The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-06
CWritten for the Farmer by James J Corbett, Former Heavyweight
 Champion Of the World)


 York to take over the lease of Madi- son Square Garden and within a few weeks boxing may be resumed in that spacious arena. If no hitch arises and the State Boxing Commissioners grant a license the promoters expect to be running shows before the month of April is over.
 This may be the reason why Ad. Wolgast, Packey Mcfarland. Matt Wells, Johnny Kilbane and other stars of the fraternity have shown no 1n- clination to grab the fattering offers recently made by other clubs. The ambition of every boxer of prominence and drawing capacity is to box at the Garden. It is a popular rendezvous for the sports, most centrally located and besides it seats twice the num- Der that any other arena in the city can accommodate, and that means more ''cush" for the scrappers. and Sam McVey are booked to renew their little argument with the gloves. Last December the latter was given the decision at the end of their twen- ty round bout, but the press and pub lie howled so long and loudly in pro test at the unfairness of the verdict that a return engagement was inevi-
  confident of scoring decisive victory this time. to judge from letters and cablegrams, and prophecies of speedy victory for the Boston coon.
 In this country authorities were prone to pass Langford up as back number when it was first learned that McVey had won the decision, and un- til the Australian papers reached here and their stories of the fight carefully perused that impression prevailed. The press accounts told of a very even bat tie. with Langford, if anything, having the shade.
 Langford is not yet a 'shas been'' by any means and is to be reckoned with as a very important factor in the heavyweight problem. He is danger Ous in any company, with his power full waflop. If McVey succeeds in beating him decisively Monday he will have attained a position of promin. ence in pugilism that vii force John son to accept his challenge to box for the title or else quit the game. And I shall not be surprised if an announce ment is shortly forthcoming that the latter is through with fighting for good and all.
 If Sam Langford is 'back num- few "has beens" of the same sort among our .swhite hopes" The oth- CT night Tom Kennedy and Frank Moran boxed ten rounds in New York and demonstrated the futility of con- tinuing their campaigns with the hope of ever rising higher in the profes- sion. As a sample of the manly art and the skill which Is a necessary att tribute of the successful boxer the exhibition was a joke. can't un- derstand Kennedy's case. He is not anywhere near so good right now as g year ago when first breaking into the professional ranks. He has gone back, one might say, before he ever really happened.
 When Kennedy decided to desert the amateurs and embark in the game as a professional, spurred on by the promise of fame and fortune for the man who shall bring the title of heavyweight champion back to the white race, he was most promising material I boxed with him on sev- eral occasions when he was an anna teur; he was a star performer in prac- tice, I'll say that for him. It was on his dash and cleverness that I pre- dicted he would make good as a pro- fesSional.
 Somehow or other Tom is different man when he enters the ring these days. He hasn't that air Of confi- dence that characterized his amateur performances; his appearance is of ex- treme lassitude or exhaustion and cleverness is evident only in flashes. As to footwork and ring generalship, Kennedy seldom brings those qualities into play at all.
 He reminds me somewhat of Steve O'Donnell, the old-time Australian heavyweight, who was a wonderfully clever boxer In training there was hardly a trick that he did not pull and to watch him at work one would im- agine him a sure-enough champion. He put plenty "pep" in everything and was aggressive as a bull terrier But what different tale to tell when he climbed through the ropes in profes. sional contest. Poor Steve was lick ed before the milling began. His heart was gone and his science with 1t. The veriest dub would outbox him. It could not be called stage fright for in exhibitions back of the footMghts Steve was a bear; the ex- citement attendant upon a contest seemed to paralyze him and he was posed of without even having his hair mussed.
 If Al Palzer, whom Tom O'Rourke is pointing for the championship, knew half as much about evading punish ment as Tom Kennedy there would be no stopping hus rush to the top. Pal ger is the ideal aggressive fighter, but woefully lacking in defense, and un- til he learns more of the science of self protection the shrewd O'Rourke will be chary about sending him af- ter the scalps of the colored heavies who occupy the highest places in pu- gilism to-day.
 Palzer's youth and stamina added to his natural aggressiveness have car- ried him to success thus far in his ca reer, but arrayed against a scien- tf1c slugger, like Langford for in- stance, 1t might be a different story. In the Kaufman fight. in which he knocked the Californian out in the fifth round, Palzer gave a startling ex- hibition of his recuperative powers by immediately Jumping up after Kauf- man had f1attened him on his back and returning the compliment with inter est, putting his opponent down for the count of nine.
 When he begins to realize that suc- cess in pugilism does not lie in ag- gressive tactics solely and masters the methods of defense (and this should come with experience for he is yet a mere boy), Palzer will make a wonderful fighting machine and a. for midable candidate for the heavy weight championship.