The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-31
SPORTING NEWS.
Boxing Game g Tangle Says
New York Expert.
Championships In a Badly Mixed
Condition.
CANS is VERY QUIET.
For aChampion He Is Unusually
Silent.
No Question Whatever About
Jim JeffrIes.
CANS is VERY QUIET.

New York. Dec. 31.-''So far as cham
pionships are concerned, the boxing
game is in a tangle," says Robert
Edgren.
Joe Cans is lightweight champion,
but he is not willing to defend his title
at the weight limit of the class. He is
keeping very quiet, for a champion,
while Jimmy Britt is in the nmelight.
''Jabez White.th the English lightweight
champion. seems to have determined
after all to come to this country. He
says that he is willing to make a match
with Britt. and when the fight comes
on the promoters will undoubtedly bill
It as a contest for the title. OF course
this will not be entirely legitimate, but.
Britt. by fighting continually within
the weight and by outfghting all op-
ponents has made a good impression.
II he beats White in this international
battle the public Will be inclined to
overlook Cans and give the cream all
TO the Californian. Cans will have to
come out of his retirement, fight Britt
again at the weight limit of the class,
prove that he is really worthy to be
champion or he will be lost in the
shuttle.
THE featherweight class is worse eff
than the lightweight. Terry McGovern
still holds the title of champion, as he
never has lost a fight at the weight.
But now Terry has challenged Britt to
meet him as a lightweight BY gradu-
Gting into the large division Terry
would give UP all claim to the feather
weight title His claim to a title is less
valid now than Cans, for he has not
defended it at weight recently, while
Cans has.
"Terry's retirement will leave the
honors without a claimant who has
real right to defend them. Then mat
tiers will have to rearrange themselves,
as they naturally Will in the course OF
time
There are many good boys who can
weigh In at 122 pounds. frankie Neil
IS one of the best of them. Abe Attell
could put n a well-bacNed argument.
Two or three New York boys, includ-
ing Tommy Murphy and Johnny Bur-
dick. who are fighting often, might
show. In the west there are several
with Joe walcott out of the game
for the present with a bullet-perforated
hand that may never grow strong
enough to carry him through a hard
fight. the welterweight title is going
begging
Tommy Ryan. the once great master
eff ring craft. who has come to the
stage where he will not get into a ring
without an agreement prohibiting body
blows and knockouts, Is a very poor
excuse for a middle weight champion
Jack O'Brien. who likes agreements
himself but who really is a great fight
er. has almost as good claim to the
title as Ryan. and would make it good
II Ryan could be induced to meet him
in real battle.
Bob Fitzsimmons is light heavy
weight champion and just now there
are none in sight to dispute the title
with him. The grand old man of the
ring IS still too good for the 165-po. nd
ers. although he has dropped a little
from the heavy weight ranks.
There is only one champion who is
without question or doubt the head of
the class. Jim Jeffries. heavy weight,
will live many a day yet before he finds
a man able to whip him. This is be-
cause he outclasses all the other heavy
weights in size and strength. Jeffries
IS a physical marvel. He is a great
boxer. too. Compared to him all the
other big men are like feather weights
beside middle weights. The Ruhlins
and SharkeyS and Harris and all the
rest have no more right in the ring
with Jeffries than Terry McGovern
would have with Jack O'Brien.
1T is not likely that the man who
can beat Jeffries will develop quickly.
He has too long a start in the matter
OF ring experience. The biggest and
strongest and quickest new fighter in
the world would need a long list of
battles before he could hope to cope
with Jeffries on even terms. In 1905
we can expect to see the championship
titles in every class up to the heavy
weight change hands. But year from
now Jeffries will still stand on his lone
~ pinnacle"