The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-09-29
WEIGHT LIMIT NOT
ALWAYS OBSERVED

Just few words apropos of the
controversy about the present scale of
fighting weights" ard especially as 1t
pertains to the lightweight division.
Columns Of stuff have been written the
past few months to the effect that the
been, 1913 ringside, for this class Also
correct weight Is and always has
that a championship title cannot
change hands except at that poundage.
The mere fact that the writer's didn't
know what they were writing about
when they penned the latter statement
didn't seem to make any difference
That was a minor detail, unworthy OF
considerations mere incident, to be
| lightly passed over and dismissed as
Iunimportant. "One hundred and thirty
three at tine ring side" 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
| lightweight title has not changed
hands, to be won or lost, at that notch,
with the exception of the many Nelson
Cans bouts. Even in the first of these,
at Goldheld. Cans was obliged to do
1917 pounds ringside, pound and a
half lower than the accepted" weight.
1t may shock some Of the gents to be
rudely awakened from their dreams of
fancy, but, give look.
Did Not Make 1873 Pounds.
Go back to the days Of Jack Nc
Auliffe and run the Notwithstanding
IN.
was making his truly great fights he
wasn't doing 1873 ringside. When he
beat Foxy Jimmy Carroll, Bob Fitz-
simmons old side-kick, in Frisco, he
tipped 134h. The night he trimmed
up Austin Gibbons in Hoboken the
scales showed 135. In the historical
| fight for the championship at New Or
leans with Billy Myer, the Streater Cy-
clone, Jack weighed, to be exact, 1917.
Nor did he make 1873 ringside for owen
Ziegler or Horace Leeds, or Young
Critic, or Jem Ryan. Anr perhaps Nc
Auliffe wasn't the accepted champion I?
One word to the contrary those days
would have been the signal for a hon.
icide. In 1895, when he saw he was
through" McAuliffe retired and tossed
the title to Lavigne, a worthy success
sor, without a battle. The Kid lost
1t to Frank Erne ut Buffalo on a TWEEN
round decision given by Honest
John Kelly. The weight was 1876
pounds at 3 p. m. Erne lost 1t to Cans
by knockout at 1876 pounds. While
1873 ringside is supposed to be the
weight the rule hasn't been lived up
to by the champions of the past, ire
spective of what may be written or said
to the contrary. Another reason why
weights.
Summers Calico Lightweight.
While Johnny Summers, who is again
breaking into the limelight, Is always
referred to as an English lightweight,
1t was not on the little Isle where he
received his education In the manly
art. He was born in England, but
commenced his ring career In AustraI-
la. In 1900 and 1901 he was fighting
around Melbourne and Sydney and 1t
was not until the following year that
he donned the mitts In England. He
made a good show In Australia by
knocking out Pat Malloy and Bob
Cooper; winning decisions over Jewey
Smith, Jack Carroll and George White
house and boxing a twenty round draw
with libby Watson. Later Watson
won a twenty decision over him.
There is some talk OF his coming over
to the states again. He made the trip
over couple of years ago and engaged
in sixteen bouts, carrying back a nice
chunk of coin with him when he went
oh. that dear old America! A pretty
good place to gather in the change.
Call Corbett Giant.
A man battling in the heavyweight
class needn't be a giant to score 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 newcomer: He's a good one,
all right, and they say he weighs over
200 pounds" Size isn't everything.
Many Of the top-notch heavyweigl1ts
were away below that mark 1t used
to be quite the custom 10 refer to Jim
Corbett, when he was In his prime, az
the Young California giant" and yet
he wasn't within -wenty pounds of the
200 notch. The night he boxed Sullivan
at New Orleans he probably was bet
ter than at any time In his career. The
following letter, written at the time by