Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-12

II Billy Papke can weigh In at los
pounds he can surely retain the title of
middleweight champion OF the world.
which he claimed after the death OF his
former conaueror Stanley Ketchell.
Papke proved by his defeat of Tim
Sullivan the much touted English mid
ileweight champion, In their battle be-
for Hugh McIntosh's club Thursday
night that he has come back into his
oldtime cycionsc form. This means a
great deal to any man who had ever
seen Billy perform when he was at his
best. for IL there ever lived a human
cyclone that man is Billy Papke when in
form. He became popular owing TO his
rip-snorting, slam bang style of milling.
He began fighting at the first tap OF the
gong, and never slowed up until the END
# the mill He displayed sort OF
rough cleverness in all Of his fights. and
never appeared to mind his opponent
blows He took punishment good natur-
eddy. and smiled as he returned the blows.
He never was known to bear any Ill VIII
toward an adversary. and when his arch
rival, Stanley Ketchell, met his tragic
death. Papke was badly broken up.
Friends who were with Billy at the time,
as though he had lost a brother He
too Ketchelrs death hard and brooded
over II for weeks This to a person not
familiar with fighters and the fighting
game may seem strange, but to a man
who has had dealings with them and
hardest battles. and after those fights,
there is nothing remarkable about such
an occurrence.
Fighters Have Hearts.
The average pugilist is big-hearted
fellow and is ever ready to give a beaten
rival a helping hand. You who attend
boxing bouts have often seen a boxer
knock another through the ropes with a
stiff smash on the jaw and an instant
later you have seen him help him up
and see that he was properly on his feet
before attempting to land another blow.
Such is the etiquette OF the ring. But out
side OF the roped square when one fighter
meets with q run Of hard luck and a
brother gladiator hears OF 1t 1t is not an
uncommon occurrence to see the more
prosperous one hunt UP the other and in
most unostentatious manner slip few
bills into his hand or In otherwise extend
the hand Of good fellowship and render
what aid he can. Such a fighter Is Billy
Papke. He fights like a demon in the
ring. and the very men against whom
with in case Of call for aid. The old
school Of fighters were all of this sort
and there are q good many Of the pres
ent-day boys who possess big hearts.
story Of the heart when ] began to extol
the virtues Of Billy Papke as fighter
What desire to impress upon the fight
fans is this: II PapkA can fight at the
middleweight limit when he returns tc
| the United States we have no fighter in
that division who can take away the title
from him. When in condition Billy has
the class. He Is q fighter pure and sim
pie. and a clever one at that He is MOI
| q fancy boxer. but he IL a skillful fighter
He can stand the gaff, and he has goot
wallop in either hand
However, II we had middlewetghts a
present az good as were Bob FitZsim
mons. Kid Mccoy. Tommy Ryan or Dar
this story would have a different ring t.
II. They were middleweights whose
equals we find only once in several gen
erations. They were boxers as well a!
fighters. They were clever and could hi
knockout blows. They were ring. gen
lance. They had the speed, the endur
ance. the pluck. and they could nj
from every known angle. Papke is the
best OF the present crop Of middleweights
but that does not begin to make him a.
good as any of the four named above.
The men who will in all probability try
to wrest the title from Billy when he
reaches home are Hugo Kelly, and he viii
be beaten; Frank Klaus, who will alsc
get his; Cyclone Johnny Thompson. an
other victim before the gong sounds. ant
perhaps Buck Grouse, who will also 81
down before the furious onslaughts of the
brewer.
one year from now a certain youn5
Clevelander. whose identity will let yol
guess, will, II he continues to improve a!
he has In the past six months. stant
better show with Papke than any O.
those named.
Akron's Carnival.
When the Cleveland delegation of Eagle.
goes to Akron next Thursday it viii
| find a huge treat In the way of a fstit
program all ready for its entertainment
On paper 1t looks like the greatest care
Of the year.
In the curtain raiser Johnny Grifith
the Akron kid Mccoy" will meet a
Chicago bantamweight in six-round
| bout. and 1t promises to be good. for
Harry Gilmore is bringing the Chicago
boy along. and he says he's a good one
He is said to be the son OF a western
millionaire. who fights for the love of
the game, and does not desire to get Ills
name into print.
on the same night. In the first Of these
Sammy Trott, the Columbus battler, will
clash with Billy Wagner. the speedy lad
tie near here q few weeks ago. This will
produce some great mixing. fer Trott is a
veritabie whirlwind. and the other boy
seldom backs up. and he Is hitter with
both hands. Art Simons. who is han
ding Trott. says his boy is in grant form
and fit to night the fifteen rounds at top
speed.
Johnny Dohan. the boy who beat Mat
Wells. the present English lightweight
Champion: Harry Scrogge, Charley Sieger