Evening star., 1908-01-14

Considerable comment and argument
have been rife in sporting circles lately In
regard to the shifting of the weight limit
in the various championship classes OF the
boxers. During the last three years es-
pecially have the topmost notches shifted.
so that at the present time a man who Is
competing in a featherweight bout may
tip the scales at a figure which decade
ago would have forced him into the light
weight division. 1t Is In the classes for
small men that the chief vacillation is
found but there have been stretchings of
the weight point in classes even up to the
middleweight class.
Norman Selby, who. as Kid Mccoy,
figured among the topnotchers among the
heavyweights when Corbett Sharkey. Fitz-
simmons and Rubin were battling for su-
premacy, said yesterday that he thought
there had been too much variation in the
weights at which titles were fought FOR.
The reason for the advance in weights
all along the line" said Selby, may be
attributed chiefly to the action Of the
pugilists' managers. When they have
brought a fighter up to the top or ms
class he may have fought all his battles
at what has been considered the legiti-
mate limit Between contests, while the
fighter is not in hard training. he is sure
to put on flesh.
''rhe fighter is strictly a money-making
proposition for the manager, and when II
begins to be hard work for a champion TO
make the required limit his manager Will
not allow him to weaken himself by TAX.
ing off the extra pounds. AS the manager
of a champion Is In a position to dictate,
1t is his fault that the weights have been
increased.
Managers Have Changed Limits.
'Ten or fifteen years ago a fighter con-
sidered himself good enough to compete
at the required limit, and was willing to
fight even II he did have to take on
weight. but the managers have changed
all this.
ITO remedy the state of affairs l think
a solution might be had by having a
board selected to formulate limits for
the different classes. This should con-
sist Of the sporting editors of representa-
tive newspapers. The weight limits as l
have always understood them should be:
Bantam. 10 pounds: featherweighs; ;.a. IL
pounds; lightweight, 133 pounds; Welter-
weight. 145 pounds: middleweight. los
pounds: light heavyweight, Ito pounds;
heavyweight. unlimited"
There should be distinction between
the light heavy and heavy classes. Weigh
ing in should be allowed six hours before
the bout. No more than pound will be
gained of good flesh. Anything over
that will be injurious
Money has been the cause Of the shift
Ing of the weights" said George Con-
eidine "The stars have made the limits
to suit themselves purely for the ad-
vantage that would accrue financially.
This has been particularly true of recent
years. when no attention has been PAID
to class. 1t has been a case Of get the
money IL you are q drawing card, and
let the weights take care Of themselves.
This phase has worked evil. too, in
the ranks of the boxers. for when there
came laxity in the stipulations regarding
the various limits, it made the fighters
take less care of themselves. with the
result that nowadays there Is not SO much
high class displayed among the boxers as
in years gone by.
Dixon Best Under 116.
George Dixon. for instance, was at his
best between liz and 116 pounds. and
Tom ORourke would never let him con-
cede an ounce, although Kid Lavigne and
Johnny Griffin chased him all over the
country to get match at 11S-12O. Dixon
insisted that Lavigne should make 116
This was considered the recognized
feather limit in the early 9Os, but in the
desire to get money boys like Terry Nc
Govern and Young Corbett. who were
growing fast, dictated terms and made
the weight for this class go as high as 128
ITO bring order out of this chaos. l
should suggest a conference of men Of the
y
and sporting writers of well-known pa
pers to draw up an official list of weight
limits, and seek the cooperation of the
clubs throughout the country. The diff
ferent classes should be limited as fol-
lows:
Bantam, 112; feather, 11S: light. 1873;
welter. 40 (the legitimate English ten
stone): middle, 154; light heavy, 1855;
heavy. unlimited.
"Weighing in should be permissible six
hefnr 40 hof hn fScht
ers could have a good dinner and not be
half starved when they enter the ring.
The man who has good physique natur
ally can put on lot OF good. solid flesh
in that time. 1t Is onlys to the type of
boxer like Mccoy or Corbett, who received
their development chiefly from gymnastic
work, that pound or so taken on imme
diately preceding a fight Is injurious.
With them it is a case of sacrificing speed
and snap for the extra pounds When
Lavigne fought Bowen, in New Orleans,
he weighed in at 130 six hours before the
fight, and when the gong sounded he
stripped at 1856, and was never stronger"
Champions Dictated Weights.
"The champions have dictated terms"
said Honest John" Kelly. land the other
fellows who were looking for a chance to
get reputation were willing to fight at
any old weight. Once a boxer got pos
session of a title he hated to let it go, and
IL he found it difficult to make the gen.
orally recognized limit. as originate in
the Marquis Of Queensbury rules. he
forced the challenger to meet him at a
higher figure.
'There should be a strict adherence to
a certain set of weights. and there should
never be any going out of the natural
class. This jumping from one division to
another has been one of the reasons for
the shift in limits, for when champion
fighter went above his class he found it
difficult to get back to his old standard