The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-12-20
"a
Quintette
Of
Americas
Most
Prominent
Spor tsrnen
Select
" enty
Gre attest
Fighters
in the
His tory Of
the Ring
BY billy MURPHY.

80 -.
There have been more than TWEEN
~ great fighters. just as there have
been more than twenty great men
and twenty great women. And the
task OF trying to select the twenty
greatest ring men Of all time is apt
TO meet with criticism and Disagree
meiit.
After picking twenty of tn.
greatest, one has only to read over
the names Of ring heroes who have
been left out, to realize how many
really great masters of the art OF
hsttcuffs have come and gone.
One can imagine the task that
\ confronted Otto r. Stifel, Mike
Whelan. Col. Sherwood Doyle,
/. Brooklyn Tommy" Sullivan and
Harry s. Sharpe, when the five
prominent American sportsmen met
recently for the purpose of naming
for the writer the twenty greatest
boxers on the rings roll of honor.
Their task was a gigantic one, but
that they picked the twenty great
est Of all time there can be no doubt,
after a persual of their selections.
Here are the men they name on
fistiana's roll of honor, with thel-
rnemorandums set opposite each Sc
lection.
FIVE CoLORED MEN
INCLUDED IN LIST.
Fifteen white men and Ave col
ored ones are listed in the galaxy
of stars, and they range from the
days OF Jem Mace to those of Ad
Wolgast. Jackson. johnson. Wall
cott Cans and Dixon are the COL
ored men placed on the roll of
honor, and grander quintette of
fighters never hoped through the
ropes.
Seven of the twenty are heavy
weights, famous the world over in
their time; three are middleweights,
one welterweight-wa
are lightweights. three are feather
weights, and one bantam, Jimmy
! Barry. Several have gone to their
graves leaving nothing but the rec
ord hooks to tell of their meritorious
deeds. But the battles of Mace,
jackson. sterling Jack Dempsey,
Stanley Ketchel, Joe Cans and
George Dixon, will be recounted as
long as men don boxing gloves for
combat.
''Following are descriptive para
graphs on the twenty fighters this
q galaxy sifted out from among the
roped arena idols of all time:
'JEM MACE-He was a cham
pion years and years ago, and the
first really scientific heavyweight.
HeSwas the first to master the art of
hit and get away. the left lead and
the right cross. When he retired he
became famous as a teacher of box
ers. Peter Jackson, Young Critic
and other great Australian boxers
wore products of the Mace school.
JOHN L. SULLIVAN - He was
the boss Of the pugilistic world for
years and the greatest idol the game
ever produced. He fought many
hard battles on the greensward with
slin-tight gloves, his most famous
tight being that in which he defeat
ed Jake Kilrain in seventy-five
rounds at Richburg. Miss. on July
y s. 1882. Sullivan won the cham
pionship from Paddy Ryan in nine
rounds on February Z, 1882, and lost
It to James Corbett at New Orleans
In twenty-one rounds on September
Z. 1899.
JAMES J.. coRBETT-He was
the cleverest heavyweight of his
day. a marvel of science and the
wonder of all boxing fans. He leaped
to fame when mere boy by beating
Joe Choynski. Later he boxed Peter
H@.a ypuT. ~ 400 L.. II. A..
and reached the top when he
knocked out, Sullivan. He reigned
supreme until he ran into Bob Fitz-
s simmons historic solar plexus
smash at Carson City. New. March
II, 1897.
ROBERT FITZs1MMoNs- Ha
had the unique distinction of win
ming two championships. He beat
Jack Dempsey, for the middleweight
crown at New Orleans on January
~. 1891, and six years later be-
came heavyweight champion by vir-'
tuesof his victory over Corbett. BY
many Fitzsimmons is considered the
greatest fighter of all time.
JAMES j. JEFFRIES-HeAs the
man who humbled Fitzsimmons.
ccrbett. Sharkey, Rubin and Jack
son. That's enough. At, Reno JEFF
fries was but shell of his old self
and none can dispute his right with
the tirst twenty. Jeff won the cham
picnship from Fitzsimmons at Coney
Isiand In eleven rounds Juno 3.
1889. and lost to johnson in fifteen
rounds At Reno, July 4, 1910.
PETER JACKSoN-one OF the
4 greatest colored fighters and man