Madman v. Triphammer

The ring canvas was spattered with blood. Reporters at the ringside held up newspapers to shield themselves. The referee had to wipe blood from his hands between rounds. But still the awkward, stooping little fighter advanced, his gloves now at his head for relief from the hammering it was getting, and now in furious, smashing action against the ribs and head of his opponent. The little fighter's flat nose, freshly broken, bubbled redly as he snorted for breath. His head rocked as punch after punch landed on it. But on & on he went, crowding, slamming, tearing in like a madman trying, to whip a triphammer. Madison Square Garden, jammed to the eaves, thundered with bloodthirsty applause and excitement.

After eleven rounds of it, beetle-browed little Christopher (."Bat") Battalino, who had insisted on twelve rounds because he thought he had the edge for stamina, gathered himself for a last effort to make the kill. He sprang across the ring. But wise old Billy Petrolic, whose nickname "Fargo Express" refers to a far day when he handled freight in North Dakota, measured him as he came. Petrolle was tired. He looked discouraged, too. and his knees had sagged during several of Battalino's crazy assaults. But his straight left and lethally fast right were still accurate. He measured the bloody little man once more and took him hard once more on the chin, on the mouth, on the body with both hands. Battalino tottered back for the first time in the fight. Petrolle followed him, still firing punches. Battalino danced dizzily into the ropes and bounced away reeling, still looking for his man. Before Petrolle could hit the final blow that would do what had seemed impossible, Referee Gunboat Smith stepped between and saved Battalino from going down unconscious.

Petrolle wrapped himself in the Indian blanket which he wears instead of a bathrobe and said: "He's the gamest guy I ever fought." Battalino, knocked out for the first time in his career in a fight which observers compared to the greatest in lightweight history, was comforted by being matched with Tony Canzoneri for the lightweight championship.

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