The Alaska citizen., 1912-04-15

. night when he faced Willie Lewis. . Gibbons had been claiming his place was among the welterweights. When . he stepped cn the scales he raised the beam 10 the 154-pound notch. i That doesn't guarantee us that he belongs 10 the class to which he swears allegiance
 There was a time when cham pionships had to be won "at the l weight limit The man who fought , for the title was compelled to make i the weight or renounce all claims 1 he might have had on the same. Of l course some fighters were honest about their weight and didn't care much what their poundage might be if they could only induce cham pion 10 meet them. Remember Young Corbett met Terry McGovern at 12S pounds at 3 o'clock in San Francis GO. The day after the battle Me Govern and Corbett met in Harry Corbetts cafe and Terry in much anger said: Well. you ain't the featherweight champion because you did not beat me at the weight" The little Denyerite smiled and quickly replied. That's right. Terry. l didn't fight you at the weight, and maybe you are still the champion. but every time l walk down the street people will point their finger at me and say, There goes Young Corbett. he fellow who beat Terry Mccoy ern. That's good enough for me. even if you are still the champion"
 So you see. people don't stop to figure al what weight this or that man won. they simply remember tlas a champion was beaten. Fitz- simmons. when he was matched against Corbett at Carson City. used TO talk great deal about the fight 10 me. l toured him across tae country just previous to that bout and time and time again he said. Even if he beats me l am still the middleweight champion" All f which was true, but remem- Der, that after he beat Corbett, he never fought as middleweight again.
 The fighters of ten and fifteen ears ago were sticklers for weight and that's when championships were won and lost as they should be and all men were compelled to comply with every rule that governed the conditions under which the rules were formulated It was only in late years that some of the title holders took it upon themselves to vary the weight and force opponents 10 meet them at the poundage they demanded or refuse to battle.
 When Jack McAulffe. Billy Mey- CTS, Harry Gilmore, Kid Lavigne. Fulljames, Carney and men of that caliber fought they made the weight
 
 battles that way and not until Frank Fine insisted that Lavigne meet him at l35 pounds were there many changes in the weight. Battling Nel- son and Ad WOlgast are real and legitimate lightweights. Both of these boys can make the weight at ringside with all their fighting togs on, As rule all boys weigh in stripped. But this pair don't need it, they've always a pound or two to spare. To be candid, Nelson did all his best fighting at 13O, for that's what he weighed the day he fought Jimmy Britt at Colma.
 Don't misunderstood us that we have any sympathy for the boy who holds a title and then proves his lack of business acumen by allowing an opponent to battle him over weight. Many are finding fault with Packey Mcfarland, who is to all lntents and purposes a welterweight. for battling against lightweights. We have got over that. It's the fault of the lightweights themselves for making matches with him. Battling Nelson is the best matchmaker of them all When they battle against him he ties them down to weight, while he himself manages to slip along at any cid poundage. Per ! maps they all know that Bat is small boy and for that reason don't 1 care what he weighs. However, the 1 making public of weights of all the boys who fight in New York from now on will give the public the ex- act weight of every man in the country and we'll then decide for ourselves into what division they should be placed and labeled
 OAKLAND, Cal, March '. - For the novel reason that the fighters are nursing personal grudges against each other, the city commissioners have declared off the return match | between Frankie Burns and Johnny 1 Frayne, scheduled here for March 20 l The authorities declare that boxing must be conducted in a scientific l .SDirit and that racopt ton wound