The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-22
A QUIET YEAR FOR FIGHTERS.
LITTLE FELLOWS MOST tCTH T.
IN THE RING IN 1901. & u
Bantam Championship tho Only Title 10
Change Hands-BattlIng Nelson thiet
of Newly Developed Pugiiisis Jack
O'Brlcn the Biggest Money Maker.

~ bIltl INV hhNN''N -''''''
The wear lust ended has been n com
uaratively quiet one in tho fStic world.
With the exception 81 the rise of Battling
Nelson. who in 1893 was barely known
outside Of bis own district, and the defeat
OF frankie Neil for the worlds bantam
title by Joe Bowker Of England. there was
nothing Of much moment.
Only one title changed hands-the han
tam-transferred from Neil TO Bowker
The lightweight title * technically stll
the property Of Joe Cans Jimmy Britt
mot the negro at san Francisco at tho limit.
I33 pounds rincside and lost on foul. II
has been said that Cans cannot get 20 this
weight again. and Britt Is therefore the
riehtful owner Of the houors. But the
fact must he demonstrated in a twenty
four foot ring in the regular way before the
admirers Of the clever negro will admit
that Cans is not at the head Of the light
Rht class
The feathcrweight title Is in allowance.
There Is no particular fighter who has any
inst claims TO it at this stage. Abe AueU
has been mentioned As the real premier IN
this division. now that the championship
has passed from Terry McGovern. Young
Corbett never was the featherweight cham
nion. neither was Britt. who whipped Cor
bett in turn. So IL l. a difficult problem
TO state positively who is the rghtful owner
The only way the question can he answered
critics think. is 10y picking out the best
men who can get 70 1872 pounds for series
of bouts the winner OF the final contest
to be declared the champion.
A 10 the welterweight class. Joe Wal
colt looked upon a. the head for many
year, il out OF It because Of an injured
hand. Walcott never has been beaten
for the title at the exact weight He was
whipped by Kid Carter and Others, II Il true,
but the conditions at which these scraps
we're decided never involved his champion
ship honors Most Of these encounters
we're fought at catchweights. There is
not much interest in this class anyway.
II wa. formed mostly tohll the gap between
lightweirht and middleweight. because
the scale between these two divisions was
too wide to permit mill TO be decided
in any degree OF equality
Tommy Ryan'- lightweight champion
ship was not IN danger during 1904 be-
cause "Tonsilitis' Tommy was not called
upon 10 defend it against really good
man. Ryan fought considerably, but most
of his opponents with the exception Of
,Jacl, O Brien and Jack Root. were inferior
men In his fight with a. Brien in PhIa-
/ delphia. which was only for six rounds
f RYAN had narrow ESCAPE And IN u :
/ mill with Root for like number OF rounds
RYAN lost what reputation he had by in
dulging IN a bout that many have stamped
as a fake Of the first water.
The big title tho heavyweight cham
pionship-which every ambitious big man
with puglistic aspirations strives for. has
not changed hands Jim IeFne- still 70
mains the king No one has thus far been
able 10 take the glory away from him
Jack Munroe. the burly miner, who has
tho physique and height sufficient TO NOV
down a tree. tried 10 wreSt II from the
Boilermaker during the past year but
made lamentahle failure Of 1t Munroe
was practically beaten In a punch. being
/ sent the dreamland route IN Just two rounds
/ II is not .IefIrie-'S fault that he has not
been forced 10 defend his title oftener
JeTries has been alwaye ready 10 meet
all c-omrrs hat unfortunately thcro Is no
, one in his class worthy Of his skll, at least
lust now Perhaps this asse rtion may
/ be qualified in the caSe Of Jack johnson.
the negro but the champion has positively
drawn the color line and there you are
There are few heavyweightE IN the field -
/ Sandy Ferguson, Marvin Hart &C. but
20 attempt To match them against Jefiriee
at the present time may result in another
fa~cr s-ich ~ tho Munroe affair. Jefries