The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-04-07

the enemies of Sam Berger have final
ly had the Amateur Athletic union
declare him a PROFESSIONAL barring
him from amateur events in the
future. That has been a long and
bitter fight, which has caused more
dissensions in the amateur ranks than
any other quarrel in that quarrelsome
organization.
After Berger won the amateur
heavyweight championship in the
Olympic club contests in San Fran
cisco he became a target for every
aspiring amateur and every envious
knocker.
Sam kept his head, however, and
was careful to keep away from en-
tanglements, although time and again
he has been offered good money to
sidestep into the professional class.
o Q o
When Bob Fitzsimmons started
out from San Francisco with his
show, 1.-THE Honest Blacksmith" he.
after much persuasion, succeeded in
engaging Berger as his sparring part
ner.
1t made a good team and the bout
between Sam and Fitz was just sci
entfic and fast enough to please the
big audiences.
I had considerable to do with Fits
business just about that time, but
every move that was made was with
a warning from Berger not to mix
him up with anything that looked like
a professional deal, as the knockers
were after him and would make
trouble.
finally arranged for FitZ-to box
four rounds with Frank Dunn, a mid
dleweight with whom Jerry Mccarthy
had fought a 20-round draw, and in
order to make the card good l in
duced Sam to go on with Doc"
Flynn. Doc" was professional
club where he formerly fought with
Jimmy Britt. while the latter was an
| amateur, and, of course, was well
known in Frisco. r
o o o G ~
With a thousand or more women
and children in the audience the box
ing exhibitions were naturally frosty
and the fakiest kind of love feasts.
But the news went forth that
Berger had gone on with a pro-
fessional and from that time on those
fellows who were amateur, who
yearned for the amateur champion
ship but who couldn't beat their way
to the top while Berger was in the
lists, started swinging the hammers
and it has been war ever since.
o O o
Three or four times Berger has
been on trial, but has always sue
ceeded in beating the cases, Until this
last investigation, when it was shown
that the last amateur Championship
battle had brought a good sized fee
to the contestants.
o O o
There will be many San Francisco
followers of Berger who will hail
the decision with JOY as they have
always contended that Sam was
worth big money in the professional
ring.
Already they are figuring the dope
for Berger to eventually go against
Jeffries and win the championship.
o o o
While there's not much chance of
Berger getting to Jeff, there's not so
much guess work about his chances
for the belt in the event Jeffries re-
signs.
Berger is young. a perfect piece
of humanity. a shade too light yet
to claim the heavyweight title. but
with time enough to spare in getting
that extra weight.
AS a boxer he is superb and his
hitting powers are but little short of
the punches of "Ruby Robert"
With a clear field before him after
the Jeffries retirement Sam Berger.
ex-amateur heavyweight champion, is
good bit of dope as the big fellows
successor. At the present time he
| occupies about the same position in
the heavyweight class that Joe
Choynski did for years as a light
heavyweight, with the one exception
that Sam hasn't yet stopped growing.
o o o
No word has been received from
Jack O'Neill or Two Feathers as to
why they failed to show up to meet
Ole Marsh. 1t begins to look like
clear case of fluke on the part of the
Indian and his manager.
o Q Q
Indian Joe Gregg has gone to Har-
rington to fight a local favorite. Bar
ney Mullin is to fight Tuesday in
Wallace and Jim Burrows "a matched
to fight Jack Curley in North Yaki-
ma April IL.
WILLIE B. GOODE,