Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-05
FIGHTERS SHORT CAREERS.
PugiHsts Are "Has Beens" Before The,
Are Thirty Years Old.

From the New York Sun.
In former years a pugiliSt was not con-
sidered in his prime until after he had
passed thirty said a veteran follower of
the prize ring recently. Nowadays, how
ever 1t Is different A fighter who is sill
at the top of his class after his twenty
eighth year is considered a wonder OF
course, there are exceptions. as in the case
of Bob Fitzsimmons. He is certainly a
| well-preserved man, and it will be many
| moons before we find another like him.
Fftz is nearly forty-two, but he can fight
as well as he did ten years ago. Then,
there Tommy Ryan, Joe Chonyski and
Joe Walcott ChoyEski was never cham
pion. but he is a great pugilist for all that
Take the old-timers, such as Barney
Aaron, Jem Mace, Dooney Harris and 9TH
ers. They did their best fighting after
they were thirty. Then there were Joe
Goddard, Frank Slavin, the late Peter
Jackson, Billy Edwards and Pete Mccoy.
John L. Sullivan was all in. SO to speak.
before he was thirtyfour. Kid Mccoy is
under thirty, and has been forced to retire
because according to his own admission, he
cannot fight any more. George Dixon lost
the featherweight title to Terry McGovern
when he was in his thirtieth year. Meow
ern. in turn, was defeated by Young Cor
bett before he was Twenty-Five Pedlar
Palmer won the bantam championship of
the world from Billy Plimmer when he was
twenty, and gave way to McGovern four
years later. Although Palmer is twenty
eight, he has been regarded as a has
been for some time. Billy Plimmer was
compelled to quit the ring before he was
thirty.
kid Lavigne, one of the best HghtWeights
the arena has produced in the last decade.
was all in before he was twenty-nfne. Frank
Erne, who succeeded him at the top of this
class went down before Joe Cans. the pres
ot.~I~k ,1,o
seventh year, and now he has retired. Jim
Corbett was knocked out by Bob Fitzsim-
mons and lost the heavyweight champion
ship when he was thirty-one. Tom Shar-
key, although only in his thirtieth year. has
been out Of it ever since his last fight with
Jim Jefferies in 1899. Sharkey always paid
the stricteSt attention to his health, too
Starlight, the veteran Australian middle
weight, who has been the trial horse for a
number of the foremost Australian heavy
weights past and present. Is still fighting
Starlight is nearly fifty. but the youngsters
have all they can do to beat him in decisive
fashion.
Harry Forbes. who Is only a yourgster,
having been born in 1879, lost the bantam
title to frankie Neil a few months ago
Forbes has been fighting ever since 1897
Jack McAuliffe was not more than thirty
one when he retired. Gus Ruhlin who was
born in 1872 is still in the ring, but he has
| never shown much form since he was put
| to sleep by Bob F1tzsmmons three years
ago. Peter Maher has been out of it for
years. although he is still a young man. He
was born in 1869. The Sullivan brothers,
Spike and Dave, have been receding in form
| for years, yet neither of them is over
| thirty. Kid Mcfarland of this city. who
was expected to fill Kid Lavignes shoes
some day has retired from the ring. Nc
| Partland was born In 1875, but he was
| forced to quit boxing year ago. when he
was knocked out by Joe Cans
1.-The method of modern pugilists in train
| ing and looking after their health is DIFF
| ferent from that which the old-timers used
| to undergo. Present day scrappers make
| twice as much money some of the cham
| pions did in the past, and they live only
| for today.