The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-29
SUPPORTS
THR|TYFVE CLUBS
No Other City Boasts of AS
Many Fight Followers as
New York
(By James J. Corbett)

(By James J. Corbett)
New York. Feb. 29-New York city
is asked to support thirty-five boxing
clubs where the programs are made
exclusively of professional contests. No
other city in the world boasts the
number Of loyal supporters OF the
manly art. 1t is therefore not sur
prising that a number of promoters
cry bad business" and find it a veX-
Ing proposition to keep their affairs in
prosperous condition. New Workers.
have been so surfeited with the good
things of the game since the Frawley
an unusually promising proposition in
n way of a match to attract them
In goodly numbers.
Given a card that appeals. the root
ers turn out eli masse. The stars of
n game play to packed houses when
ever they deien to appear. The Nc
Farlands. Hogans, Palzcrs. Gibbons
and Browns draw the dollars by the
thousands, but the lesser lights must
satisfy themselves with the overflow.
What the fans banker for in the
boxing game in Manhattan at present
Is something in the line of novelty. A
series of amateur tournaments would
stimulate interest very much. Too
much professionalism hurts. Every
amateur tournament, properly con-
Quoted. means hundreds of new fol-
lowers of professional boxing.
In voting to adopt the rule compell-
ing principals in main bouts to weigh
IN at ringside and public announce
ment OF weights. no matter what pri-
Vate arrangements have been agreed
upon. the New York boxing commits
sion has earned the thanks of the fight
following public and incidentally the
cordial dislike of a number of boxers
who have long paraded under false
colors, so to speak. Among many So
called lishtweights this new ruling is
decidedly unpopular. There are few
OF the more prominent boxers claiming
eligibility in that division who can
make the l33-pound mark and toe the
scratch fitted for a hard battle. Par
tlcularly is this true of the %top-notch
members of the brigade in Gotham and
vicinity. And yet these same individ-
uals generally pull the loud noise
about getting the worst Of the weights
every time one Mcfarland make over
lures for Il match. Packey demon
strated in his latest New York bout
h a he can come as close to the 1873
mark as most of the lads who claim
to be ~lightweights.
Suggest Weight Revision
l do not know how much power is
vested in the commission, but it seems
to me the members might go a step
farther n taxi up the matter of
weight revision in the different classes.
mat the scale in the lighter divisions
call for reform permits of no argu-
ment We h movement to remedy the
defects apparently never gets beyond
the suggestion stage. IL the initiative
is taken by this legally appointed body
1t will find the reforms speedily adopt
cd by promoters and matchmakers i'll
all parts oil the country.
johnny Coulon received the verdict
at the conclusion of the twenty round
bout with frankie Burns for the BAN
tam championship and all accounts
agree that it was one of the most
stubbornly contested battles ever held
fact that Coulon was fayoritc in the
betting. the decision was greeted With
howlS OF protest. There must be
something wrong with the san1c i'm the
Crescent City: this is not the first time
Rcfcre" Stout's Interpretation of the
rules has been questioned. \ few
months ago Grover HAYES boxed Joe
Mandot before the same club and
much dissatisfaction was expressed at
the referees verdict favoring Man
dot.
The fellow who poses as an author
lty on the rules of boxing and calls
upon his sift of reading the future
TO aid him in rendering decisions is
Inc scream with most followers of the
sport. To illustrate. Two boys meet
in a ten round match for points. For
seNen or eight rounds one lad piles
UP the points to his credit. Then the
other fellow ONE strong with a spec
tacular finish and has the better of the
last two rounds.
should n question arise as to the
one r%ightfully entitled to the decision
in such a case? Decidedly no. But
now often is the verdict given to the
boxer who pulls the sensational stunt
right near the close and the good work
d ms opponent throughout tho great
or part Of the battle entirely forgotten.
n Few Anyway Jim
This is a failing of man. referees;
the incompetent ones. / mean, and
there are plenty scattered about the
ountrN Sometimes when pressed for
an explanation the referee will adj
n the argument that tho man he
vor was stronger at the finish and
would have won in n few more rounds
nat where he brings his second
sight faculties into play. II a sprint
er competed with a long distance run
ner at 100 yards and the Splinter was
hrst to break the tape at the finish
would YOU say the distance man should
nave been given credit for n victory
because II the race had been stretched
out a little longer he would have won?
IT o tried to get away with any
thing like that o would be regarded
as q tit subject for the foolish factory.
Late adviccs from Australia inform
us tina popular disaprroval of Ref
cree Snowy" Bakers verdict in the
McNey-Langford dispute was so wide
spread that to square himself that Of
fetal broke into print with an explain
atory spiel. And the explanation"
e not explain. AT least it does not
point out satisfactory reasons for his
decision that McVey's work was SUI
perior to the Boston coon's efforts.
Rather to h contrary. his own ac-
count of the battle would give one the
impression that Langford was entitled
to a draw at least. il no more.
AT that there is not one word in all
the expressions of dissatisfaction at
the decision. insinuating an attempt
at dishonesty on the part of the ref
cree or anybody interested in the af-
fair. Rather sorrow at or pity for
the official blunder. 1 shudder to
think of the Short and ugly" words
that would havc been thrown at every
body connected with the match had it
happened in this part of the world.
Snowy" Baker was. / beliece. a
professional boxer some few years
back and has long enjoyed the reputa-