Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-05-23
ERNE DEPRECATES
 PUGS OF PRESENT
Situation Due to Short Bouts, Thinks Former
 Leightweight Champ.
(By Frank G. Menke.) }

New York, May 22.-"The crop of present day pugilists isn't as good as that which used to be harvested back in the old days" remarked Frank Erne, once the lightweight champion, and regarded by many as one of the ,brainiest fighters that ever doEned the mitts.
 "There are mighty few boxers and even fewer ring generals than there used to be ten and twenty years ago. The reason for that is the many ten round no-decision bouts that are being staged in these days. Ten l rounds is no test for a man. It's no 1 hard job for even a mediocre fighter l to last out ten rounds. But when he has to go the route for twenty or ] twenty-five rounds that's when the pace begins to tell-and that's where generalship and boxing ability comes l in.
 The majority of present day fight CTS are not ring generals because they are really never called upon in ten round bout to show or use general ship. But in the old days fighter who wasn't a ring general heve" amounted to much-and didn't last very long.
 Around about the 10th and 18th rounds is when the pace of real fighter begins to tell on a man. It is then he must draw heavily not only on his waning strength but upon his brains. It is then that he must begin to show his generalship-to manoeu- yer to not only to keep on hs feet and l keep a'going but to beat the other fellow down.
 "It was the boys with the brains, that came to the top in the old days. Brute strength didn't count much. Kid Mccoy rose almost to the top not because he was a wonderful fighting machine, but because he was great ring general. The same is true of Tommy Ryan, Jim Corbett and a bunch of the other old timers. They were really brainy fighters-men who didn't depend upon their strength, but upon their brains, and upon the crafty ideas they figured out while in the ring. It was a treat to watch the old-timers They used science mixed with strength, whereas in this day, science seems to be something of lost art and only exhibition of strength are displayed.
 Picks Packy As Best.
 "Packy Mcfarland is the peer of all boxers in the ring today. He Is the type of the old-time generals: He IS as brainy as any man that ever step- ned within the ropes, and he uses those brains every moment of the time. His brains control his feet and his hands. His brain always is trying to figure out the other fellows plan, and Packy usually doesn't have to figure long before he reaches ms answer. And then it's walk-away for Packy.
 "One of the strangest things, in my opinion, is the shortage of real fight- CTS in the present day. There ls>not a heavyweight who is in Corbett, Fltz- simmons, Sharkey's or Jefferies class when they were in their prime. There isn't a real middle weight fighter in the game today, although there are one or two men who may develop into good fighters some of these days.
 f"And there's the same dearth Of material in the lightweight class, Ritchie. of course, stands above the rest, but after Ritchies there are few fighters who can now be, ranked III the first class.
 "But it was different in my day Then there were at least dozen as pirants for the lightweight title who were as good-probably better than any present day lightweight. When was in my prime there were such men ; as Dal Hawkins, Kid Lavigne, Jack : Daily, Elbows McFadden, Joe Cans } Young Griffo Oscar Gardner, Jlm Handler, Eddi Conley, Kid McPart. land, Jack Everhardt and bunch or others who were ranked in the first } Eclass-ranked as men who could give the champion battle of the klha to |set the crowd wild with delight.
 "In my opinion Joe Cans was the l; greatest fighter that ever was seen [ in the lightweight division. He was wonder. But Cans made the | mistake of his life. when he traineo down to 133 for Nelson. It weakened