The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-27
THE GIANTS AND HIGHLANDERS
 CLASH WITH THE BOLD BARONS|
BILLY PAPKE IS AGAIN IN SHAPE
 FOR REAL FIGHT
BY W. W. NAUGHToN

the Illinois Thunderbolt, had knocked out Dave Smith, the widely advertised Australian, caused a mild sensation. No one on this side of the Pacific knew that the pair had been matched again. We were led to believe that there had been one grand slump in Papke's fighting qualities owing to the effect of yellow jaundice. and it was supposed that he intended to keep away from the ring for a considerable time.
 Australian papers just to hand tell the story of the re-matching of the Aus tralan and the American. It appears that Smith issued the challenge. He dared Papke to fight at l5S pounds for the middleweight title and side bet of s25OO As evidence of good faith, Smith posted S50O-or e1o0 in English sov- ereigns-with a Sydney sporting paper.
 Papke, who had evidently been watch ing for just such a chance, promptly cov- cred the forfeit, and then Smiths man. ager remarked, Everything is in good shape, but you understand, of course, that the weighing is to be done at the ringside.'
 Papke immediately objected, and was strongly backed up by the managers of the Stadium, where the contest was to be held. As matter of fact, the Stadium folk took a firm stand and said that under no consideration would they handle a championship match in which ringside weight was to be one of the conditions. The reason given was that matches of that kind in Australia had in variably proven unsatisfactory, owing to one and sometimes both principals being weak through reducing to weight
 The Stadium managers wanted a noon- time weighing and Papke said that as far as he was concerned he was willing to do 15S pounds either at noon or six hours later.
 T can make the weight at the ring side if given the necessary time,'' ex- plained Papke. AS it is, I must fight at short notice in order to adhere to the plans I have made for leaving Aus tralia, and I will not take any chances of rendering myself weak What is more, if we come to terms about the weight, I will insist upon Smith wear ing abdominal shield. I am satis- field l did not strike him a foul blow in our last fight, and I do not want to run the risk of being disqualified again"
 While the weight matter was still in abeyance it was learned that Smith had demanded an exorbtant share of the gate money. He asked 50 per cent of the gross takings and the Stadium managers immediately decided that it would be better to abandon the match than to handle it on the financial basis proposed by Smith.
 Smith came in for sharp criticism at the hands of the Sydney critics, and be- gan to draw in his horns. He finally sug gested that the weight be eleven stones eleven ringside" or 165 pounds.
 AS it was felt that both men could make this weight without the least trouble the Stadium managers agreed to have it this way and that was the weight at which they fought.
 Regarding the contest, the only news to hand is that Papke won by knock out In the seventh round.
 From what Papke said while the match was making. it is very evident that he still considers himself middleweight; and such being the case, he will have something to say to the American box CTS who have declared him out of the middleweight division and have been disputng as to who is best entitled to call himself Papke's successor.
 
 Papke has recovered the dash which distinguished him. in the greater num- Der of his fights in this country. Soon after he went to Australia he was seized with yellow jaundice, and the complaint assuredly affected his strength No better proof of this is wanted than the way he performed with Cyclone Johnny Thompson at the Sydney Stad- ium on the night of February H. One nj ho Gxrdpa hot D lr.s- attempts at fighting were so 1udicrous that the crowd laughed dersively. Papke looked so much taller and heavier than Thompson, who inflicted all the punish ment.
 Says the Sydney Sun: In the seventh and eighth rounds Thompson drew blood from Papke with right swings to the nose and eye. In nearly every round Thompson made Papke bleed afresh He jolted Paphe every time they clinched. and there were some nasty jolts among them, too, and he made him wince and dance about the ring in a manner that made the middleweight champion look cheap Papke fought as though he was tired Though he was always behind on points. he never seemed to be capable of making a sustained effort to knock Thompson out. To the end Thompson had the better of it. and the crowd cheered to the echo when Referee Baker announced that Thompson had won" Cyclone Thompson is a great little man, but anyone who has knowledge of the respective merits of Papke and Thompson will admit that Thompson could never take liberties of that kind unless there was something seriously the matter with Papke. The result of this latest PaplSe-Smith encounter may be taken as an indication that Papke has regained his old-time form.