Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-04

sion of pugilism. Since the death of
Stanley Ketchel. undoubtedly one of the
greatest middleweights who ever donned
a glove, there has been no legitimate
champion of the 15S-pound class. There
have been a number of claimants, from
Billy Papke down to the McGoortys,
klauses and billions. but not one of them
could rightfully claim the honors. Prob
ably Klaus had accomplished as much as.
if not Il bit more than, his rivals, al
though he failed by great margin to
show that he was of championship tim
Der in recent bouts with Eddie McGoorty
and Jack Dillon.
Chip now looms on the .middleweight
horizon as the most promising of all the
several others who will dispute his claims,
among them McGoorty, Dillon and pos
sibly Jimmy Clabby. The fact remains,
however that George has accomplished
something that the others failed to DO.
Frank Klaus has had quite long career
in the ring but in all his nine or ten
wears as a boxer ne never tasted decisive
defeat until Chip put him out. McGoorty.
Dillon Papke and many others nave had
the chance that was given Chip. but he
was the only one who made good. There
fore we will have to cOncede that ms
claim TO consideration as worthy as
pirant must take precedence over those
of his rivals.
| will not be surprised if Chip is seen
in a New York ring with some good man
within the next few weeks. l know that
a we'll known local promoter is laying
plans for a middle-weight elimination tour
nament and has made propositions TO NC
Goorty and other leading lights OF the
division to enter 1t is barely possible
that before the winter is over the long
DELAYED middleweight championship PROB
lem will have been satisfactorily solved
Until Eddie McGoorty began to pile OH
weight | regarded him as the man most
likely to succeed to ketcheIs title But
in recent matches Mac has shown that
1f5 pounds is more to his hiking imam
15S In fact. Eddie has not made the
middleweight limit in any match since
that er-to-be-forgotten encounter with
Mike Gibbons last fall. That bout call
ed for rineside weighing, and to save his
forfeit money McGoorty overdld the Jop,
with the result that he jumped on the
scales at something like 156 And the
McGoorty Of that night was mere shad-
ow of the sturdy boxer we had seen on
other occasions. 1t was the only time
that he had been forced to make SO low
= weight in any of his eastern ENGAGE
mcnts ard the result was that his
strength was left in the training quar-
ters. Gibbons had the opportunity OF
lifetime that evening to grab Off heap
hest known to himself was too timid to
take advantage of McGoorty's palpably
poor condition.
And Gibbons took big drop in the
estimation of many who had rated him
a great deal higher than his fant-heart
ed performance of that evening proved
him to be.
With McGoorty out of the running,
Chips strongest opposition should come
from his recent victim tklaus). Jack Dill
lon and possibly Jimmy Clabby. VINO has
been showing his best form in recent Pa
cific coast matches. l am not certain
how Dillon stands on the weight PROPOSE
ton. but l believe Klaus can make 1os
without much trouble. while Clabby is
several pounds below that notch Then
there is also the chance that Mike Glib
hons will elect to take another crack at
the middleweights. Gibbons has the
goods all right. but like Clabby is a bit
shy on poundage, and possibly it was
the knowledge of that discrepancy that
contributed to his non-aggressiyeness in
the McGoorty battle.
Chip. according to some critics. defeated
Klaus with what is known to the elect
a lucky punch. Be that as il may,
Georges record indicates that he is liable
to put the *. o. over at any stage of
a contest. Anyway. In the Klaus match
he proved he is blessed with the fighting