First
the signing , The Articles.
Respective
managers with their fighters at the Welsh Sports Club. Welsh signing, Driscoll
watching.
Venue.
The American Roller Rink at Westgate st Cardiff.
Date.
20 December 1910.
Percentage
of proceeds going to Nazereth House, the fight billed to be a classic exhibition
bout between two of the greatest boxers of Wales, and the World's Champions ,
recognised as such by the majority of sports writers.
Referee.
Peggy Bettinson. (male)
Jim
Driscoll on his home ground, dissadvantaged by constant pain from stomach ulcers
, plus an abscess over his right ear. Bad blood had been between the pair since
1907 when Driscoll was working for Frank Guess boxing booth at the St Mary's
fair ground in Bridgend Glamorgan S/Wales. Freddie Welsh accepted the barkers
offer of 1 pound if he could stay six rounds with Driscoll. Welsh set about
giving Driscoll a working -over, with kidney and rabbit punches, using the
techniques he had picked up in the USA. Driscoll never forgave him for taking
such liberties , so this match was pay back time.
Freddie
Welsh was putting up his British Lightweight title , plus the donation to
Nazereth House, as he believed he was the able to beat Driscoll in a normal
contest.
This
fight was unfortunately to be
anything but normal. It started fair enough, up to the fourth round when
Driscoll slipped, and was helped to his feet by the smiling Welsh. The fifth
round showed Welsh getting frustrated by the jabs he was recieving on the face
and body from the superior technician, Driscoll. A good points lead was being
steadily gained in favour of Driscoll, so Welsh began using his American moves,
the skills gained from the hard US school of fighting. Protests from Driscoll to
Peggy Bettinson officiating from outside the ring, came to nothing. The
exasperated challenger decided to take the law into his own hands, which suited
Welsh. Driscoll had from the start placed a plaster on his left ear, to stop
Welsh from punishing his very sore right one, and sure enough Welsh had not
thought twice of punching what he believed to be be Driscolls weak spot. Now
with points putting Driscoll ahead, Welsh dug into his barrel of tricks, while
Driscoll thought to throw the book away, and one of the dirtiest fights ever to
be seen for a British title was staged. The pair elbowed, gouged. mauled, and
even butted for another five rounds, untill Driscoll coming in close in the
tenth round, headbutted Welsh under the chin, so "outrageously" as
reporters of the day stated, that Bettinson
was finally compelled to leave his seat and enter the ring, where he
announced that the challenger Driscoll was disqualified.
The
announcement provoked a punch-up in the ring between Badger O'Brian, one of
Driscolls seconds and Boyo Driscoll (unrelated) in Welsh's corner. This
unfortunate finish is captured in the photo below. the fight was to recommence
the next day in the street outside Cardiff railway station.
Welsh
supporters in Pontypridd ,and Driscoll fans in Cardiff re-lived
the
fight, discussed the result, drowned their sorrows, even into the
present
century, such are the feelings in Wales for two of its sons.
Five
weeks later on Jan 30th 1911 Jim Driscoll was in the ring again, and
retained his featherweight title in a rematch with Spike Robson with a KO
in the seventh round.