Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-10
IRISH NO LONGER
RULE PRIZE RING
PUeILIsTic CHAMPS OF TODAY
HAVE OTHER ADDRESSES
Sons of Erin Are Losing Footing IN
the Fight Game, as Is Proved
by the Present Sta
tlstlcs

| Urize ring; in fact, there are more Top
| notchers of other descent than the irish
of late. There are still many nghters
of Celtic parentage among the top
notchers, but a majority of the cham-'
mons are of nationalities which nave
only in the past year broken into the
game.
Abe Attell, the featherweight cham-
MON. is a Jew: Cans, the lightweight
title-holder, is a negro; Ketchel, the
welterweight champion, is Polack;
Hugo Kelly, the middleweight, is an
italian, and Tony Burns the heavy
weight champion, is a French Canadian.
Jack Johnson who looks to be the real
heavyweight champion, is negro.
How different it was few years ago,
when Terry McGovern, Kid Mccoy, Jim
Corbett, John l.. Sullivan, McAuliffe'
Forbes and other such Irish lighters
were in their prime. About every fight
or of any class was of either Irish de-
scent or birth in Ireland and one who
was not was regarded as little likely to
cut much ice The gameness of the race
and their natural love of combat seemed
to give them a monopoly on the game
and few cared to dispute it.
Lavigne Is a Frenchman
Kid Lavigne, the Michigander, who
was of French parentage, was about
the first fighter of class not of either
Irish, English or American parentage.
Like many other things, when it was
started many others soon followed, I'M
Ill now almost every nationality is rep
resented. Battling Nelson, the Dane;
Benny Yanger. the Italian; Attell, the
Hebrew; Jack Root, the Bohemian;
Hugo Kelly, the Italian; Berger, the
German; Critic and Jackson, the Aus
tralians; Fitzsimmons, the Cornish
man; Herrera, the Mexican, and Wal
colt, the Barbados negro, are men of all
nations who either are now topnotch-
ers or have been during the past five
years. Tommy Ryan (Joseph Youngs)
is a Hebrew.
With Youngs (Ryan). Abe Attell,
Harry Lewis, Goodwin, Herman, Tbel
and others of top rank, there is a goodly
representation OF Hebrews. Italy ranks
next in it's products with such worthy
representatives as Hugo Kelly, Frank
Carsey, Tony Caponi, Tony Ross, Benny
Yanger and several others who rank
almost as high.
Micks Become Policemen
Still, after all, none of the fighters of
foreign descent amounted to anything
in that line until they liven in America
many Years. Inc lTGt dlt Vi OHClG
Sans possessions SENS to breed scrap
pers. 1t seems hard to explain why the
Irish fighters have been passed in the
race. unless it is that the police forces
of the country claim SO many of them
of athletic build that many who might
have swung their fists with much eff
fectiveness have taken to swinging
clubs.
Ketchei is the first Polak to gain
high standing in pugilism. His defeat
of Thomas made him recognized as the
welterweight champion, although Mike
Sullivan claims the title despite his de-
feat by Harry Lewis and two knockouts
at the hands of Joe Cans His claim is
given little credence, being based on
his win of a decision over Honey Mel
lody, who was putty in Joe Thomas
hands. Billy Papke is a Pole.
Others Took Irish Names
In recognition of the fighting qualities
of the Irish, most of the fighters of the
other nationalities took Irish names.
Funny, too, at times, to see unmistak-
able features of other nationalities
travelling under Irish cognomens.
George Dixon was from New Bruins
wick English fighters have always
been greeted warmly whenever they
have come to this country, and highly
lauded whenever they showed class.
Negro boxers have seemd to draw
as topnotchers, and there have been
some great ringsters of SCOT color in
Peter Jackson, Joe Walcott, George
Dixon, Joe Cans, Jack Johnson and sew
eral others. The black scrapper who
has conducted himself properly and
fought honestly has been given all COM
ing to him.
Lavigne was always popular, and
gamer fighter never lived. Now that
his days as fighter are over, he is
making a nice living from the respect
paid his name, which hangs over the
Detroit wet goods emporium where he
stays around to be seen. Squires, the
Australian, was given great reception
but it was because of the great fighters
produced by that country in the past,
notably Peter Jackson, Young Critic
and Fitzsimmons, from the neighboring
islands of New Zealand, rather than
through any form ever shown here, or
in fact in Australia.
Great Negro Fighters
The four great negro fighters of today
are Joe Cans, Jack Johnson, Sam Lang
ford and Jack Blackburn, and four
white men of their weight divisions
canont be found to beat them. The
question is often asked: "Why are there
so many white fighters and so few coll
ored fighters in the ring in high ranks?"
That is not hard to answer. In fact 1t
is simple. The public will not stand for
"a dun colored fighter, while hundreds of
white boys are eking out living in the
business who never showed better than
third division form, and many who
never showed even that well.
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| SANITARY INSPECTOR is