Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-04


he is a competent and courageous of
fetal. He has officiated in all the big
battles pulled off in Los Angeles III
many months and has always given
satisfaction to both sides of each fight
He has the confidence of the fans and
with him in the ring each battler would
actually know that he would receive
every consideration due him.
| Unless the managers agree on Eyton
it is probable that referee will be inn
ported from Chicago, Philadelphia or
New York, but local sportsmen, regard
less of their choice to win the battle,
would prefer local man whom they
know and respect for his honesty, COM
potency and standing in the sporting
world.
However. this question will be settled
by the managers in their own quiet
| manner and WhomsoeVer they shall
agree upon doubtless will be satisfac-
tory to the public.
Jim Neil, whose chief claim upon dis
tinction lies in the fact that he is the
father of Frankie chcrishes the idea
that his boy is about the prescription
and can beat anything from to 142
pounds.
Of the native sons who have gained
fame there are Jeffries, Jimmie Britt
Jim Corbett, Abe Attell, frankie Neil
and Aureio Herrera, with lots OF
lesser lights, but according to Jim
Neil there is one bright, scintillatnS
star on the fight horizon and that
is frankie Neil
frankie once claimed the bantam
championship of the world, and had
he not taken the trip across the pond
he would have reigned supreme. Few
American boxers ever win in Eng
land. because tho game is decidedly
different over there to what it is here
John L., Neil, Jack Twin Sullivan
and lots of others have tried the game
at the National club and returned dis
appointed. although fighting inferior
men and battlers who could not stand
up four rounds with them in this coun-
try.
1t is said that when an American
goes to England to fight he goes up
against the Remember CornWallis at
Yorktown cry, and, as the referee is
a patriot, there is no chance for the
Yankee save a knockout, and then he
- liable to disqualification on foul
for terminating the battle before the
limit.
Neil is a born fighter and if he only
weighed $50 pounds instead of 1lS he
would give Big Jim an awful run for
the big title. Boxers a-plenty have
tried him out to their sorrow and,
while frankie is not spectacular
glove artist he usually brings home
the long end of the purse.
Daddy" Neil is growing old, but
his replica is found in frankie. Stub
bornness is the distinguishing feature
of the Neil blood and this always
means fight when half the opportunity
is offered.
frankie relies upon his ability to
take punishment and get in the one
grand punch when an opportunity Of
fers, rather than depending upon a
spectacular display of gloves to pre-
vent the other fellow from landing
on him.
This has won many battles for the
little native son and the rivalry that
has always existed between him and
the other native son, Abe Attell, will
come to a head for the first time when
they meet in Los Angeles April 20.
Jim Neil believes frankie can beat
the other native son, Jimmy Britt, ana
if the elder ever secures a match for
the Junior with Britt and the Junior
should be returned a winner there
is a strong prospect of a riot.
The native sons DO not agree on all
things and the strongest rivalry in
Imagination and fact is that OF the
born Californian trying to attain
greater prominence in the ring than
any other coast bred boxer.
California is the breeding farm of
champions and with Jeffres, Neil, At
tell, Herrera and Britt there is not
much prospect of the coast bred boxers
being knocked into oblivion for some
time to come.
Yet the world is forced to come to
California. to win the belts coveted
by other sections and it is usually
an uphill job. With Jeffries so far
all other heavyweights
that there is positively no chance of
losing this plum, with Al Kaufman
and Sam Berger blossoming forth be-
fore they are scarcely able to vote
and being seriously considered as the
legitimate heirs to Jeffries' prowess,
what chance has other portions of the
globe?
With Frankie Neil, the hardest hit
ting little fellow in the business, and
Abe AttelI, the cleverest glove artist
in the world, it is purely a California
tug of war for the featherWeiSht cham
pionship
With Jimmy Britt and Aurelio Her
rera to defend the proposition of the
division, there are but
two others who can dispute the title
Joe Cans, who is too heavy to make
the championship weight of l33
pounds ringside, and Battling Nelson,
who will hook up with the native son
in a few weeks for the white streak OF
the color line.
California is the pugilistic hall of
fame and it is not without the range
of possibilities that ere the ides OF
autumn the heavyweight, lightweight,
featherweight and bantamWeight
championships will be snugly en-
sconced on the coast. Eth?
Jimmy Britt, than whom none is
more popular in the fight game on the
coast, has added unimaginable degrees
of popularity to his already large stock
by manfully coming through with the
emphasized disavowal of the stories
emanating from the fight trust to the
effect that he is a sorehead and must
be the leading lady" or he won't play
in McCareys fstic carnival during
Fiesta week.
Lurid kilograms from Frisco startled
the local fans with the news co"
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