Evening star., 1909-04-18
FEW HEAVYWEIGHTS.
Not Many Eligible to Give the Black
Champion Fight.

NEW YORK, April IA New York
sporting man has evolved novel idea
that he thinks will be big help to box
ing. 1t Is a scheme to develop new
heavyweight timber and In that way bring
about the resuscitation Of class that
is far below what 1t was a decade or so
ago, when there were numbered In the
division such fighters as Jim Coroett'
Bob Fitzsimmons. Tom Sharkey. Kid Nc
Coy. Gus Rubin. Joe Choynski, Peter
Maher. Jim Jeffries, or even a few years
before that. when Paddy Slavin. Jim Hall,
Joe Goddard, Charlie Mitchell. Peter
Jackson and Denver Ed Smith were IN
their prime. There is no denying the fact
that TO-DAY the heavyweights as class
away below par as compared to What
they formerly were. There Is no ac-
timber has not been developed. The aver
age man OF today is as large, strong ana
courageous as he was decade ago. Few
would care to say that the actual Tight
ing science of the present time has re-
trograded when compared 10 that Of for
mer days. The conditions are pretty
much the same. The fault lies in the
fact that fewer large men have taken up
the sport than formerly Sew faces are
needed.
My idea" said the sport. lis to en-
courage the large young fellows who may
have the physical ability to develop into
first-class men. but who haven't the
means There should be some kind or q
club or college, with ample financial sup
port 10 encourage and develop them. Let
some of the rich. benevolent. patriotic
gentlemen contribute to fund. the inter
est on which would support physical
college or gymnasium. Then when one
of the members showed SUFFICIENT class,
put him in the hands Of capable trainers
and instructors. There is many a man
today living in this country who would
int cha h6QVNwo1Rlt
he had the chance. Perhaps he is working
for small wages and needs all he makes
10 live on. The real interest in boxing
centers, in large measure. is In the 90
ings of the heayies. Keep that interest
alive and you are bound to create new
admirers for the sport. There you have
the story in nutshell. Look at the
boom Jeffres has caused for the sport
the past couple of months. The mere dis
cussion of whether or not he would Dox
again has attracted more attention TO
boxing than a dozen championship battles
between the little fellows would have
commanded.
This will give a pretty fair idea of the
high esteem In which the average middle
weight holds Stanley ketchell. Sailor
Burke was matched to box the champion
AT the Fairmount A. c. in this city April
10 1t was pretty generally understood
by all the parties concerned that April -
Bill Mckinnon would go twelve ROUNDS
with ketchell before the Armory A. A.
of Boston. having a week 10 spare oSloie
the first contest, Willie Britt, ketchell's
manager. thought he would grab off
few odd pennies and put the week In at
one of the Philadelphia theaters at
fancy salary. They were all packed and
ready to start for the city of slumbers
when who walked into the Hotel Bar
tholdi, ketchelrs place of temporary
abode, but Billy Gibson, the hustling man
aging director of the FairmOunt A. c. He
looked anything but "hustlng at that
moment He wore a sorrowful express
sion His heart seemed bowed down with
the weight OF woe. His every look betok-
ened grief. He reminded one of a person
who was vending his way back to the
carriage after the last holy rites had been
said over q very dear friend. Walking up
to Britt. he said cheerily: Willie. l have
JOYOUS news for you. The hero OF the
deep and wavy has taken runout pow
der on us and that appointment of his
to engage Mr.. ketchell in a grand as
sault-at- a rms before our titled members
is off Mr.. Burke has made other ar
rangements for that particular evening.
His listeners bowed their heads. the bells
tolled and as their slow. measured strokes
cleft the atmosphere Mr.. Gibson passed
silently out and into the night.