battle under anything like recognized rules. There were rounds and the old London Prize rule were to govern. All my other fights had taken place in a ring formed of the spectators.

Johnson was clever and a bit heavier than I. He also had a bit more ring experience and I found It a bit hard to get used to the rules. However, my foot work again came to my aid for I danced around Johnson after three rounds and knocked him out in the fifth.

This bout added to my reputation I became known outside of the construction camps and nearby towns and a few of the fans in the cities began to hear of “a clever and hard hitting kid in the railway campsâ€

Some sporting men in Cadillac, Michigan , heard of me and came to the camp to see me. They were satisfied with my showing and offered me a bout In Lake city , Michigan, with a fellow named Dick England. Dick worked in a lumber camp and was a great favorite. He had beaten a man backed by the Cadillac men and they were out for revenge.

For the first time in my life I was given some actual training to be in fit physical condition for the bout. I quit my job in the railway camp

And set out to be a real pugilist. The training I had was, in comparison with modern training, crude but I was in great condition for the bout.

Wagering on the bout was heavy. England was a real favorite and my Cadillac backers covered all the bets they could.

When the bout started I soon realized that I was up against the best man who had ever faced me. England was taking no chances and we both boxed wearily for a few rounds. It was by pecking Jabbing and getting clear that I gradually wore him down and I ended the bout in the thirty third round with a knockout. My weight at that time was around 128-130 pounds, but I was growing .My matches were mostly with light weights though in some of the Construction camp bouts I had to give away as much as thirty pounds.

Going to Detroit a group of sporting men their arranged to give me a. tryout with Ed Austin, a middleweight who was very popular there at that time. That my showing was satisfactory may be judged by the fact that I was immediately matched with the best lightweight of whom Detroit could boast at that time—Martin Shaughnessy.

Shaughnessy was a figure in the Boxing world; I was almost an absolute unknown. Few persons thought that I stood even a chance with the

experienced man, I was a stranger in a strange city. Still in my teens, I had a lot to learn about the ring game. I had no trainer, no place to train and no one to advise me.

I knew, of course, that I would have to be In fine condition to beat Shaughnessy, for such a thing as him defeating me never entered my head.

Every morning I used to go out to the race track and have a long run. For a few cents I would get a boy to rub me down after my exertions and

that was the sum total of my training.

part 3

After a week of training, if running around a race track could be called that, I was ready to go against Martin Shaughnessy the pride of

Detroit. The bout came of at a road house known as Giffs Place a few miles out of Detroit . the ring was a small one and occupied the full width of the building, being placed in the center with seats on two sides. We used ordinary kid gloves with the finger tips cut of.

When everything seemed ready Shaughnessy sized me up and then Made a demand that the winner of the bout should take the whole purse.

Evidently my appearance was not very prepossessing and the Detroiter thought he has a chance of some easy money. Well Martin did not get that money and his try for it was not an easy one. I imagine he was sorry for his bargain before the bout had progressed five rounds for it was one tough battle.

I had very few friends in the audience which was jammed on two sides of the ring. I did not even know anything about my seconds. They were supplied by the promoter but they turned out to be honest and competent. My chief second was a well known amateur boxer and athlete in Detroit , I forget his name, but I remember him being a fine fellow. He was elected Sheriff of Detroit in recent years. While an amateur

He was an excellent judge of how to map out a battle and he Gave me a lot of help in that bout.

Everything seemed to go in the ring in those days, butting with your elbows, heeling the glove over your opponents face and Other such tactics were not frowned upon. The one who had the most friends generally got away with it. And Martin Shaughnessy proved an adept at all the tactics in the boxing game.

For twelve rounds it was a case of give and take, I was the younger but Shaughnessy Had the experience. He liked to fight at close quarters but I had a better knowledge of footwork than the veteran and did not permit this. Both of us were pretty well marked up.

In the 13th round I got in a right and left uppercuts to the jaw and Shaughnessy toppled to the floor and took the count of ten. I had won the bout and after speaking to my seconds I was about to leave the ring when someone hit me from behind. I turned quickly and found my late opponent again facing me. The fans had not taken the defeat of their idol any to well and everybody seemed to want another bout, .I had no particular objection for Shaughnessy now had no terror for me. I knew in my heart that I was his master.

The referee told me that I had won the fight fair and square and advised me to leave the ring. I was feeling too good to take his advice

In the face of the taunts of Shaughnessy’s friends. Tossing the coat I had wrapped about my shoulders to my seconds I announced

That I was going to fight the Detroiter again and would Surely knock him out so decisively that there would be no come back. I was mad “clear throughâ€.

The bell rang, it was called the 14th round. Some may call it the 1st round of a second fight. I shall continue to refer to it as one fight. I left my

corner and met Shaughnessy in the center of the ring. Feinting with my right he swung a right to my face, landing on my nose and breaking it. This made me even madder than I was before. I was down and struck the bare boards with my face. There was no padding in those days. The boards raised a bump on my left eye and when I got up at the count of eight I found I could hardly see out of it. How I lasted that round I cannot tell. It seemed as if the end might come at any minute.

My seconds gave me good attention and I was in pretty fair shape for the opening of the 15th and as it progressed I became stronger. For

Three or four rounds things were pretty even, each of us taking hard punishment. After the 20th my faster work began to bother him and in the 23rd I broke down his guard and finally got inside to land two stiff uppercuts. When he went down it was to stay for many minutes. There was no question about the second knockout.

When I was rubbed down and dressed I looked up the promoter to get the purse.he handed me $33 . Think of that sum for 23 rounds of grueling fighting. Why, in my fight club In Syracuse I have paid from $25 -$75 for each boy in the preliminaries. They now fight with padded gloves in a fine ring and none of the preliminaries went More than 6 rounds. There has been a big change in the 22 yrs since I met Shaughnessy.

While the financial gain was small I believe I got value in other ways. For one thing I had the experience and the other that when a boxer is once given the decision he should leave the ring and not try to earn it a second time. I have always believed luck was with me in the second contest. In my bouts with the railway workers which numbered close to 200 in the three years I usually outclassed my opponent. Such was not the case with Shaughnessy. I learned I must keep my head at all times no matter what the provocation.

The cost of living was not a breakfast table topic in those days and the meager purse I won lasted me a few weeks until I was matched with Mike Dunn. He was rated as the 2nd best lightweight in Detroit The top honours generally being accorded to Shaughnessy. Dunn had a large

Following and when I defeated Shaughnessy he began to demand a match with me. I was needing the money for I had discovered that being a professional pugilist does not bring in the money unless you earn it in the ring. or rather it did not in those days , vaudeville and moving pictures are adjuncts of the modern and not the old ring game. So I took the match with Dunn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.