The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-21
(By James J. Corbett, Former Heavy weight Champion of the World.
 (Specfal to the Farmer.)


 New York. Feb. 21.-The two fore most, boxing promoters of Brooklyn are at 1ogger-heads and are running shows in opposition twice every week. Both declare that it will be g. case of the survival of the -fttest and that they intend keeping up the warfare until senesor theto other is forced to sur. render@zi Brooklyn sports are to be congratu1ated.v
 Several newspaper writers have referred to the quarrel between the promoters who were former partners, and associates in the Irving A. C., as most unfortunate. for the sport
 To me 1t looks Ilkes 9 mighty good thing for the sport By that mean it should help, to elevate the class of shows thus benedting public, boxers and even the warning promoters them selves in the long run. And the same kind of warfare would be well come on this side of the bridge, where there is altogether too much lodging and framing of dates that do not con dict. It would be a splendid thing from a public standpoint if more spro- motors would go to tbe mat It would mean a healthier competition for the services of the boxers and result in bringing more outside boxing stars to this city. AS it is now we have the same old faces in local rings, night af- ter night and week after week. What boxing in Gotham needs among other things-is more hearty lcompetition. If some promoter would come to the front, prepared to build or lease a building of sufficient capacity to compete with Madison Square Garden, conveniently located of course, it would mean fortune for him if properly managed, and would result in greatly improved shows at the Garden and other clubs. Just at present New Yorkers. are not supporting the game any too well. However, athe fans are not stos blame Hong as promoters will persist in stag 1 ing shows with the same old stock performers in the ring there is no mystery concerning the lack of hnan-
 cial support attending their efforts to
 entertain. Boxing fans, like theatre goers like a, glimpse at new faces now and then,
 Fall and Winter are naturally. the big boxing seasons in New York--- iwhen there are no outdoor attractions
 to compete. Take for example 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 here the past six months lOnly one. and that Willie Ritchie, and l on only one occasion. And I read a l letter from Ritchie to a local friend 1 the other day in which the light 1 weight champion complained that he had tried to get a date here in March I or early in April and had written and I wired repeatedly with that object in view to the leading matchmaker of this town, and had not even received a I reply to his letters and te1egrams.
 Johnny Kilbane, the feather-weight Ichampion, has been working the smaller cities all season, but not a single Manhattan promoter offered I1 ind fn in fAf h11T Johnny Cou1on, of course, was too i'll to box but his most dangerous rival. Kid Williams, has not been seen in a I1ocaT ring in more than a year. Still game is in swing. Packey- McFar- land appeared here once all season; Mike Gibbons ditto. Eddie Meteor l ty, one of the real stars of the middle or lightweight division, found it So I difficult to get work that he accepted the first offer made him to go to Aus 5l tralia. George Chip. who acquired a chunk of fame by twice knocking
 out Frank Klaus, has not yet been
 seen in a local ring, although he is
 known by sight to the fans of almost
 every small town where the sport sur
 wives.
 I mention these names, the first thai
 come to mind, to show that the pro.
 rnoters only are to blame for the 1ach
 of public interest. In the first place
 very few of them will take a gambling
 chance with a boxer who is a drawing
 card, and in the second place none
 will risk the chance of importing new
 talent. They all want to deal in es
 abolished regulations and then onIy E at rock bottom figures.
 When asked for an explanation O
 the scarcity of stars in this city a. loca
 matchmaker complained that tn,
 fault lay with the boxers themselve i. who willingly accept offers to box fo reasonable sums In smaller cities, bu
 who insist on guarantees or ibera
 And why shouldn't a boxer expec
 more money ine New York than else
 where? There are from four to fit. times the number of people in thi 1 city to draw upon than in any othe town in the country where profession al boxing is permitted. Naturally boxer, who is a champion in his class or. if not that an accepted drawin. card; expects to receive more none. when he boxes here.
 T New York is the best boxing city il the world, bar none But the sport have been educated and will no longe 5 stand for poor shows. They wan the best or none at a1I-especiall when asked to pay from g to $10 seat-and will not turn out in grea M numbers to see a card that does no promise good sport.
 I have often stated in this colum that a good hustler like Jim Coffrotf
 the San Francisco promoter, woul h | make a. big hit here and I beHeD such Q man would find grand oppor Al tunity awaiting right now. Never be % fore in the history of 1egaHzed box VI ing in New York has the class of 1c # cal attractions been so poor as tn % current season. Some new blood 1 a the promotion line is needed badl # apparently.
 q Eddie Reddy, manager for Mix M Gibbons, if correctly quoted, has ae f cused Packey Mcfarland of delibel " lately hunking out of the propose
 match between the two stars at Mad
 ison Square Garden. In local papt M Reddy refers to Packey as lone the worst fakfrs that ever got mike