Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-18

MOURN Death
OF Fight GAME
Louisiana Is Now Only State
Where Boxing Can Flourish
and Sport Will Decline
By HARRY s. SMITH.

| states III lue CHlOll, Tic UOAIHS game
is, to a greater or less degree. permit
| ted in II. Not q remarkable average
| to be sure, but worthy of comment, To
say the least At the last general cleo
ton two of the states in which boxing
had Observation-Disclosures and Monta
na-were wiped Off the map, so far as
pugilism is concerned.
There remains out one great com
monwealth in which 20-round contests
can be held, and that state is Louisi,
ana A majority IF the states where
| there are boxing laws, have so proVid
! ed that it is optional with the resi-
dents of any particular community as
to whether they care to have the game
exist. In others, especially in New
York and Wisconsin, there is a ten
round, no-decision law, with a com,
mission form of government, the game
being safeguarded and hedged about
so far as is possible.
In spite of the fact that New Or.
leans remains open for extended
matches, shrewd followers of the sport
admit the game has lost far more with
the prohibition in the Far West than
any other thing that could have hap.
pened. New Orleans is not regarded
as a serious competitor, such as was
afforded in California, and it is safe
to say that country will hardly pro.
duce the new talent. Further, it is
generally admitted the 20-round law
in Louisiana is more or less Of an ex-
pertinent and is quite likely to suffer
downward revision.
viii Limit Supply.
Joe .WOodman, one of the few man.
ayers in the sport with the ability to
look ahead, mourns the passing Of the
old state Of affairs in California and,
while he is hopeful feels the game
has lost strong ally.
considering that boxing has had to
contend with bad fighters, poor pro.
motors and some that are unscrupu.
lous, as well as inferior managers"
he said, lit has stood up remarkably
we'll. II may come back, but I.would
like to point out the significant TACT
that where the 20.round game has
been killed, 1t has been for ever. l
know that you will remind me of the
state of affairs in New Orleans, where
boxing has achieved a comeback
That is quite true, but as happen to
be aware, it is in the nature of an ex.
pertinent The state officials favored
the return of boxing, and they beIiev-
ed it would be easier to start with 20
rounds and work downward, II neces-
sary, than to start in with shorter
distance Indeed, it would not sur.
prise me in the least to see a change
made at the next session of the legis-
lature
Where there have been steps taken
to revive boxing, California has al.
ways been pointed out by the propo.
nents of the sport. That argument Is
now lost In addition, it will be diff
ficult to produce new talent. New
York, in its 10-round history, has fail.
ed to bring up newcomers and the
result is, with the weary round of old
faces, the attendance has dropped
away for the ordinary cards and only
the biggest matches attract the hous-
es."
don't" states brings up some inter.
esting information. Massachusetts,,
for instance, has law that prohibits
boxing. Yet for all that, 12-round con-
tests are not only permitted in Bos.
ton, but decisions are given. In that
city, it appears, there is so much of a
sentiment in favor of short-round con-
tests, the law is regarded as a dead
letter. Last year an attempt was made
to secure the passage of a law that
would legalize ten-round affairs. II
was beaten by two votes, but the men
back Of the move feel confident OF
success another time.
In Maine, where there is no state
commission, but a law allowing of
six-round set-tos. funny twist has
given the fans IL rounds in each i'm.
portant event. The principals will
box furiously for six rounds and then
will come an intermission Somebody
sings a song or does a dance step for
three or four minutes no longer.
Then the same fighters waltz back to
the limelight and double up, giving
II rounds in all.
The following list gives an idea of
how the game is run in that one-third
of the United States, where there is
legal authority:
New .York-Ten-round, no-decision
bouts, with commission to regulate the
same.
Louisiana - Twenty-round matches
with decisions.
. Wisconsin-Practically same law as
in New York.
Maine-Six-round bouts, with decis
ions, but no commission.
Tennessee - Eight-round contests
decisions and no commission.
Ohio-Ten-round bouts with no yer.
diets, optional.
kentucky-Ten-round bouts, option.
al in various communities.
Observation-Disclosures contests, but
not permitted to any extent. -.
Texas. Arizona. Nevada, Utah, Mis-,
souri,, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming
and Georgia-Short round bouts. OBJ
tional. -