The Wasp — 1896 — page 1070: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes corruption in San Francisco's boxing/sports scene. The top panels show a patient injured in a boxing match receiving conflicting medical advice—one doctor's note recommends rest, while another (signed "Batt. Pub. Shankey") contradicts it, suggesting financial incentives override medical care. The bottom panel, titled "Despondency Amongst the Sports," depicts a boxer sitting dejected while officials with a sign reading "All Bets On the Referee's Decision" discuss the fight's outcome. The satire suggests that referee decisions were predetermined based on betting interests rather than actual athletic performance—that sports were fixed for gambling purposes rather than determined by fair competition. The cartoon indicts systemic corruption in early 20th-century boxing.