Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-11-28
KEWPTE ERTLE MAKING HIT
st. Paul Bantamweight is Beating
Kid Williams Time Among the
Effete Fasteners.
WILLARD IS COPING THE COIN
nv nINGsInE.

w AANGHNbEs
NEW YORK, Nov. T.-Johnnv Kew
pie Ertle, 1ii pounds OF fighting en-
ergy, IL not universally recognized as the
oantamweight champion; but he soon
may be. He Is not waging a verbal battle
20 establish his right TO the title. either
He Is making two-fist fight for st.
A month ago Ertle meandered into
town. unheralded. unknown. Today he Is
the most sought after boxer in the east
lie has engaged in two fights here. and
with each bout his popularity increased
Already he has been proclaimed n NINA
ture Jack Dillon-which is saying a good
deal. "St. Paul Catamount" is another
name applied TO him. And he deserves the
many good things that have been said Of
him.
Ertle is a compactly-bullt bit Of fight
ing machinery Constructed close to the
ground. he braces himself by straddllng
his feet. and keeps boring boring IN all
the time. There Is no let up In his fight
ing plan. Despite his light poundage he
has been able to secure matches with lads
OF his proportions. And he has proved his
worth.
We have been prone to acknowledge
nsrtle as the bantam champion as the re.
suit OF his victory over Kid williams. the
title holder, by virtue OF a foul. We stilI
contend that the match was not a cham
pionshiD affair inasmuch as williams
was two pounds over the recognized
bantamweight standard. But after watch
ing Ertle In action we are willing 10
admit Kid Williams Is not the best
bantamweight in the world. even though
be holds tho championship.
The same holds true in the lightweight
division. Freddie Welsh assuredly Ia not
the best lightweight extant although he
Is the undisputed champion.
But getting back to Brtle and Williams.
Here II a match that would draw a good
sized house; and the outcome would
settle the controversy raging in the
bantamweight domain. But IL would have
TO be a twenty-round affair; with n
referees decision attached. Only then
would the dispute be satisfactorily set
tied.
Kid Does Lot of Talking.
Ertle and his manager have been per-
sstent in their claims TO the bantam
crown, and ''Kewpie" has set about the
best way to prove that ne Is the right
dul owner OF the bauble Williams, mean
while is doing a little fighting and a heap
OF talking. He gets deeper In the mre
each times hs fights. Since the Ertle In
cident Williams showed less in each sue
ceeding battle. And there are many who
believe he has seen his best days in the
ring Williams has just passed his TWEEN
ty-second birthday. has been" at
twenty-twoi II is hard to realize such a
circumstance.
Should Ertle become the undisputed
champion he would be a ring rarity IN
that he Is several notches under the
poundage for his division. 'Sewple~ Is
hard as brass lacks at 11l pounds. VIII
liams finds II difficult TO scale lis pounds
AT that Ertle is willing to concede sew
ersl pounds In order to entice him into
q match over the twenty-round trail.
willard Makes Coin.
chAmpion-ing is a profitable business.
This IL evidenced by the financial report
of Jess Willard's engagement with the
'lu" Ranch. Summarized. the financial
statement issued by Manager Tom Jones
includes these items:
That Willard was guaranteed 81 900 a |
day. and Worked 40 days.
That his average earnings were appoxi- /
mately 1890 per day. or si6s.OOO in all.
That Willard received 90 per cent OF |
this sum. or 3lOO.sOo.
That the other 20 per cent had been |
divided by the other members OF the !
willard Syndicate, Frazee. Weber Curley |
and Jones.
That Willard still IL worth $1,000 after |
buying Frazee and Weber out OF the |
contract for $4,000
~ is also brought TO our attention that !
Willard cares more for his family than |
for filthy iucre. After his contract with I
the show expired Willard was offered a
twenty week contract at $500 per week 10 |
so on the stage. but Big Jess spurned II. |
saying that he needed rest and more |
than that. wanted 20 be with his wife |
and children for a spell.