TRICKS OF THE HAND BANDAGES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1055, 26 May 1910, Page 10

TRICKS OF THE HAND BANDAGES.

ALL FIGHTERS PROTECT THEIR HANDS AND SOME HAVE CLEVER DODGES OF THEIR OWN.

When Jeffries and Johnson enter the ring in ‘‘Frisco in July their hands will be encased in bandages but before the gloves are drawn on these knuckle protectors doubtless will be carefully examined. It is a habit with practically all pugilists to bind the hands in adhesive tape or sticking plaster to prevent broken bones or severe bruises, but it seldom occurs that a fighter allows his opponent to pull on the mits before these bandages have been inspected. In a recent fight in the western States of America it was said that Hugh McGann, the Smoky City slugger, used aluminum knuckle pads under the bandages in order to beat his antagonist, Mike McDonald, into quick submission. When the fight was over McGann’s seconds hastily removed the gloves and bandages, so that there was no physical evidence of sharp practice- But the rumour as to the aluminum knuckles was so persistently circulated that many at the ringside hooted the Pittsburg man out of the ring.

Fair minded handlers of pugilists have declared many times that soft cotton bandages should be tolerated but that anything of a harder substance should be barred. Jeffries said some time ago that a fighter who wore hard bandages ran a greater chance of breaking his hands than one who wore no protection at all. After the second mill between Jeffries and Fitzsimmons the Cornishman was accused of wearing plaster paris bandages which ultimately oroke both hands. Jeff had one eye closed, his nose was broken and his face was a mass of bruises when he stepped out of the ring. He was so badly battered by Fitz’s punches that Billy Delaney was asked afterward if he believed Robert had anything on his hands. “I don’t know for sure,” replied Delaney, “but from the appearance of Jeff’s face Fitz must have had something besides his fingers and a good walloped in those mitts.”

LEAVE SHARP RIDGES. Some fighters have been known to wrap the bandages about their hands in such a manner as to leave sharp ridges. Then by removing the padding from the knuckles of the gloves blows that cut like a knife could be delivered. It is a ring tradition that fighters once slipped a horseshoe into the right hand glove, but this may not be the truth. When Kid McCoy knocked out Tommy Ryan at Maspeth years ago the latter was literally cut to pieces. Every time McCoy landed his left in Ryan’s face it seemed to slash like a keen edged razor. Ryan could not understand it at all and after the mill he insisted that McCoy must have worn brass knuckles or had some hard substance in the glove. But McCoy refuted the charge by showing his hands as soon as his glove was drawn. His fist was tightly bound with adhesive plaster and so much of it had been used that he could not move fingers or thumb. In fact his hand was as hard as a mallet and the bandage over the knuckles showed a ridge that had evidently done the work. Joe Walcott once insisted that Mysterious Billy Smith had a horseshoe in his glove. He had fought Smith on several previous occasions but had never received such tremendous smashes. Walcott appealed to Referee Hurst, but the latter refused to listen and ordered the fight to proceed. Smith was hot under the collar when the charge was made by Walcott and offered to tear off the gloves for a fight with bare knuckles- It developed later that Smith wore ai fingerless glove which had a ridge of cement over the knuckles, the entire affair being concealed by a' bandage. Tom Sharkey always wore bandages and so did Jim Corbett. But Sharkey knew a way to harden his hands by steeping them in some secret preparation. On various occasions he showed his mawleys to friends who were willing to bet that they were covered with light leather, but it was a fact that they had simply been toughened so that it'was impossible to split the skin.

.. FIVE YARDS FOR MAHER. »' / - /; v ■•*■**: .• ». ;• ■ ■; ••••-• •» • . - - When Chbynskiwas knocked out by Peter. Maher at the Broadway XC., : with Theodore Roosevelt' among the

spectators, at was asserted, that the Irishman wore five yards of adhesive tape around each hand. Choynski protested when he saw those extremely thick bandages and said that he wanted to .have them removed so that he could see them wound on again himself. But he was notified that the tape was there to stay and that if he did not like it he could quit. So Choynski was knocked out, but he always insisted that it was due to the knuckle guards worn by his adversary. Kid Lavinge, former lightweight champion of the world, was an exception to the rule for awhile. He scorned bandages, saying that nature’s) weapons were good enough for him. But when he broke one of his hands on Walcott’s head at Maspeth in one of the most sensational fights on record he was forced to protect his knuckles in future events.

Stanley Ketchel, one of the hardest hitters in the ring, did not wear a bandage until the fight with Joe Thomas, which he won in 32 rounds. Although Ketchel’s hands are comparatively small he could deliver a terrific blow with an ordinary five ounce glove. He was advised after the Thomas mill, however, to protect his hands because or his brilliant future at that time. But in spite of heavy cotton tape which he wound around his fists for his last battle with Bill Papke, Ketchel broke both hands and also sprained his wrist. When he tackled Jack Johnson the bandages were as hard as flint and each wrist was encircled by a leather -trap. Nelson and Wolgast both wore extra heavy bandages in their 40-round battle in California. They expected a long fight and were unwilling to take chances with their hands. So there was no protest from either corner.