Evening journal., 1909-02-03
Sports
PUGILISTS OF
SMALL STATURE
WaICOtt, Burns, Sharkey ard
Others Who Beat Bigger
Men

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 a pugilist could hit hard and take
punishment. Walcott was only fee,
1 IL inches tall. yet he defeated six
footers. notably Joe ChoynslSi. with re-
markable case, says the New York
sun. 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 follow.
ers called him. Furthermore Wolcott
defeated Mick Dunn, Jack Bonner,
Dick Moore and Dan Creedon, who
were bigger in every way that the
phenomenon Of the ring
There are several fighters In the rine
at the present time who, like Walcott,
are understood, notably Tommy Burns.
sam Langford and Young Peter Jack.
son. 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 Sharkey. who gave Jeffries
the hardest battle of his career, stands
feet 1-2 inches in his socks. But
successful short men in the middle ana
heavy weight classes have been an ex-
ception 10 the prevailing rule. Jeffries.
for instance. is feet 1-2 inches tall,
while johnson is feet IA inch. Cor.
bctt is taller than johnson by three.
quarters Of an inch. AL Kaufman.
the California pugilist. measures tho
same as Corbertt, while Gus Rubin
is feet , inches. Peter Jackson, thu
great Australian fighter, was 6 feet Is
inch, the same height as Jim Hall.
with Paddy Slavin an inch taller. Joe
Goddard, the Barrier Champion, was a
six footer and Peter Maher measures
5 feet II "a inches. This Is Choynslxi.s
height and McCoy's is feet IL inches
John l.. Sullivan stands feet 10 IL
inches without his shoes
/ 1t is said that the middleweights who
scale at 154 pounds should be feet S
inches tall, while those who weigh 15S
should measure three-quarters of an
inch more. Yet Fitzsimmons, who
held the middleweight championship
and was never defeated for the title
is feet II "a inches Ketchel, the
present middleweight champion. meas.
ures feet "a inches. PHILADELPHIA
Jack O'Brien, who fights at about 16s
is 5 feet 10 l-2 inches. and Jack (Twin)
Sullivan. who got a decision over
Burns once. is 3 feet inches. Charley
Mitchell, once England's best boxer. is
8 feet 9 inches too. Bill Papke. for,
mer middIeweight champion, is S feet
S S-4 inches, and Dan Creedon, once
holder OF the Australian title. is a
quarter Of an inch shorter. Jack
Dempsey, who lost the title to Fit
{ was feet inches
Tradition says that 145 poundsers. or
welterweights. should stand feet G
inches. or nearly inches taller than
| Walcott, who held the title I'm this class
for a long time; yet il is a fact that
few Of the best known welterweights
we're as short as feet 6 inches. Tommy
Ryan was feet z s-4 inches; George
Dawson, feet Z f-2 inches: Tommy
Tracey. feet "a inches: Mysterlou,-
Smith. feet 1-2 inches; Matty
Matthews, feet z 1-2 inches; Mike
Crwin) Sullivan, the present title hold
er. feet 10 inches: Jack Blackburn
feet 10 inches; Honey Melody. feet
inches; Harry Lewis. feet Z inches.
and Jimmy Gardner feet "a inches
In the lightweight class it has long
been maintained that 1873 poundei
should be feet 3 "a inches tall. Kid
} Lavinge, one of the greatest light.
weights the world ever saw, stood &
feet l-2 inches in his bare feet Bat
: Ting Nelson. the present champion, is
feet 1-2 inches tall. an inch and a
! quarter taller than Joe Cans, the
famous old Master. Jack McAuliffe
who was worlds champion for a dozen
years, was feet 6 inches, which Is
, Jimmy Britt's height Freddy Welsh
the clever British boxer who is after
Nelson, is an inch talelr than Britt.
Basketball at Brovvnson Hall