Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-13
TWO CLASSES Of
FEATHERWE|GHTS.
Why Should There Not be a
Division as in Heavy.
weight Game
WHO is the CHAMPION ?
II Weights are Adjusted, Abe Attel
And Young Corbett' Will Hold the
Titles Until Defeated

The question that Is receiving great
aeal of consideration at the hands OF
asht fans In this city and elsewhere
an this country is; IF there are two
recognized divisions OF the heavyweight
clsss Of fighters, why not make d.
vision OF featherwcightsT'
Until Jack Root and George Gardner
fought for the title OF light-heavy-
weight championship of the world, there
was little or no discussion OF the sub
feet. but since II has been permanently
established that there Is a division
among the big fellows; that there Is 10
be a heavyweight champion and a
light. heayywcigh champion; and since
there has been great deal OF dispute
among ring experts anent the feath-
erwelght limit, the question has come
Nm. "Wny not have two classes
Many salt LaKers remember when ~
pounus was considered the featherwelghI
limit But since Young CorDett defeat
ed Terry Mcuovern, Tie weights nave
been arranged TO SUIT the pleasure OF tne
man hOdnig the utle. One nunule1 anu
,wenty.nlnc pounds, or ~ pounds 10 GER
iainy not Ieatherweight, neither Is II
lightweight. Inc weight for the latter
c,uss has been recognized as us pounus,
ana pound or Two makes considerable
oirerence among the httle Iellows. But II
seems now that there Is 10 be q change,
Tnat there Is 10 be a llght-featnerwelgnt
rlass and a neavy-featherweignt class.
~ Dung CorDett" Is the recognlzeu cnam-
nlon on the latter. Abe Atteli stands IOrtn
PROMINENTLY as tho most likely candidate
iot honors In the former class. - Dung
Inrbetr mas given the matter great
9eal of thought, and here rs what he has
10 say on the subject:
the recent statement OF Abe Attell In
regard 10 splitting the title OF champion
iesIncrweignt pugilist has naturally
aroused talk IN puElistic cir
dies. am frank enough TO
LAW indorse great deal OF when
Attel says, His idea VI splitting the titie
is simply this, lis to " pounds to be the
Lgnt teatherwelght limit and ~ " ~
mounds TO DO the heavy toatherweignt
limit. Thus here would DE Two feather
weight champions. IL there Is nothing
wrong In having a light-heavyweight anu
also real heavyweight champion, there
certainly can be nothing wrong In US little
men dividing the honors. You know fits
has Just won the light title
from Gardner while JeffTies Is the real
genuine heavyweight boss"
Abe Attcll Is really one OF the best 1T
lie men that ever pulled on a glove. lie
has record OF jlgBting many lnen heay-
Ter than himself, and hU has always given
a good account. He can do w pounds
and b. strong. lie has good punch, but
his strong point IL his ability as a boxer,
Making predictions about this and tnat
man Is easy, but | make II u rule 10 let
a pugllist pc judged by his own deeds,
ana not by any talk. Attell IL fully abe
10 take care OF himself, and II the cham
plonship Is split 1 VIII say this much
he has as good chance as any lad
Know TO win the light honors.
Attell Is one OF the few featherweights
who Is always DOWN around " pounds
and II Is nothing hard for him to do lis
AS Il now stanls, he has no chance TO
win from boxers who weigh l2t and rs
and are strong. II the class Is split he
can earn the title of light featherwcignt
champion by beating the boys that scale
around 100, | myself have always done
any weight necessary, but ~ Is TOO low
In my estimation.
Tom U kourke. who knows the ins and
outs Of lighting and the weight question
thoroughly, gives good idea OF how the
weights have changed since he first in.
iroauced wonderful George Dixon TO tho
sporting world England, which is the
real arbl;er Of the manly art, despite the
fact that the boxers there have gone
back" has had a set scale VI weights
for years. In this country we naturally
cassed lighters after the English method.
OR0urke talking OF weights, says for
years and years the English limit for
amateur bantamweight boxers has been
below lO5 pounds, while for professionals
the same weight also holds good.
For featherweights the amateur limit
Is lO5 TO lis pounds, and for professionals
jos TO 100 pounds. The amateur lightweight
limit Is ll5 to l26 pounds, while the pro-
fesSonal Is from l22 TO 1873 pounds, Ii