Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-04
WHY ENGLAND DOES
NOT LEAD IN BOXING
Jimmy Britt Talks Like a
Solomon to the English
SportSmen.

During my life I have done a good deal
of travelling. in one way and another but
can truthfully say that few things have
| surprised me quite so much as something
that I have noticed since l have been In
Overwhelmingly, that although in the
past on countless occasions, English box
ers have beaten the world, yet in this
country boxing as a profession does not
seem to be understood at all: or at least,
only in a very hazy. indistinct way"
writes Jimmy Britt in Parsons Weekly.
Now. in America, We regard the pro-
fessonal boxer as just as legitimate fol-
lower of profession as we do a lawyer,
a barrister a music hall artist, an aero
bat or-well-devotees of any other call
ing: but over here boxing Is looked upon
mainly as sport and not as q profession.
But why?
Boxers Are Not Hooligans.
You have your professional foot ball
players and cricketers who are able to
secure regular employment from year to
year if they are good enough. and yet the
boxer who holds out for what he considers
his services to be worth. to a great ex-
tent seems TO be regarded as unsports-
| manlike and altogether not quite a
white man.
But I have noticed, with not a little
surprise. since have been over I'm Eng
land, that there are not a few people who
still seem to imagine that boxer is a
sort of hooligan.
This. however. I think is an injustice
TO modern opponents of the f1stic art,
many of whom are men of good educa-
ton, and recruited from quite different
class from the rowdy hooligan of days
gone by
II have also noticed In England, how
ever. that few inducements are offered to
outside members Of the public to take up
boxing as a professionalism i say few
| inducements / mean not sufficiently large
| offers of financial reward to persuade men
| of better birth to. in their younger days.
decide to try to win fame and fortune
with their fists.
No Heavyweights.
II think, in consequence. that I am
| quite safe in saying that it Is unlikely
that the heavyweight champion Of the
| world will spring from this country until
it is made better worth their while for
new recruits to devote all their energies
| to boxing: in other words, for the pro-
fession of boxing to be as clearly under
stood over here as Is the case in America.
II will say at once that can think OF
many far more pleasant callings than my
own, but. at the same time, I regard It
as every bit as honorable as that Of any
other member of society. And believe
me, it is far from an easy calling, as. all
| the year round. one has to live life or
| considerable self-denial both in and out Of
| training.
Il make no doubt in the world that
| those critics who are apt to run down
professional boxers as being hopelessly
overpaid would soon change their views
laI 70 I'm hot al
| keeping fit, and with the strong right
arm
II should like to make it quite clear,
however, that England's present lack OF
| big mem champions Is not, In my Opin-
ion In any way due to lack of good men.
but simply through want Of encourage
ment.
Americans Admire English Past
Masters.
| "After all. your professional boxer il
just as keen on having a good business
year as is any one else. But II. when
selecting a career, a man finds that In
boxing, for example. he can never hope to
grow rich, or even make a reasonable
sum of money In return for his hard
work. it is only natural that he should
not take up that profession.
! still / make no doubt that quite soon
the profession Of boxing will be looked
| upon as legitimate one In this country.
| and then it is quite safe to prophesy that
old England will regain her lost laurels.
And when the champion boxer of the
world is an Englishman, I guess that no
one will grip him by the hand with more
enthusiasm than an American, for We
have the greatest admiration for English
past-masters of the flstic art.
However. until the profession Of box
ing. as a means of earning livelihood.
| and not merely as a sport, Is recognized.
| / fear that a man wearing the union jack
belt will not triumph over the best the
world can put up against him in the box
ing ring"