The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-03
DAYLIGHT FIGHT.
Novelty introduced to the Public
at Reno, Nevada.
Root and Hart viii Engage in a
Warm Contest.
NOT CHAMPION CLASS.
Winner viii Get Credit for His
Victory Of Course.
But Not Champion in the Eyes
of the General Public.
NOT CHAMPION CLASS


San Francisco. July S.-Today at
Reno, Nevada, Marvin Hart and Jack
Root Will engage in a boxing contest to
9 finish. The event is billed as a
worlds Championship affair, but the an
nouneement- simply serves to emphasize
the fact that the heavyweight class is
absolutely devoid of championship ma
teria1 at the present.
With Jeffries retired, with Fitzsirn-
mons, Corbett, Sharkey and Mccoy rele-
gated to the .'has-been'' division, and
with no new professional fighter in
sight with talent enough to keep his
name on the lips of sporting men, a
mere riffraff of big fellows remains.
Hart has as much right as anybody
to make a bid tor the championship
hohors, while for the distinction" of
meeting Hart, Sandy Ferguson could
present as strong a claim as Root, while
Mike Schreck or George Gardner could
weave feasible argument to show that
they are as much entitled to considera-
ton as Ferguson.
The Root-Eart contest may be one of
the bloodest on record, but that will not
lend class to it. Here in San Francisco
it is an axiom that the four-round
scrubs who operate in the guise of anna
teurs always crowd more excitement in
to their bobtail bouts than the high
priced champions do in 20-round COM
bats.
Hart may win or Jack Root may win,
but he will still remain Marvin Hart or
Jack Root, as the case may be. There
viii be no tremendous throng' at the
railway depot to meet him when he
reaches his home city. and the windows
OF saloons and restaurants will not be
darkened with human faces as he in
dulges in a sup or a bite.
Go right along and box for the cham
pionship, Marvin and Jack. 1t must oc-
cur to you both, that the glorieS of the
top-netch division have departed. and
that the championship has become
largely a county fair proposition.
The date of the Kid Sullivan and
Britt match has been changed from
weight, the Britts gained their point,
and the fighters will be required to
make 1913 pounds by o'clock on the
day OF the trouble. The referee will
be selected a week before the contest.
The tranquility of things will no
doubt be disturbed when Battling Mel
son and his bellicose manager arrive
on the scene, but the Britts, re-en-
orator. Alonzo Herford, should be
able to prevent Nolan killing the
Britt-Nelson venture with words.
1t has been suggested that the
hall and invite their friends to inspect
the copies of the Britt-Nelson articles
which they have in their possession.
Nolan, as all the world knows,
claims that in his copy there is a
clause which forbids Nelson or Britt
from engaging in six round bouts be-
fore they meet in the ring in July or
August. In BIRTHS copy, and in the
one held by the stakeholder, Harry
Corbett, there is no such clause.
1t is very evident that certain para
graphs were put in the copy after the
men had signed them, and, further
more, the paragraphs differ materially.
There is q story here that Sam Berger,
of the Western club, while trying to
please all parties, added these clauses
at different times after the men had
signed the original articles now in the
possession Of Corbett. 1t looks as
though Berger will have considerable
explaining to do when all the parties
get together and compare notes. AS
matters stand, however, Britt's forfeit
IL safe, and he can arrange a dozen
30 round fights If he cares to before
meeting Nelson.