Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-30

:
the heavyNeights.
IL Was Improbable
to put two big fellows on as the leading
feature of show. The Iightweig ana
other smaller classes had the cali with
the matchmakers. Now the cards have
been shifted The heavies are again ia
favor with the fans. who arc clamorinS
| for more bouts between big men. To
satisfy the latest public demand the larger
| clubs are Offering inducements to brins
| the cassiest OF the white avywcights
| TO this city, and with fair success may
! be noted I'm the advance bulletins issued
| by the promoters. More matches be-
tween big fellows are scheduled right now
| than at any one time before in the his
| tory of boxing in New York. This Big
| town with its several boroughs = sup
ports something like twenty-five clubs.
and a glance at the matches ''on the fire
| for the next few weeks shows the heavies
in the lead over all other classes.
| Until that Reno thing three years or
so ago the heayies had always main
tanned comfortable lead in the race
for popularity. but the disappointing
| result of that sad affair. and the sub
| sequent fruitless efforts of numerous
| white hopes" TO show anything like
the form demanded of first class fight
ing men. turned the tide in favor OF
the lighter classes. In the smaller di-
visions boxing fan can generally be
| sure of fast and scientific action, which
| Is not so much part OF encounters OF
big men. Still there is an attractive
| ness about a match between heavies
which Is lacking in contest OF little
| fellows. no matter how expert the lat
ter may be-
Another thing. the change in the sys-
tenn of governing matches-that OF
| limiting them TO six and ten rounds
| and prohibiting referees decisions-is
against the continued popularity Of the
little fellows, as IL is seldom in bout
| or such short duration that there is a
| decisive ending. Two small men are
pretty nearly safe bet 10 go the ten
| rounds nineteen times out of twenty
and when big men clash il is not any
| cfnch a bout will go the limit and. say
what you viii, the average fan likes a
decisive finish Under the present system
| In New York and other states where
| official decisions are not rendered a de-
cisive battle is undeniably popular
III referees decisions were permitted I
| think il would tend TO lessen the desile
Tor Knockout finishes. Most fans would
| be satisfied If the fighters were both on
their feet at the end of bout If the
| referee We're allowed 10 name the winner.
and. In my mind. the rules prohibiting
such official action generates a desire
/ in the public mind for knock-outs.
! The more important heavyweight
| arranged Tor the entertainments
| of local fans are the Carl Morris-Jess
| willard bout at Madison Square Garoea
| Tuesday night. which Matchmaker BIN
Gibson assures will positively ta.e
Jack Lester-Jim Coffey match ut TIE
Paramount \. g. Friday. and tn
come back attempt of Fireman" jim
| Flynn in bout with Battling LcNinsly
at the Atlantic Garden Tuesday week
1t will be observed that most OF tho
| classy hopes are here on the ioh.
With the exception of the ''Gunboat"
and Pelky. who are TO meet in San
Frank Moran, who is still sticking
| around Paris in the hope of getting
| match with Johnson. We have the cream
of the white heavy weight talent in New
York.
A hustlinS promoter could corner Tire
| crop of white heavies and settle the
called white heavyweight championship
right here in Gotham before the winter
| Is over.
| Let us hope one of the men who pro-
vide fistic entertainment will arise To the
\ occasion.
| A word about Battling Levinsky Mo
boxes Jim Flynn. Tuesday week. rhs
young fellow formerly performed under
| the name OF Barney Williams" but v u. n
Danny Morgan took hold Of him Ne Va
| persuaded to sail under his own colurs
| t.evinsky is a light heavyweight. wcig
| ing 11o at the most. and the way Il" has
| been cleaning up Tho third -raters around
here makes him look due for better coma
pany.
Flynn. while not the man he Was fwo
years ago. is stil good enough 10 lick
any counterfeit and II Teyinsky + not
there" il viii not take the hard-hitting
| eX-fresnan long to discover IL. The match
should determine '.Battlings' ratins
among the heavies
Manager Morgan has already dubbed
Lcvinsky a second Joe Choynski : Out
c of lFtft sra 10
fact that both are Jews. nothing Lawn
sky has accomplished TO date would en-
title him TO consideration in the same
breath with the famous Joseph. In his
prime Joe was a bear, | know. ] fought
him several times, once TO finish. and
believe me. Choynski could battle some.
There are quite few skeptics IN this
world of ours. 1t is difficult TO make
some folks believe that "Gunboat' Smith
beat Sam I.angford on the level. Won
der what Smith would have TO do 10
I-angford to convince the doubters he IS
the better man. Had he put Sam away
the same fellows would have claimed
that the negro laid down.
The truth of the matter is that Lang
ford was not in shape TO show AZ his
graduated from the sucker class in
pugil's SIN. 1t is case where one man
was overrated and the other fellow un-
derrated- Langford is not the man he
was before he took that Australian trip.
He has gone back or / am no judge.
/ am not claiming that Smith can beat
Langford IL the latter is properly train
ed. But / doubt very much il Sam will
ever, again be the terror he was a few
wears ago. In the recent match with Joe
Jeanette he fought very bad battle.
His judgment of distance was miserable.
and at no time did he resemble the great
fighter we knew in the past or course.
he was fat and all that, but a fat man
can fight a round or two at pretty
good lick when pressed. but Sam failed
to show even flash of his old form.
Anyway il is not fair to the Gun
boat to insnuate that he stayed the
twelve rounds and earned the referees
decision simply because Sam allowed
him to do so. The probability is Smith
stuck the distance without permission
from the negro and strictly on his abil-