Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-21
NEW YORK Fight CLUBS
: NEED MORE COMPETITION
Iim Corbett Thinks That II
Would Elevate Boxing
Game.
FANS WANT NEW FACES
Willie Ritchie Only TitIehoIder
TO Box in East During
Year.
BY JAnEs J. coRBETT

The two foremost boxing promoters
of Brooklyn are at loggerheads and
are running shows in opposition
twice every week. Both declare that
Il will be a case of the survival Of the
fittest and that they intend keeping
up the warfare until one or the other
is forced to surrender. Brooklyn
sports are to be congratulated. Sew
eral newspaper writers have referred
TO the quarrel between the promoters,
who were former partners and asso-
cfates in the Irving A. c., as most
unfortunate for the sport"
To me it looks like a mighty good
III ng for the sport. By that l mean
It should help to elevate the class OF
shows. thus benefit.ng public, boxers
and even the warning promoters
themselves in the long run. And the
same kind of warfare would be wei
come on the Manhattan end of the
bridge, where there is altogether too
much dodg' ng and framing of dates
that do not conflict. It would be a
Splendid thing from a public stand
noint If more promoters would go to
the mat 1t would mean healthier
compel ton for the services of the
Boxers and result in bringing more
outside boxing stars to New York
city. AS it IS now we have the same
Gid faces in the ring night after
night and week after week.
Boxing Needs Competition.
What boxing in Gotham needs
among other things-is more hearty
competition. II some promoter would
come to the front prepared to build
or lease a building of sufficient ca
pacity to compete with Madison
Sarare Garden, conveniently located,
of course it would mean a fortune
fer him if properly managed, and
would result in greatly improved
sae VS. at the Garden and other clubs.
Just at present New Workers are
not supporting the game any too
well. However, the fans are not
to blame for their lack of en-
thusiasm. AS long as promoters will
persist in staging shows with the
Same cd stock performers in the
ng there is no mystery concerning
tn lack of financial support attend
ing their efforts to entertain. Box
ing fans, like theatre-goers, like to
catch a glimse of new faces now
and then.
Fall and winter are naturally the
big boxing seasons in New York
when there are no outdoor attrac-
the quality of boxing cards that have
been offered so far the current sea-
son. Very little class to them at
all. How many champions have
been seen in action in New York in
the past six months? Only one and
that Willie Ritchie. and on only one
occasion. And I read a letter from
Ritchie to a New York friend the
other day In which the lightweight
champion complained that he had
tried TO get a date in New York in
March or early April and had written
ind wired repeatedly with that OBJ
iect in view to the 'eading match
maker of the town, and had not even
received a reply to his letters and
kilograms.
tkiIbane showing in Small Cities.
Johnny Kilbane. the featherweight
champion, has been wor ing the
smaller cities all season, but not
single Manhattan promoter offered
him inducements to box in this burg.
Johnny Coulon, of course has been
too i'll to box, but his most dangerous
rival, Kid Williams, has not been
aeen in a New York ring in more
than q year. Still, Williams boxes
everywhere else the game is in swing.
Manhattan once all season; Mike
Gibbons ditto. Eddie McGoorty, one
of the real stars of the middle or
light heavyweight division. found 1t
40 difficult to get work that he ac-
eepted the first offer made him to
go to Australia George Chip, who
acquired a chunk of fame by twice
knocking out Frank Klaus. has not
yet been seen in a New York ring,
although he Is known by sight to
the fans of almost every small town
where the sport survives.
mention these names, the first
that come to mind, to show that the
promoters only are to blame for the
lack of public interest. In the first
pace very few of them viii take a
gambl ng chance with a boxer who
is a drawing card, and In the second
importing new talent. They al want
to deal in established regulations and
then only at rock bottom figures.
Boxers Raise Price in New York.
When asked for an explanation of
the scarcity of stars in this city 4
New York matchmaker complained
that the fault lay with the boxers
themselves, who VIII ngiy accept Of
fers to box for reasonable sums In
smaller cities, but who insist on
guarantees or liberal percentages to
appear in New York. And why
shouldn't a boxer expect more money
in New York than elsewhere? There
are from four to fifty times the num-
BIER of people in this city to draw up
on than in any other town in the
country where professional boxing is
perm tied. Naturally a boxer, who
Is champion in his class. or If not
that an accepted drawing card, ex-
poets to receive more money when
he boxes here.
New York Is the best boxing city
in the world bar none. But the
sports have been educated and viii
no longer stand for poor shows.
They want the best or none at all
especially when asked TO pay from
g to $40 a seat-and will not turn out
in great numbers to see a card that
does not promise good sport.
/ have often stated in this column