El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-05

is through, the heavyweight title will
also be on the market As the tend
ency throughout the country is TO limit
boxing matches to six and ten rounds
and knOckOuts are naturally infrequent
occurrences In short contests, 1t is not
eXaggerating the condition Of pugilis-
tic affairs one iOta to predict that
within ten years or so genius. blown
in the bottle, champions viii have
ceased to exist If anything should
happen to prevent the remaining title
holders from entering the ring in de-
fence of their championships IL is pos
sible they would have no successors
the way things are going Should the
California legislature decide to kill the
20 round boxing match in that state
at the next session, and vigorous
fight has ben waEed along that line
Tor several years now, boxing cham
piOns would be a thing of the past
so far as the [. s. A is concerned
". P. Hoffernan, a Catholic priest
has taken out a license TO conduct
boxing club in his home town of say
VILE Long Island, and proposes to
stage amateur and professional bouts,
regularly every two weeks If we had
a few more men of the stamp of faith
er Heffernau on our side boxing, the
manifest of all sports, would not lack
the support necessary TO establish IL
on a basis where it would be safe from
the attacks Of its enemies Father Hef-
ternan was quite a clever boxer In
hiS~yOunger days and has ever since
retained his interest in the sport He
knows from experience that boxing is
one of the finest forms of exercise for
boys and intends the youth Of his par
ish shall not lack for opportunity TO
perfect themselves in the science Of
self defence.
To make the club popular and strict
ly nOnSccIar1an, father He1fernan has
enlisted the friendly aid and cOopera-
ton of three other ministers Of diff
ferent denominations He has Con-
gregatiOnal a Lutheran and an EpiscO-
pal clergyman boosting for him. and it
viii not be the reverend Hefternan's
fault il Sayville, Long Island, is not
placed on the map in the near fu-
ture.
George Boer) Rodel may not be
much Of a fighter and his chances Of
ever anneXing the heavyweight cham
piOnship may be mighty slim, but il
must be said IN his favor that he is
the best little floor hitter that ever
climbed through the ropes. If I am
not mistaken ROdel holds the record
for the number of fIOps during a ten
round contest, made in his first bat
tie with "GunbOat' Smith several
months ago. ] think he hit the floor
ten times in that contest, OF on an
average of one fall to each round.
Last week at the Garden he started
out to make a new record and prob
ably would have succeeded had the
referee not ordered "GunbOat" to de-
slsu in the third rOund-while the re-
doubtable BOer warrior was occupy
ing his usual recumbent position on
the floor Of the ring. While George
had not broken his own record up to
that time it looked as if he would
surely have hung up a new mark had
the referee not interfeTed.
1t was the poorest exhibition Of
ughung two big men ever put up. and
that's saying a great deal when the
quality Of the present day heavy is
considered. ROdeI simply won't do.
He is a poor excuse for q fighter.
There are preliminary boxers around
here who can beat him.
As for Smith, he did not fight any
thing like the champion his manager
says he is His attempts to box were
lud5crOus. "GunbOats" sole asset is
MS wallop-aud it's a peach. there's no
denying But how ne ever managed to
stay in the same ring with Jess Viii
lard for 20 rounds viii always remain a
mystery to me. I believe I could
teach Willard enough in half an hours
time to enable him, with his physical
advantages, to stop Smith within ten
rounds. As a championship possibility
the "GunbOat' is not there at all, at
all.