The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-01-05
NOT UP TO STANDARD
Old Time Fighters Have II on Present
Pugs-Yankees Lose
Their Grit.

Their Grit.
In the opinion Of many veteran ring
followers, America appears to be go-
Ing back in pugilistic way, while.
for the first time in many years. Eng
land seems to be coming to the front
with really first class pugilists.
Tom o'Rourlxe, who handled Dixon,
Walcott and sharkey, when those pu-
gilists were in their prime, Is among
those who. hold this belief, and he has
some excellent arguments to back it
up.
There are few really good fighters
in America nowadays said O'Rourke,
the other night land why? Because
the American fighters are losing their
grit, II seems, while England Is sud-
| denly developing skilIful pugilists.
| cannot account for it, but it is true,
nevertheless. Still In the next ten
years America is likely to come back
with new crop Of boxers who will
beat the world" ~ q"
To back up the opinion OF O'Rourke
and others 1t may be said that, taking
the cases OF Tommy Burns and Jack
Johnson, neither would have been able
to cope successfully eight years ago
with such "heavies' as Jeffries, Fitz-
simmons, Corbett and Sharkey.
3Corbett, with his wonderful clever
ness, would have made monkey OF
Burns, the sharps insist, and so would
Kid Mccoy. The same goes for John
son, even though he is a 200-pounder
and probably the cleverest big man In
the ring at the present time
Would Stanley Ketchel and Bill
Papke, the best middleweights in
America today, have been in it with
such title holders as Jack Dempsey,
Fitssimmons and Tommy Ryan? e&
This query is answered in the neg
ative by the veterans who have stud
led what .is known as pugilistic class
for years.
Dempsey was a wonderful pugilist
In his best days, scientific, game and
terrific hitter SO was Fitz, who
weighed only 156 pounds when he won
the heavyweight championship from
Corbett at Carson City.
Tommy Ryan, too, would have OUT
classed Ketchel, the boxing sharps de-
OF the greatest boxers and ring gem
erals in the world.
Joe Walcott was the undisputed
welterweight champion OF the world
ten years ago. He beat not only men
In that class, but knocked out middle
weights, including Creedon, and sew
eral heavyweights, notably Joe Choyn-
ski
E~1 l.. 4
two handed fighter who would have
easily beaten such welters as Mike
CTwin) Sullivan, the present cham
rion; Honey Melody, Matty Matthews
and Rube Ferne. Those whJ remem-
Der Walcott as "the giant killer" say
that 1t will be many years before the
ring sees his equal.
MeAuIiffe Lightweight King.
What would Jack McAulifEe or Kid
Lavigne have, done to Battling Nelson,
the present lightweight champion; Joe
Cans. Packey Mcfarland, Freddie
Welsh and few others who are prom
inent In that class nowadays?
Abe Attell is the featherweight
champion of America. He is superb
boxer, but only fair puncher. Would
he have classed with the remarkable
George Dixon, who held the title for
so many years? Or could he have
beaten the cyclonic Terry McGovern
when the latter was at top notch and
had won the featherweight title by
putting Dixon to sleep?
Going back few years. the experts
declare that there never will be an
other bantamweight champion like
Jimmy Barry of Chicago. They say
that Barry. could have knocked out
such present day bantams as Johnny
Conlon. Jimmy Walsh and Patsy Kline
in Jig time, and wouldn't have over
exerted himself, either.
British Boys Improving.
The assertion by O'Rourke and
others that England is coming to the
front rank in pugilism does not apply
to the heavy and middleweight classes,
but is confined to the light and
featherweight divisions. Freddie
Welsh is the best lightweight that
England has sent over kere since the
days Of Jem Carney, it is said. He is
scientific. quick, plucky and a solid
puncher. Mcfarland apparently does
not want any OF Welsh's game, so the
Briton viii doubtless be Nelson's next
opponent In a forty-five round mill
for the championship.
In Jem Driscoll, England has sent
sterling featherweight here--a better
man than Ben Jordan, 1t is believed,
or any other Briton 1t the weight
DriscolI is clever, yet fighter from
his head to his heels. He lis the rec
ognized champion OF England, and will
probably fight -Attell soon for the
worlds title. Owen Moran, another
English feather has already DEM
onstrated his worth by fightingf two
drawn battles with Attell, in each Of
which Moran insisted that he should
have had the decision.
Ketchel, q white man, Is an Aneri-
can born and brought up. Burns Is a
French Canadian, hence an English
subject, while majority Of ring fol-
lowers, though admitting that John
son can raill, do not want to have a
negro win the heavyweight title, even
though johnson Ii native 0f the