El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-09
Langford Not In Good Condition
- -. -. -. =.
Fighting Negro Is Getting Too Fat
BY W. W. NAUGHTOx.

oA W. W.
n AN FRANCISCO. Calf, Nov. s.
Judging from the way promoters
- in various public pugiIistic cent
ers are reaching for a Sam Langford-
Gunboat Smith match, it would appear
a though a bout between the fighters
named is looked upon as the last word
in heavyweight disputes. Recent hap
penings, however, do not favor any
such view as this. The New York pa
PerS were pretty much of a uuit in
giving Joe jeanette credit for the
better showing when he boxed sam
Lang10rd IN the city named a few
weeks ago. and it certainly cannot be
claimed that the preDOnder of
opinion among New York critics was
10 the effect that GunbOat Smith had a
clear lead over Carl Morris when the
latter earned Disqualification through
striking a foul blow.
should Match smith and Morris.
from what the writer read about
the latter bout he gathered that the
majority Of the eastern sporting writ
erS thought another Smith-MOrris tilt
should be arranged in order to settle
the question OF their superiority Ieav-
ing aside, for the time being, the Ques-
ton of who's who in the heavyweight
Kingdom, there are reasons for ar
guing that Smith-LangfOrd match
Is matter that should be allowed to
hang over a while
Landlord Not Fit.
Just at present Langf9rd's condition
IS such that he is far from being a
lit subject for a championship cqa-
test He IS so heavy that after he has
e1erted himself for few rounds on
DoXlnE platform he seems to puff out
ike a frog in the fable and he cuts
a ridiculous figure. Someone may say,
oh, that can be all corrected with .
few weeks hard work" but here
again there is room for argument
There comes a time in the experience
OF all athletes when the flesh which
accumElates is there to stay and il
IS beginning to look as though Lang
ford had reached that stage. He
boxed a couple of times after his re-
turn from Australia and his roly poly
conformation excited comment. When
he came west to tackle Jack Lester in
the oil field belt. it was announced
from day to day that Sans rotunditv
was disappearing When he stripped
IN the arena however, Sam was so
lat he seemed embarrassed about It.
Saved His Wind.
" men ne warmed up bit his mid
riff folded over his waist bands the
way fat mans neck enroaches on
the rim of his collar. Sam evidently
knew that he was not equipped for a
long journey for he was notably saw
ing in the matter of leg exertion. He
boxed straight legged and flatfOOted
and stalked rather than skipped while
following Lester and trying to corner
nlm- Now the writer does not insist
InaI II VIII be impossible for Lang
ford to rid himself Of his surplus aT-
oirduDois but am Of the belief that
It would take at least three months
to strip Langford's frame to athletic
proportions and render him clear
piped.
VIII He Train3
- and IN this connection two ques-
lions arise Does Sam retain suffi-
Gent interest in the game to forego
his habits of easy living. and set him
self industriously to the task of at
tanning proper condition. If he keeps
his nose TO the grindstone and by dfnt
of hard work brings himself to look
as he looked q couple of years gao.
may he not find. as others have found.
as he looked n cOUnIe of years AGO.
reducing vitality. There is food for
thought in the Langford case As he
Is at present he is not fit to be sent
against any man who approaches him
IN class Many of the matches ne /
signs may be justified on the plea that /
his superiority to his opponents will /
itself even If his condition is
faulty, but displays of that kind can 4
scarcely be described as sterling snort /
Biggest Menace.
and here is the biggest menace OF /
all TO match Sam Langf0rd with anv
good man IN his present shape would |