Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31
BOXING DEvOTEES
GET SURPRISES
Past Year Holds Out Little for Fol.
lowers of the Game.
JACK JOHNSON Is STILL
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
No Claimant for Light Heavyweight
Division, and Middleweight
Title Is Disputed.

Inc year 1911 has been just as remark
able FOR the boxing game as in other
lorihS or sport. and IL will go down i'm
poNing history as the year the proposed
JACK Johnson Bomba rider Wells contest
was stopped I'm England, something I'M
heard Oh IN THAI country previously.
Inc year was fun OF surprises OF all
Kinds IN a boxing way. and there will he
many who follow the sport glad to well
come the new year I'm and forget the old
one
While Milwaukee. for many years one
of the leading boxing cen,ers OF the
United States. and noted for the excel
lent manner in which the bouts were
conducted, was wiped off the boxing map
m partial way, the state OF New York.
with the big metropolis as the center was
brought into the fold by the passage OF
the F'rawley bill legalizng boxing con-
tests of ten rounds in the state. Boston
was also brought back into line at a time
When IL was threatened with being placed
among the outcasts. The state of Ten
nessee was also added TO the states legal
lZlng boxing contests, and San Francisco
ana Los Angeles Were brought back to
the fokd after the trouble following the
Jeffries-Johnson trouble in Frisco New
orleans was also made a center of boxing
Tor the south, While Winnipeg Joined
hands and boosted the game in the far
northwest. Even Cleveland Joined the
ranks, and many new cities in the good
old New England states permitted boxing
bouts. even though they are not as brutal
as foot ball.
In the heavyweight class Jack Johnson
holds the fort. having had no real con-
test since he won the title from James j.
Jeffries at Reno, New, July 4. 1910. There
nave been many white hopes since then.
but most of them have proven frosts. Jim
Flynn spoiled Al Eaufmann's chances by
putting Al out at Kansas City, and there
are few who think Flynn has a chance
against the colored man at this time, al
though Jack is going back fast. Jim Bar
ry is too uncertain. and Tony Ross is a
DIT shy OF class. Sam Langford has been
persistent challenger, and is a danger
Gus rival: also Sam McVey and Joe jean
cite, all colored. Carl Morris, the Okla
homa Giant, was supposed to be a cham
pion wrecker. but Flynn put Carl out OF
the chase. At that Morris is big and
strong, and may yet come along. Bonn
barber Wells seems to be really the best
Of the entire bunch, but he needs a little
more experience and building up before
tacklng Johnson.
In the light heavyweight division
there is no real claimant as Tommy
Burns. who held the title, has retired
from the game. IL might be a good
idea for several of the middlewefghts
who cannot make 1853 pounds to save
their lives to get into the light heavy
weight division and settle upon a
champion.
There is considerable controversy over
the question of middleweight champion.
After Stanley Ketchers death the title
was claimed by Billy Papke. and most
sporting writer's admitted that he was
best entitled to it on account of his hard
battles with Ketchel. Papke was defeated
in Australia by Dave Smith. but Billy
afterward knocked out Smith. Cyclone
from a lightweight into middeweight.
fought fapke in Sydney and got the de-
cision after twenty rounds OF hard fight
ing. Thompson came back and claimed
the title. Johnny boxed Hugo Kelly and
Frank Klaus no-decision contests, but
they refused to meet him In twenty
round bout for tie title. Thompson also
tried to get Papke into a twenty-round
match, but terms could not be agreed on
and it fell through. Bob Moha of Mil
waukee defeated Papke at Boston In a
poor bout and Billy announced his re-
tirement. Thompson has gone to Aus
tralia again. and when he returns there
will be a chance for a real championship
match between the winner of tie candi-
dates now in the states and the Illinois
cyclone.
Jimmy Clabby had clear sailing in the
welterweight division. but he gave 1T up
because of increasing weight, and now
he is satisfied to be classed a middle
weight. Mike Gibbons Of st. Paul is the
most likely candidate for welterweight
honors, providing he can make tire weight,
which I doubt very much now, so the
next man in line who can really make
the weights is Ray Bronson of Indianapo-
lis, with the Dixie Kid. now In London
sharing the honor
AID Wolgast has the lightweight title
cinched for the time being. but his UNI
fortunate attack of appendicitis may
make a big difference in his future bat
ties He may come out of II all right
and be as good as ever, but there Is al
WAYS a doubt and his real condition VIII
not be known until he tackles some good
man I'm the ring. Wolgast's work the
past year has been remarkably good, and
it was unfortunate that his bout with
Freddy Welsh should have been called or
at q time when he had so much at stake.
Packey Mcfarland. Freddy Welsh ana
Matt Wells will now be more persistent
than ever in getting after Wolgast. but
there are plenty OF other lightweAghts
coming to the front who will shine as
bright as the rest in another two years.
Abe Attell is still king OF the feather
weights. and unless Johnny Kilbane, the
Cleveland boy, can stop the clever Cali
fornian. it VIII be another year for the
champion.
Johnny Coulon stands at the head OF
the bantamweight class. with Sid Smith
of England the best 110-pounder In the
world. Coulon has returned to the ring,
having retired for six months when his
father died. and is now defending his title