Norwich bulletin., 1909-02-08
PUeILIsrs OF SMALL STATURE.
Walcott, Burns, Sharkey and Others
Who Beat Men Bigger Than Them
selves.

When Joe Walcott, the Giant Killer,
was knocking out middle and heavy
weights, although he did not weigh
more than 145 pounds, many critics
argued that weight and height did not
figure as important qualities so long
as q pugilist could hit hard and take
punishment. Walcott was only feet
IL inches tall. yet he defeated six
footers. notably Joe Choynski, with re-
markable ease. He also took the
measure of Kid Carter, Billy Smith,
Frank Childs. Sandy Ferguson, and
George Gardner, all of whom were at
least a head taller than the Black
Demon, as ring followers called him.
Furthermore Walcott defeated Mick
Dunn, Jack Bonner, Dick Moore and
Dan Creedon, who were bigger in
every way than this phenomenon of
the ring.
Successful Hesvyweights Tall.
There are several fighters in the
ring at the present time who, like
Walcott, are understood, notably Tom
my Burns, Sam Langford and Young
Peter Jackson Burns is only feet
Z inches tall. while Langford, who
will probably meet Champion Johnson
next May, is half an inch taller than
Burns. Young Peter Jackson, is
about the same size, while Tom .Shar-
key. who gave Jeffries the hardest
battle of his career, stands feet LIZ
inches in his socks. But successful
short men in the middle and heavy
weight classes have been an excep-
ton to the prevailing rule. Jeffries,
for instance, is feet 1 IL inches tall,
while Johnson is feet IA inch. Cor
bett is taller than Johnson by three
quarters Of an inch. Al Kaufman, the
California pugilist, measures the same
as Corbett. while Gus Rubin is feet.
inches. Peter Jackson, the great
Australian fighter, was feet IL inch
the same height as Jim Hall, with
Paddy Slavin an inch taller. Joe Cod
dard, the Barrier Champion, was a g.
footer. and Peter Maher measures 5
feet II ga inches. This is Choynski's
height and McCOy's is feet IL inches.
John L. Sullivan stands feet 10 1-5
inches without his shoes.
Five Feet 8 for Middleweiqhts.
1t is said that the middleweights.
who scale at 154 pounds, should be 5
feet inches tall, while those who
weigh 15S should measure three-quar-
tiers of an inch more. Yet Fitzsimmons
who held the middleWeight champion
ship and was never defeated for the
title. is feet IL ga inches. Ketchel
the present middleweight champion
measures feet "a inches. Phila-
delphia Jack O'Brien, who fights at
about 100, is five feet 10 1-2 inches,
and Jack CTwin) Sullivan, who got a
decision over Burns once, is 5 feet 8
inches. Charley Mitchell, once Eng
lands best boxer. is 5 feet inches,
too. Bill Papke, former middleweight
champion. is 5 feet ga inches. and
Dan Creedon, once holder of the Aus
tralian title, is quarter of an inch
shorter. Jack Dempsey, who lost the
title to Fitz, was feet inches.
Welterweight 5 Feet Inches.
Tradition says that las Founders. or
welterweights, should stand ) feet
inches, or nealy inches taller than
Walcott who held the title in this
class for long time. Yet it is a fact
that few Of the best known welter-
weights were as short as s feet
inches. Tommy Ryan was feet IA
inches, George Dawson 8 feet IL
inches. Tommy Tracey feet 7 "A
inches. Mysterious Billy Smith feet
IL inches, Matty Matthews feet
1-2 inches, Mike (Twin) Sullivan.
the present tile holder, 3 feet 10 inch
es, Honey Melody feet inches.
Harry Lewis feet inches, and Jim
my Gardner 5 feet z ga inches.
In the lightweight class it has long
been maintained that a 133-pounder
should be 5 feet "a inches tall.
Kid Lavigne, one Of the greatest light
weights the world ever saw, stood
feet 1-2 inches in his bare feet. Bat
Ting Nelson. the present champion. is
feet Z 1-2 inches tall, an inch and
quarter taller than Joe Cans. the
famous old Master. Jack McAulfffe.
who was worlds champion for a doz-
en- years, was ) feet inches. which is
Jimmy Britts height. Freddy WEIGH,
the clever British boxer, who is after
Nelson, is an inch taller than Britt,