Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11
CURRENT GOSSIP OF
THE PRIZE RING
Boxers That Have Held More
Than One Championship.

Many boxers have held more than one
championship. FitZsimmons in his career
was the possessor of three titles-rniddle-
weight heavyweight and light heavyweight
but it is questionable IL any fighter has
heretofore held two championships stimuli
taneously. Therefore, Joseph Cans, the
holder of the weller and lightweight titles.
Is entitled TO unusual consideration. He
captured the lightweight honors from
Frank Erne at Fort Erie on May Il. 1902,
and he won the welterweight title from
Mike Twin Sullivan in San Francisco
recently. In doing this. Cans has shown
himself to be one of the most remarkable
boxers of the age. He won the lightweight
title from Erne at 1856 at o'clock In the
evening, which weight was dictated by the
champion. but which suited Cans very well,
although there is no doubt that EFne had
much the better of the weight on the night
of the bout
When Cans met Sullivan for the welter-
weight title he was asked to do 142
pounds at 3 pm, and once again the cham
pion had all the better OF the conditions
regarding avoirdupois. Cans weighed bare
ly 40 pounds stripped and trained down
he would have have scaled about 1875, which
is his best weight.
The only singular thing about Cans is
the insistence of some persons in the claim
that he is not the lightweight champion.
because he does not weigh 1873 pounds at
the ringside, which, it is alleged, rs the
limit for championship bouts in that divi-
sion. But when pinned to request for
information as to where the authority
comes from to make 1913 pounds at the
ringside the lightweight limit the support
ers Of the claim depend on the assertion
that IL is the limit and that no one can
q a N tflTlGt iyN l,.,.
weight.
If that is really the case. then there
has been only one legitimate lightweight
champion from the time of McAuliffe to
the present. Lavfgne always could box al
l33 ringside, but McAuliffe and Erne could
not and did not. McAuliffe defended the
title up to 13S pounds. Erne won at 1875
pounds at pm, and lost to Cans at 1856
pounds at 7 pm.
That being the case, neither McAulifre
Erne or Cans ever had any claim to the
title. There is not a syllable in the boxing
rules specifying at what weights the cham
pions OF the various classes should meet
opponents, and II Cans does not wish TO
scale 1873 ringside it is no ones business
The pretender to the lightweight crown,
Battling Nelson, insists that Cans has no
right to the title, but is backward In
meeting the negro on the ground that he
is faller. That Nelson should presume
to attempt to dictate to the champion is
difficult to explain. All the preceding
champions dictated the weight at which
they would fight, and there is no reason
why Cans should not do the same The al
legged championship weights of 116 for
bantam, l22 feather, 1873 light AS welter
and 15S middle-all at ringsfde were never
suggested by those in position to speak
authoritatively, but cropped up here and
there from time to time.
1t would be an excellent thing if the
weights were enforced, but there is no one
to enforce them, the boxers having no as
sociation with a governing body. There
FORE it is foolishly unjust to say to Cans
that he must live up to certain alleged
rules that never have been observed by his
predecessors in the championship.
Cans can fight strongly at 1876 pounds,
| and any one who desires to meet him for
| the title should not hesitate to accept a
! match at those figures. He would be fool
| ish to listen to the cIamor about 1873 pounds
| ringside, as, while he probably can make
| the weight, he would weaken himself and
| thus not be able to fight at his best.
When in condition and trying to do his
| best, Cans is the most formidable boxer in
| the world at 1875 to 140 pounds. With a
! Knockout punch in each hand, a puzzIing
| defense and a courage that always sus-
| tains him. he can undoubtedly beat any
man in the world within eight pounds of
| his weight He is the coolest, craftiest
| fighter in the ring, and the jots he hands
| to his opponents are very effective.