Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-06
NEGRO FIGHTER
PASSING AWAY
HAS BEEN ELIMINATED FROM
CHAMPIONSHIPS
ALL WORLD TITLES NOW HELD
BY WHITE BOYS
Defeat Of Joe Cans by Battling Nelson
Sure to Increase Activities In the
Lightweight DlvIslon-Good
Cards In Sight

Cards In Sight
The process of eliminating the negro
from all pugllistic championships has
been completed with the defeat of Joe
Cans by Battling Nelson, and tn great
black gladiators that once were the
marvel of the world and held titles
more numerously than their white
rivals have passed out into the cold,
dreary world of oblivion, and in future
they will not be as prominent as con-
tenders, even, for the various cham
pionships. In the last decade such
marvels of the ring as George Dixon,
Joe Cans and Joe Walcott, all former
champions in their respective divisions,
have lost their titles to white boys and
a trio of the greatest fighters the world
ever knew has passed into history. de-
feated and stripped of their glory be-
cause they fought once too often.
Today not negro holds any cham
pionship of the world, and whereas
only a short time in the past they were
so good at the business that they were
considered peerless in the defense of
the honors of their divisions, and there
by forced recognition in the defense
of their claims through sheer merit,
the negro of today in the ring occu-
pies decidedly less conspicuous posi-
ton and will find it remarkably diff
cult to get engagements. Jack john
son alone stands in a position to COM
mand the admiration of the fight world
for his prowess, real or imaginary, as
1t may be.
The success of the white boys in the
ring is due to Terry McGovern, who
took the featherweight title away from
Dixon; Honey Melody, who annexed
the welter title from Walcott; and Bat
Ting Nelson, who accomplished last
Saturday what comparatively few fans
regarded as a possibility in defeating
Cans for the lightweight championship
via the knockout route.
Titles Are Adjusted
Adjustment of the championships of
the world show today that white boys
hold all the titles, as follows:
Jimmy Walsh, bantamweight.
| Abe Attell, featherweight.
Battling Nelson, lightweight.
Stanley Ketchell. welterweight.
| Stanley Ketchell. middleweight.
| Tommy Burns, light heavyweight.
Tommy Burns, acting heavyweight.
James ]. Jeffries, retired heavy
weight
All these titles are recognized as in
disputable possessions of the holders,
with the exception of the welter title,
which Stanley Ketchell has outgrown
and abandoned. There are few welters
of any prominence in the world today
and the boys who are growing too
heavy for the lightweight division soon
must be fighting it out for the welter
title. The light heavyweight cham
pionship also seems to have been ADAM
doned by the retirement of Jeffries,
who so thoroughly outclassed all
heavywelghts that the lighter division
was created to give employment to
the scrappers who would not risk life
against the big fellow in a ring battle.
Probably the defeat of Cans will
serve to materially increase the activi-
ties of the lightweight scrappers, now
that the black cloud that formerly
scared all of them into their cyclone
cellars has been pushed aside. Nelson
has attained his life's ambition, and
IL Is doubtful whether he ever again
will don the mitts. He Is wealthy,
wants to be married, and having at
tanned the greatest honor that can come
from fighting the battle-scarred pre-
nier of his division may carry out the
intention of retiring that MS AFTER
fight interview indicated.
Regardless of his retirement, such
near-champions as Jimmy Burns, Packy
Mcfarland, Freddie Welsh, Rudolph
TTnholz and Young Otto will get real
busy at once and try for the title.
There are numerous good boys In the
division who will go into the ring with
Nelson for q try at the championship II
he stays in the harness, and In the
event that he retires there will be a
wild scramble among themselves for
the honor of holding the vice cham
pionship and all the good boys I'M
doubtedly will be brought together
within another year.
Light and welterweights always have
proved the best ring attractions since
the retirement of Jeffries, Fitzsimmons,
Corbett and other great heaVyweights,
who were the only real fight cards
from an attractive viewpoint. With
the lightweight scramble on and with
Jimmy Burns practically forced into
the weller division by his increasing
weight. the prospect for great battles
in these divisions in the next year are
of the best. Unfortunately there are
fewer good welters In the game now
than formerly, and interest In the
championship adjustment in that divi-
sion is not as great as the scramble In
the lightweight division.
Several great fight cards already are
in prospect for the near future. Abe
Attell and owen Moran Will hight in
San Francisco in a few weeks, which
scrap will involve the featherweight
title and will bring together the undis-
puted champion and his most formid-
able rival Packy Mcfarland and Fred
die Welsh undoubtedly will be re-
matched at once for another 25-round
scrap in the semi-finals of the light
weight division. This fight will be
staged at Vernon about Labor day.
Stanley Ketchell and Jim Flynn will
mix it at .Colma the afternoon of July
81 in the light heavyweight division.
Tommy Burns is to sail tomorrow from
Rome for Australia on the final lap OF
his lighting tour of the world.
The outlook therefore for a busy fall
and winter season on the coast is un-
usually good. Los Angeles fans will
get their share OF the pugilistic pie, and
with Jeffries and McCarey preparing
for a. strenuous season at their clubs
the majority of the big events should
be staged in the local rings. There Is
a sufficient number Of good scrappers.
great drawing cards, to give all the
coast promoters series Of great SHOWS
throughout the cool months, and the
saoord and thsrd-raterS must take a