Evening journal., 1915-03-15
WEIGHT SCHEDULE
IS needed IN j. 5.
Present System Both Farci-
cal and Erratic in the
Extreme
REMEDY NEEDED
SPORTS DECLARE

No question has been so prolific Of
squabbling in boxing society in Amer
lea as that Of weight Many matches
have fallen through because of dis
putes over the poundage OF contest
ants, and many a dangerous customer
has been avoided by title holders on
the plea that the challenger could not
make the weight. As there never has
been an authoritative national boxing
organization in America, with power
to set weights and make rules, the
champions of the various classes have
arranged that poundage to suit their
own requirements. One claimant Of
the title made a farce of the weight
question by starting with 1O5 pounds
ringside and gradually increasing the
poundage as he grew heavier till he
reached 1l6 pounds.
Many champions who have won
titles at a certain weight, on getting
too heavy for the original poundage.
have slid the scale along till il met
their needs.
Therefore il can readily be seen
that the weight question in America,
in all classes below heavy, is farcical
and erratic in the extreme.
In England. France and Australia,
the leading boxing countries abroad,
weights and rules have been set by
organizations that are recognized as
authoritative. In England the Ma
tional Sporting Club sets weights,
makes rules. supervises all champion
ship bouts, and is the unquestioned
authority in all matters pugilistic.
In Franct the Federation OF Boxing
national organizatin, occupies the
same position as the National Sporting
/ Club docs In England, and Australia
also has a similar organization.
AS a result, all countries in Europe
and also Australia, have uniform
schedule Of weights, which are as
/ follows: Flyweight, 112; bantam, 49,
feather, 1876; light, 1876; welter 147
middle 100: light heavy, IT'S: heavy
anything above 175. Ringside weighing
one OF the most vicious features oil
boxing, is eliminated, and all con-
testants scale at p. IN.
IL is quite apparent that II the
American scale of weights conformeC
to those in foreign lands the bone o
contention would be removed and thu
international matches would be mucl
easier to arrange. But there is onl.
one way in which the American
weights could be changed. and tha
is through tho consent Of the It'll
holders here.
For example. il Williams woul'
consent TO meet challengers for thu
bantam title at 11S, Kilbane take OF
challengers AT 1876. Richie at 13'
The can't do less). Graves 147. McCol
100. it would pave the way for ,
rearrangement of the weights tina
would tend to smooth out the wrin
kles in the Queensberry situation.
AS the case stands today, Williams
can do 116 and insists on that weight
Kilbane can make 122 and holds on
for il: Ritchie, who won from VOL
CAST at 1873, can't do less than 1856
Mccoy can do 15S, and Gibbons. Clah
, by and others can also do the pound
age, and they all yelp for 15S ring
side.
Yet in the international battles !
which Klaus beat Carpenter an
Ahearn later beat the English an
French titleholders the weight wa
100 The majority should rule
boxing weights and there is no GOO
/, reason for American champions
continue TO muddle the situation !
insisting on weights that have bee
4 honored for the most part in Il
breach
Kilbane porsistently advertises hin
self as the featherweight champic
Of the world. but he holds only Il
American tile. which was all that A
tell possessed at the time OF his d
: feat by Kilbane Attell got the Anne
4 lean tile by beating all the leadiI
7. featherweights of this country. b
e he never met a foreign featherweig
L. champion in a title bout although
had two brilliant opportunities. AttC
was matched with Joe Bowker, char
3. pion featherweighht of England, al
y the American champion not only sig
2 ed articles, but set the date on whi'
8 he would sail. Instead of koepil
= the engagement Attell took a ira
0 for the coast. Again Attell had
80 chance to box Jim Driscoll for q
a worlds title and sidestepped that. n
ten-round bout between Attell al