The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-17
By James J. Oorbett eFormer Heavyweight Champion Of
 the World


 Especial to The Barnere.)
 The Gx11lboat Snnith-Battling Levin sky ten round go held in this city last week was voted by press and public the most tiresome and uninteresting contest that has been staged in re- cent years Levinszy Is g. much-over- rated boxer and owes large part of his reputation in this city to the skill f11l manner in which he is handled by Danny Morgan- Morgan has decfdeed talent for wordxfng nps errth usiasm for m mo1hng matches wherein he handles one of the principals.
 saw Levinsky box Jim Cofey last spring and, after what had been told aoou the Hebrew light heavyweight expecting to sec something worth while in the way of an exhibition on his part. That his showing was a dfsappoantment need not add. And in the match with the Gunboa& his soae aim appazenfIy was to stick out t19e hard hitting Smith. On the oth- bout was scheduled to go, and he auc- ceeded in that admirably. He re- sorted to all the tricks of the linited9 rog1nd-no- decision artist to gain his point, and every time Smith tried to force the fighting the Baftaer cainched or beat 1t around the ring. Then he would come back with a feint or two, c1inch without fitting al blow, and stall around again. until the crowd  and was not as-bft backward about ex- pressing its opfnion4 Of the bout
 Many at the ringsfde thought the bout was framed My opinion is lthat IevinsIy, who is a master at sta1lings was satisfied to stick the ten rounds and figured he could not turn that trick if he took a chance with l the hard hitting Smith. On thee soth- CT hand the Gunboat, who can boast of little more than a healthy punch doesn't know enough about the game to make Lev1nsky fight. At that the Gunner, with all his lack of skill landed twice as many blows as his opponnt. But the BattIer was gen. orally. going away and the usual ef- fectiveness of the wal1ops was miss I ing
 On his latest showing Smith will have to learn a lot before he can qualify as genuine championship candidate. At present he would be a sucker for even a fast mid dlewei ght, F with all his strength and punching power. A fighter of the old Kid Mo- Coy type would tear Smith to pieces in a few rounds. Jim Buckley ought I to hire someone to teach the Gunner how to box The .poonch,s is a might good asset in fight, but of little use to a man who don't know how to use it To win boxing matches a man must use his brain as well as his brawn. In tn GunR5oat's casee I am not sure whether the brain is I there or not; but am positive about one thing and that is his knowledge of the fine points of the game is sur- lprising1y limited considering the length of time he has been White Ehopeing.
 As for LevinsEzy. his manager prob i ably realizes that any chance he has l at all lies in the heavyweight divi- l sion where the present day opponents l run more to overdupois than skill I believe there are several men In the nidd1eweigft class who could make him look like an amateur in a match over any distance. Mike Gibbons ought to easily outpoint him, and maybe stop him In less than ten rounds. And Mike doesn't weigh over 155, if he scales that much, as compared with the Batt1erss 172
 In Boston next Tuesday night Gun boat Smith is going to meet Sam Langford. Smiths motive in taking on I1angford, one of the toughest nuts in the ring according to the popular l idea, has local fans sort of guessing
 Smith, 1t. is understood, is working on l 8 percentage basis in the Boston
 match but when a proposition to box Jess Willard was recently put to him insisted that Willard guarantee ST. DUO TOT a. ten round bout
 q This move of Smiths does look rather peculiar, to say, the least, as there is no demand that anyone knows of for a go between the Gunner and the negro, while on the other hand there is a. demand for the bout
 with Willard. But $7,5oe for one man's end is altogether too steep more than s10,ooO and where would the club and Willard come i'm
 The truth of the matter probably is that Jim Buckley, Smiths manager and a shrewd individual, figures Will lard the most dangerous heavy in the game. Smith already had boxed
 both men, twenty rounds with big
 Jess in San Francisco and twelve with Langford in Boston, and ought tc have a fairly good line on the two Fl fighters.
 Langford is still a dangerous mar in the ring. His recent bout with Toe
 Jeannette at local club proved that but he is not by any means the great Il fighter of several years back. F1at
 has robbed San1bo of a great deal o1
 his speed and the ability to take ad- vantage of openings. Time and agaiI
 in the Jeanette match Sam had op- , portunities he would have profited by were he the great fighter he once was. but he simply wasn't there
 Jeannette, too, has slowed up con
 SHdeFapdy ana Tn my opinion IS out ol running for the championship.
 The GunTboat earned the verdic1
 over Langford the last time they met J At the time several critics hinted tha,
 Sam didn't try very hard. However r there was nothing to indicate tha- everything was not on the level ana that Smith did not earn the decision fairly. Meybe next Tuesdays battle will settle the matter of superiorit1 beyond dispute. Let us hope so. In the meantime Willard is havins 9 hard time getting anyone to mee him. Frank Moran. the Pittsburgh | fighter. is due back in the country il the very near future. His manager now on the ground, says Frank vii