Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-07
NEW YORK FANS
WAR AGAINST
BUSY FIGHTERS
Boxing Followers Claim That the
Ringmen Are Forced to "StaII"
When Rushed Into Battles.
Bv Frank G.. Menke.

rEW YORQ, March THE fight
fans here have risen up in
Il protest against the new prac-
lice Of boxers performing two and
three times a week, because even
ually it forces the scrappers to do a
lot of "stalling."
Battling LevinslSy, white hope
and war horse, started the fashion
here some months ago when he min
gled in about three bouts each and
every week. For a while the public
huHahed loudly at the gameness OF
the battler. Other fighters, seeing II
was a fine little publicity stunt-and
incidentally a money getter-followed
suit
For a while the pace did not affect
Levinsky, and he went along at a
whirlwind clip. But there's limit
TO even the greatest endurance pow
ers and the continuous performance
has begun to tell on Levinsky. He
has been forced to slow up, and in
most of his recent bouts he has been
inclined to stall" and thereby save
his strength for the next battle. The
same is true of the other ring war
riors. The result is that most of the
recent bouts around here have been
little more than "stalling matches
and the public has called a halt.
HERE'S the hope that no ailment,
organic or otherwise, afflicts either
the afflicted Mr. Richie or the
equally oft afflicted Mr.. Wolgast be-
fore next week, at which time, I'M
less one or the other is afflicted, they
win stage a bout.
The scrap ought to be dandy
that is, if neither principal has an
ailment Both men are p-notchers
in their class, and most of the fight
fans long have felt that Wolgast de-
served a chance to try to win back his
title.
Ad rightly is called the Michigan
Bearcat" He's a real scrapper. And
So is Richie. Both men are natural
mixers, and it's cinch If they get
together again the battle will be
worth the price of admission-and
little more besides.
All signs point to the battle being
staged on schedule time, but when
hose two little battlerS are concerned
one never can be sure about 1t. Both
have a funny little habit of contract
ing some sort of ailment right on the
Eve of a battle and then calling the
battle off.
Wogast, as many will remember,
decided on the eve of one of the bat
Ties he was to participate in while he
was champion that he had an appen-
dix that ought to be pruned. So the
appendix was pruned. Richie was
billed to fight Tommy Murphy few
months back, and the night before
the battle he found there was some
thing wrong with his sniffer And SO
he called off the bout. A short time
later he was rematched with Murphy,
and once again, on the eve of the
scheduled bout. Richie found he had
an ailment that necessitated the call
ing off of the bout.
THE public Just now is demanding
a meeting between Battling Lee
Whisky and Gunboat Smith, the ac-
knoweldged leaders in the white
hope" line. Levinsky is quite VIII
ing to meet Smith, but the Gunboat
person seems to be coy about swap
ping punches with the ferocious He
brew.
Smith seems to take the attitude Of
when Levinsky gets reputation, III
meet him" But, from any angle you
view it. Levinsky's reputation right
low seems to be equal, even supe-
rior, to Smiths. The batter lately
has been putting to sleep a large
number of white hopes" that were
many pounds heavier than he-and
Going it with ease. Smith in the
meantime has been resting on his
laurels
Smith is afraid to meet Levinsky,
remarks Dan Morgan, manager of Le-
whisky. He knows if they ever meet
Levinsky win put him to sleep in
hurry"
How about It, Mister Gunboat?