Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-12-19
BY James j. Corbett
(Former Heavyweight Champion of the
WORLDLY

Capital .Journal)-Featber,y Cbam.
pion johnny Kflbane's first attemnt m
upset the popular theory that good
big man can always heat n oood iittle
man was more or less successful ne.
cOrding to the various view points and
preiudiees of the spectators While
the feather champion was oivnn dra,g
with his heavier opponenf several ne.
counts of the battle intimated tbat tbe
decision was hardly fair In Mandot
Then there are others. possibly infh.
enced by friendship or local pride who
boldly assert that il was Kilbane,s fioht
all the way.
However, the question arises whether
johnny has ACCOMPLISHED whnt be cot
out to do-to determine if he has n
chance with the best of tho 133 nonnd
class. 1t was for that reason Kilbane
did not select soft thing for his TASK
of breaking in as a lightweight for in
Mandot S present form, the feather.
weight champion was unauestiopablv
meeting one of the best boys in that
division. Joe has been boxing in bet.
ter form the last wear than at any
time in his career He has learned an.
parently to make the most of the Gifts
nature has endowed him with. and has
discarded his former habit of mixing
it with huskier and harder hittinp op,
ponents. Mandot is fast and seien-
tific boxer and thus equipped ouoht to
hold his own over anv route from ten
to twenty rounds wifi the hest in tbe
division.
Whether Kilbane is satisfied with
the showing he made against Mondot
win no doubt be evident in his future
matchmaking. For il is a well known
fact that johnny has for some time on.
tertained the intention of retiring from
the ranks of the feathers as the task
of making weight required has become
an exceedingly arduOus and laborious
if not an impossible one. Therefore his
future movements in the matchmaking
line will be watched closely by his
rivals among the feathers as well as
the fans throughout the country.
Should Kilbane 90 ahead with his
plans for invading the lightweight
class and ever realizes his ambition of
becoming champion of the division he
win have accomplished something none
of his predecessors was successful at
although many Of them have attempted
The feat at different times in the past
few deades. The only instance / can
recall Of featherweight champion de.
feating decisively the recognized lipht.
weight title,holder was when Terry Nc
Govern stopped Frank Eme at Madison
Saunre Garden in 1900. But in that
battle Erne, while naturally rather
LIGHT for champion of that division,
was compelled to make something like
l2s pounds ringside and was SO weak
from the effort that he was in no shape
60 stand off the rushes of "Terrible
Terry" Several times during his ear.
lightweight camp and notable among
his achievements was the defent Of Joe
Cans in two rounds at Chicago few
months utter his success over Erne
But as a great deal of nasty talk was
tnrned loose after that fight the great
little scrapper was robbed of the glory
arising from such feat. Whether
there was ANYTHING crooked about the
mill or not haven 4 any idea, but /
do know il stands Oh record that Me.
Govern knocked Cans out in less than
two rounds.
Abe Attell was another feather
weight ttle-holder who frequently
went out of his class to yet matches,
and to his credit it must be said he
generally made good, Abe and Bat
Nelson fought fifteen round draw in
San Francisco only a few months be-.
fore Bat beat Cans for the light.
weight title. SO if no further evidence
was displayed in his brilliant record
IL could be Judged from this battle
alone that Attell was great little
scrapper and might, had he aspired to
IL have won the highest honors in the
lightweight class.
Kilbano's abdication as feather
weight champion il it should come
about may change the map of the
smaller pugilistic divisions. with
johnny out Of the way 1t is likely Kid
Williams would hasten his decision to
abandon the bantam class in favor of
the division higher up aud announce
his candidacy 20. Kilbane 5 crown. AS
is the predicament Of Kilbane among
the feathers 80 Il is with Williams in
tho bantam division l22 pounds ring.
side would suit the aggressive Baltimore
Dane much better than ll0, the recog-
nized bantam limit However Kill
banes retirement from the feather.
weight class will result in many other