New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-22
NEWS Of BRITISH BOXERS
Stamina of Summers Told in
End, Says Critic.
BURNS CLEVERER BOXER
Wells Hailed as Peer Of Heavy
weights After Victory
Over Rodel.
By The Tribune CorresponGent)

London, Dec. l3-After twenty rounds
Of fast and sparkling work Johnny Sum
mers retained the welterweight champion
ship OF Great Britain at the National
Sporting club on Monday night. Both
men are experienced hands at the game,
though both have been under a cloud dur
ing the past year or 80. Burns who IS
seven years the younger man and cou-
pie of inches taller. with much longer
reach was making his first serious es-
say since his ill-starred trip to New YORK,
where illness laid him out This journey,
too. prevented him having an earlier cut
for the Lonsdale belt. for his defeat OF
Summers in try-out at Liverpool before
he crossed the Atlantic established his
claim To the opportunity he took and lost
this week.
Although his name does not Indicate II.
Burns-is of Hebrew birth. and. like 81
many of his race. he has all the craft
and lighting instinct Of the born boxer 1t
is easily Conceivable that he might now
be numbered among the greatest men OF
his weight but for the Illness which rem
dered barren his voyage to America, for,
even in this contest fit and we'll as he de-
clared himself to be. he showed signs of
weakening In pace and In the force Of his
hitting at times when Summers had not
done "A great deal to contribute TO that
condition.
Prior to this bout Burns's most notable
performance in recent years was his bat
tie with Georges Carpenter. when he
went the full distance, in spite Of the dis
Il t..I
Frenchman to pay him the compliment Of
saying THAT he was the best boxer he
Carpenter had ever met
Summers recently returned from tour
in Australia, where he defeated Hughie
Michigan and Henri PET. among others,
and you will remember that he put paid
to the account of Jimmy Britt in London
some years ago. when the famous Amer
lean, however. was obviously on the
wanc. He secured possession OF the well
terw eight belt some months ago by beat
ing Arthur Eyerenden.
Summers. by the way. is a devout
Catholic. and. moreover. he makes no
secret OF his deep religious fervor. Be
fore his contests he IL known TO pray in
the secrecy OF his dressing room. and in
the ring he never rises from his corner or
takes his seat at the end OF a round with
out falling on one knee and devoutly
touching the rosary which he carries hid
den In his sock.
George Rodel the South african heavy
weight. wIs no match for Bombardier
Wells. at Kings Hall. the other night.
and in he second round the Bombardier
hna
with "A terrific right, from which he did
not recover. II was a yeritable walk
over, but so clever was Wells in the
way I'm which he accomplished his task
that people here have gone into raptures
about his chances for the worlds title
Jim Sullivan. the middieweiSht cham
plon. says Wells is the best boxer in the
world. but Rodel is flImsy peg on which
, TO hang such a sweeping assertion Be
sides. Palzer doesn't believe II. and there
are others who are prepared to give the
practical lie direct
While the French papers were busy
boosting" the match said to have been
made between Frank Klaus and Billy
Papke for March in Paris, Papke was
packing his trunks for hasty return
Americans itinerary lie due. his manager.
Al Lippe, says TO the fact that Papke
broke a bone in his right hand at the
Cirque de Paris a few days ago while
beating Bernard. the Frenchman. This
match produced an extraordinary anti
climax
Bernard was clearly getting drubbinS
from the cleverer and faster Amc rican.
but was on his feet and walked back TO
his corner to take a "breather' at the
end of the sixth round. II was seen that
something was amiss. and when the sec
onds cleared away at the gong Bernard
sat I'm mis- chair like man stupefied. with
eyes closed and apparently asleep. For
fully two minutes he was unconscious
and was carried to his dressing room
Partisan writer's have had quite lot to
say about doping" Any way, no ade-
quate explanation has yet been forth
coming. but the English Judge, j. t.
Huls. tells me that 1t was fainting Mt.
due to excessive nervousness and Papke' 3
hard hitting. and that In the sixth round
Bernard took two counts OF five and eight
seconds for no very apparent reason. be-
yond a physical and mental collapse.