The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-16
NEW YORK And
The BOXING BILL

New York, Aug. 16.-Many odd ideas
have been advanced since Senator
FTawley's boxing bin was signed by
Governor Dix as to what status the
sport Of fisticuffs will atteain. Some see
in or think they see in return to the
conditions Of former days when the
Horton bill was in effect and public
betting was the issue on which the
glove pastime leaned heavily and every
boxer of note in the world flocked to
New York to make easy money.
AS a matter of fact there will be
very slight change from present con-
ditions except that the game, which
was fast getting beyond control, will
be brought up with round turn and
placed on safe and sane basis. In
place of the club membership hypoc-
risy, which kept many reputable per-
sons especially strangers in New
York-from attending bouts, a man
may walk up to the ticket office and
purchase his seat as he would at a
theatre. The intermittent clashes
with police authorities will cease.
Roofing Out Of Fire Traps.
Aside from these welcome changes
there will be general roofing out of
the so-called clubs which rented fire
traps and crowded spectators In with
out regard to life and limb. Before
club may procure a license IL must
satisfy the boxing commissioners on
the very important point Of fire regu-
lations. 1t will not take the average
fight fan long to count up half a.
dozen clubs that must seek new quar-
tiers or close up entirely.
Whether or not decisions by re-
ferees will be allowed is a question
for the commission to construe. De-
cisions in 10-round bouts do not add
greatly to the sport. They may make
the boxers work little harder to
catch the referees eye. At the same
time they open up the way for the
evils of betting which killed the game
here before. More bets will be placed
when the man decides the money be-
yond dispute than under the present
rule of newspaper decisions" which
are sometimes made by office boys.
Another point for the commission
is the verdict of the gloves. The
law specifies that the gloves must not
weigh less than eight ounces. 1t
does not say that a glove must weigh
eight ounces. This opens a loophole
for the four ounce gloves-eight ounces
to the pair-which are too small for
safety, just as an eight-ounce glove is
too large for good sport.
All these points and many more will
call for Solomon like Judgment on the
part of the boxing commissioners. It
is up to the boxers and promoters to
nurse their own game along and help
keep 1t on the plane where Senator
Frawley sought to put 1t.
Crop of Good Fighters Needed.
What the bill cannot do is to pro.
vide crop of boxers that can and
will give equitable return for theil
share of the purse. There are too few
bouts in sight that even promise a
good contest in any division above this
4 lightweights. The heavyweight out
look shows Jack johnson with no com
petitor In view Sam Langford has
the light heavyweight situation all tc
himself. And unless Billy Papke
shows something like class in his next
appearance. we are left without q
middleweight of any sort Cyclone
Johnny Thompson beat Papke in Aus
tralia and 1t is no secret with those
/ who attended the National club or
Thursday night that Thompson is a
wrestler, not fighter.