Cape Breton's Magazine

But today they stop the fights at just--slight cut and bang they stop them. Ama? teurs now--I don't understand that amateur. He gets a punch on the jaw or he wobbles his knees, and they stop it or they give him an 8- count. God, we'd be up and down like a rubber ball, they wouldn't stop it. Long as you could get off the canvas, you know, and crawl on your feet, put your hands up, they'd let you (go on). Tough days, you know. FROM GORDIE'S SCRAPBOOK: "South Bar's Gordie MacDougall, top prospect to come out of Cape Breton in recent years, made his debut to United States boxing rings, winning one Thurs? day niaht when he regis? tered a 4th-round T.K.O. on a card at Minneapolis Auditorium. Mac? Dougall stopped another Canadian, Jimmy MacNamara of Winni? peg, in a scheduled 6-round bout. There is another 6-round outing slated for December 18th in Kansas City. Newspaper reports rated MacDougall as a real comer, a 'true find' by highly regarded Glenn Flanagan, who Induced MacDougall to leave Cape Breton and spend the winter fighting in Minneapolis, and is acting as his manag? er and his trainer. After seeing MacDougall in action Thursday Flan? agan said, 'I don't claim he's a world-beater yet, but MacDougall's really going places.' "In Minneapolis MacDougall is fighting under the name of Gordie MacDugan, billed as the Irishman from Nova Scotia. The switch was a publicity stunt by his handlers, feeling the Irish name gives him more appeal to fight fans in the area, most of them of Irish descent. A mini-gallery of boxing photos runs through this article. It represents only a very few of the Cape Breton boxers who have made a name in the sport. Ptioto on left: Tommy "Gun" Spencer fighting George "Roclobye" Ross. Ross was at one time the Middleweight Champion of Canada. Above right: Close-up of Tommy "Gun" Spencer, Welterweight Cham? pion of the Maritimes. Bottom right: Archie "Bear" Hannigan, Maritime Light Heavyweight Champion. Gordie undergoes a stiff train? ing schedule daily.... He re? ports he's been picking up a lot of ring lore from the more experienced tx)ys he's been sparring with, and he states that the sparring is really stiff. 'You have to fight as hard here in training as you do in a match back home.'" (When you went to the States, did you make a living in fighting or did you have to have another job?) Worked a little on the side. 'Cause you never make a living off of boxing, no. So there was one place there, I hustled in a nightclub. Then an- John Cunningham Limited DRAPERIES & HOME FURNISHINGS 602 George Street • Sydney, Nova Scotia BIP 1K9 564-6444 The oldest established Furniture and Drapery Store in Sydney FOR A REAL CAPE BRETON WELCOME TO CAPE BRETON ~ The Fr*' OLD SYDNEY PUB Finest Food and Beverages * Nightly Dancing * Fresh Seafoods * Everything We Serve Is Homemade * * A Comfortable Atmosphere for a Meal and a Good Time * PHONE 539-3003 581 Grand Lake Road, Sydney The Sydney • Glace Bay Highway, off Route 125