Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-04
BY T. S. ANDREWS.

MILWAUKEE, February 3.-Of late
there has been number of requests
from people interested in sports all over
the count.E as to why there should DC
scarcity OF heavyweight boxers The
fact is that during the past ten years
promoters al, over the country. with tac
possible exception Of San Francisco. nave
been very sh.- Of arranging matches be-
tween the big fellows: not THAI they
would not draw but because there seeni-
ed to be less opposition to the men IN
lighter classes and again, they We're cas-
Ter to handle The fayoI.tc class seem
to be the ligh Weights, ana most OF The
D. Promoters were always favorable to con-
tests of that kind. The fact that pro-
motors Kept away from matching the big
fellows brought about the downfall OF
the white race in the heavyweight class.
There was no object for, the big boxers
to train and try to get to the front and
natura lily they kept out OF 1t entirely.
However, since the defeat OF James j..
Jeffries by Jack Johnson there has been
a revival of interest among the big fell
lows, and tournaments in various parts
Of the country are being held to bring out
new white hopes. 1t may be that some
of them arc unfit to engage In boAlag
match but at the same time 1t must be
remembered that all the stars come from
lust such tournaments. and it will not be
surprising TO find one White man among
the lot who will be able to lower the
colors of Jack Johnson. They may call
them "dubs'' and the like, but these
same "dubs'' viii! improve as they go
along and be able to give a good account
of themselves later on. Practice makes
perfect, not only In sports, but IN otner
lines OF business. and that is what the
same heayyweights need TO bring them
to the front 1t is noticeable that in New
York the heavyweights are having q
great run, and Al Palzer, who has been
developed in these tournaments Iooks as as
though he might prove To be really
good man. Even in England. France
and Australia they arc holding heavy
weight tournaments, and 1t Is bound 40
result in the development OF some good
big boxers. Bombardier Wells has been
developed in England, and he is by no
means a dub: on the contrary. he has
a very promising future If his perform
ances of the past six months are to De
taken as a criterion. 1t is a good bet
that within two years the heavyweight
title viii be back in the hands OF
white man, and will require more than
another Jack johnson to take it away
from him.
It usually takes considerable time for
western boxer to break into the limelight
in the east, but once they do get into
popular favor they are made idols OF
among the boxing followers. That mas
been the case with Mike Gibbons, the ST.
Paul welterweight. and Eddy McGoorty,
the Wisconsin MIDI eweight. For the
past year McGoorty has been endeavor-
ing TO get proper recognition IN the east
as to his claims for a right to the mid
dIeweiaht title but it is only within the
past few weeks that he has been taken
seriously by the. eastern people. although
in England he is considered one OF the
best middleweights IN the business NC
=. 90 1{av fraff. in, No
york the other night was cieaa-cut, and
the sporting writer's lost no time in her
aiding him as real midd.ewefght cham
pionship possibility. This Is pretty strong
in view of the fact that McGoorty broke
his right hand early in the fight. and
shows conclusively that the boy has had
the class all the time, and only needed
a chance to deIuonstrate 1t. When Nc
Goorty fought Hugo Kelly in Milwaukee
who considered him better than the Itai-
ian at that time. 1t was only his IN
experience that prevented him from de-
cisively beating Kelly at that time, for he
nearly stopped the Chicago man in the
first round with straight left to the
NV but did not take advantage Of it
and follow up. Kelly was fox. and
stalled long enough to get back his be-
numbed senses, and from that time unit!
the tenth round 1t was pretty even
battle. with McGoorty having the shade:
THE Wisconsin boy went to England and
fouxht a number OF men. some or them
fairly good, giving away weight and win
ming in good style.
If there is any niddleweight in this
&C untry who has a right to claim the title,
now that Johnny Thompson has been de-
Tea led in Australia, it is Eddy McGcorty.
and no more interesting battle could be
arranged than one between the sWiscon- |
sin how and Frank Klaus OF Pittsburgh.
4 he, will no doubt meet over the twenty
round route, and the winner should be
entitled to the right to claim the Ameri-
can championship. then he could throw
down the gauntlet to all aspiring middle'
weights. and also to those OF other coun-
tries.
II might be mentioned that in con- |
nectfon with McGoorty's claim a greal
deal of consideration must be given to !
Dave Smith, the Australian middleweight, /
who won from Johnny Thompson week
ago. Smith IL the boy who defeated |,
Billy Papke and was in return beaten by |
the Illinois Thunderbolt. Dave is a clever |
fighter, but j doubt whether |
be would be able to make the middle
weight limit now. for when he fought |
Jimmy Clabby In Australia q year ago he
weighed 1d6 pounds. c1ahby. By the way. /
pns, ehA 0svaifk q NnA0th a0N and sx,$ = H.