Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-05
PRESENT SCALE OF
FIGHTING WEIGHTS
Stars of the Lightweight Divi-
sion Scaled Around
1875 Pounds.
By Bill Blunt.


NEW YORK, September L. 400.
Just A few words apropos of the con-
troverSy about the present scale of fight
ing weights and especially as it per-
tains to the lightweight division. Columns
of stuff have been written the past few
months to the effect that the correct
weight is. and always has been, 1913 ring
side for this class. Also that a champion
ship title cannot change hands except at
that poundage. The mere fact the writ
ers didn't know what they were writing
about when they penned the latter state
ment didn't seem to make any difference.
That was minor detail unworthy of
consideration. A mere incident to be
lightly passed over and dismissed I'M
important lone hundred and Thirty
three at the ringside" is a tradition that
has been handed down from the past
generation by word of mouth. and is not
subStantiated by facts. The truth is that
in the past twenty years the light
weight title has not changed hands, to be
won or lost. at that notch, with the ex-
ception of the many Nelson-Gans bouts.
Even in the first Of these, at Goldfield.
Cans was obliged to do 1917 pounds
ringside. a pound and half lower than
the accepted weight. 1t may shock
some of the gents to be rudely awakened
from their dreams of fancy, but, give
a look.
x
Go back to the days of Jack McAuiffe
and run the gamut-McAuliffe, Lavigne.
Erne. Cans. When McAuliffe was making
his truly great fights he wasn't doing 1Gs
ringside. When ne beat Foxy Jimmy
Carroll, Bob Fitzsimmons' old side-kick.
in Frisco. he tipped 134ia. The night he
trimmed up Austin Gibbons in Hoboken
the scales showed 40. In the historical
fight for the championship at New Or
leans with Billy Myer, the Streator
Nor did he make LIB ringside for Owen
Zeigler or Horace Leeds or Young Critic
or Jem Ryan. And perhaps McAuliffe
wasn't the accepted champion? One word
been the signal for a homicide. In 1896,
when he saw he was through" Nc
Auliffe retired and tossed the title to
Lavgne, a worthy successor, without a
battle. The Kid lost it to Frank Erne
a Buffalo, on a twenty-round decision
given by Honest john Kelly The
weight was 135 pounds at ; o'clock. Erne
lost it to Cans by a knockout al 1856
pounds. While 1913 ringside is supposed
to be the weight, the rule hasn't been
lived up to by the champions of the past,
irrespective of what may be written or
said to the contrary. Another reason why
there should be an authentic table of
weights.
+
A man battling in the heavyweight
class needn't be a, giant to score a big
success and TO eventually forge his way
to the front rank in that division. When
discussing the heavies how often the fans
will remark. when speaking Of some new
Ia,c oN1 oil ~ 0ht nd
they say he weighs over 300 pounds
Size isn't everything. Many of the top
notch heavyweights were away below
that mark. 1t used to be quite the Gus
tom to refer to Jim Corbett when he was
in his prime as the young California
giant" and yet he wasn't within twenty
pounds OF the 200 notch. The night he
boxed Sullivan al New Orleans he prob
ably was better than at any time in his
career The following letter, written at
the time by w D. Ross. secretary of
the Olympic Club, where Corbett and
Sullivan fought. tells exactly how much
the battlers weighed. 1t was sent to Nelse
Innes. the we'll known sporting scribe:
president Charles Noel has directed me
to reply to your letter and inform YOU
that he was present and attended per
sonally TO the weighing in of Sullivan
and Corbett a few minutes before their
contest of September :, and that Sulli-
van tipped the beam Al 212 pounds and
Corbett 17s pounds. The exact time of
weighing in was $40 pm Septem-
Der Z. 1922 There was a difference OF
thirtyfour pounds. Ask some Of the
present-day boxers to give away that
much weight and they would yell for the
consta bulary
While johnny Summers. who : again
breaking into the lmelight. Is always re-
N Eno Itch ioi,t iy,,f
was not on the little Isle where he re-
ceived his education in the manly art.
He was born in England, but commenced
his ring career in Australia. In 1900 and
1901 he was fighting around Melbourne
and Sydney, and it was not until the fol-
lowing year that he donned the mitts in
England. He made good showing in
Australia by knocking out Pat Malloy
and Bob Cooper. winning decisions over
Jewey Smith, Jack Carroll and George
Whitehouse and boxing twenty-round
draw with libby Watson. Later Watson
won twenty-round decision over him.
There is some talk of his coming over
to the states again. He made the trip
over a couple of years ago and engaged
in sixteen bouts. carrying back nice
chunk of coin with him when he went.
Oh, that dear old America, 4 pretty
good place to gather in the change.
Getting cold feet with Joe jeanette after
having the better of the fighting during
the early rounds is not the only queer
thing Sandy Fergeson has done. He
has been more or less erratic ever since
lie adopted the ring as a profession. Sew
eral years ago in Arkansas he pulled an
odd one that made the natives stare. He
was matched to box twenty rounds with
Texas Jim Mccormick at Wilmington
Park, Hot Springs. for Col Andy Multi
gan. The men were in their corners
awaiting the sound of the bell. The
ring was pitched on a stage at the eX-
IRENE end of the hall with the reserved
chairs clustered about on three sides.
Suddenly Sandy reached out with his LETT
hand. grabbed youth by the hair and
tried to drag him into the ring. He
claimed the boy had made some fppant
remark. After the affair quoted down
and the bout was about to commence
Fergeson made one wild leap over the
ropes, dashed down the main aisle. pushed
the doortenders aside, rabbed the ticket
box in his arms beat il back into the
ring. put the box in his corner and told
the referee to start the bout. He said
he was afraid somebody might grab some
of the tickets while he was fighting
Ii Joe Wagner is of championship cali
l,Sy- hi I'LL