Evening star., 1915-12-19
BY r. S. ANDREWS.


MILWAUKEE,, December 1S-A fol-
lower of boxing would naturally sup
pose that men weighing around the
160-pound mark would not make a
fuss about giving or taking a few
pounds in weight. especially when one
stops to consider that some of the
greatest fighters the world has ever
known were men who scaled from $50
to 165 pounds, and who never thought
anything of taking on men weighing
anywhere from ITS to more than 200
pounds. Within the past week Brook
lyn Tommy Sullivan, one of the best
featherweights of two decades ago.
who is now managing the Future City
Athletic Club of st. Louis, endeavored
to match Tommy Burke Of that city,
who scales 15S to $50 pounds. and
Johnny Howard, the Brooklyn boy, who
scales from $50 to 165 pounds. They
haggled for two days over one pound.
and then could not make a match.
Burke and his manager insisted that
Howard should make $50 pounds; while
Howard's manager claimed that his
best weight was around 165. and he
could not do better than 161. There
give in an inch. It shows how con-
sistent some men are. for just a week
previous the same Burke took on Len
Rowlands of Milwaukee in an eight
round battle, but wanted the weight
1853 ringside, while Rowlands scaled
only ISL pounds.
A few days after Burl1e's refusal to
give away a pound. little Matty McCue
of Racine, in order to go through with
the match. took on Freddy Andrews of
Milwaukee at kenosha, giving away
nearly nine pounds in weight. but he
thought nothing of it. Johnny Dundee,
the New York Italian lightweight, has
been giving away anywhere from five
to ten pounds in nearly every match
made, and the same used to be the case
with Ad Wolgast. who scaled around
1870 to 131 pounds. but now the Mich
igan bearcat Is getting heavier and
gets a shade the best of the weight
sometimes. although he never kicks II
his opponent goes up around the 14O-
pound mark. Charlie Mitchell, the Eng
lish champion, when he met Jim Cor
hett in their title match at Jackson
vile, Fla, weighed just $50 even
pounds, while Corbett scaled 1856. Jack
Dempsey, when he fought Fitzsimmons
for the title, weighed around 140, while
Bob scaled 1856. Kid Lavigne, one of
the greatest lightweights ever known,
never thought anything of giving away
five to ten pounds. and he met one of
the toughest fighters that ever lived in
Joe Walcott, the colored tornado, CIV
ing away over ten pounds at the time.
1t is strange that many Of the best
fighters will think nothing of giving
away weight, while others will haggle
over half a pound. 1t seems that the
only way to meet the issue Is to com.
pei boxers to remain in their class and
at the limit of the division they are
fighting in.
Joe Herrick, brother of the globe
trottins fighter, Jack Herrick of Ke--
vance, Ill, is not champion by any
means, but he is a very aggressive
and pleasing middleweight. Joe is a
little above the average boxer wnen II
comes to writing letters. He takes
great interest in the recently formed
American Boxing Association. and in
a letter to the writer has the follow
ing to say:
.Just a few lines in regard to the
American Boxing Association. l think
the work of yourself. Mat Hinkel and
Mr.. Melady. in establishing and iegai.
izing the same, is deserving OF a lot
of credit It is literally for the bet
terment of the game from every con-
ceivable angle. The main event per-
former is-not entitled to l cent more
than his share or percentage OF the
amount to- In other words. n boxer
is not worth cent more than he can
draw. This, includes them all-from
Pete Savoy to Jess willard. The effort
to enforce discipline and to prevent
boxers from stalling is also deserving
of credit, and 1 think that the boxers
should work in harmony with the otfi-
cials of the association. I also be-
lieve that the champions should be
compelled to defend their titles within
every six months. and that the. new
rules regarding the weights should pc
The fans are entitled to
such protection. A boxer should real
ize that the fans are the ones who are
paying for the upkeep of the game,
and if they fail to please them. they