Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-21
NO RECOGNIZED MIDDLEWEIG1T
CHAMPION IN THIS COUNTRY
Title in Dispute Since Death Of Stanley
Ketchel-Mike Gibbons Generally Rec
oenized, But Honor Is Not Clear


well to mention here. too, that most of
these fighters are keeping very shy of
Dillon. Jack seems to have struck ter
ror to the hearts of most of them, for
most any heavyweight except the
Hoosier. Even Moran has not been
over-anxious to clash with the Indiana
boy. The Pittsburgh heavyweight is
without doubt big card in New
York, but at the same time it seems
very unfair to pay him $4,000 for his
end. when a star like Dillon is to re-
ceive only $4,000. If they are so
afraid of Dillon. it seems that the
Hoosier ought to be the card and not
the other man. /
The top-notch lightweights are in a
match. with Freddie Welsh, worlds
title holder. since the announcement
that Fred is to retire in the near fu-
ture- When the announcement came
lie White in Buenos Aires, South
America, receiving $4,000 for his end,
the other lightweights got busy in
hurry. Jimmy Duffy, who knocked
week. in three rounds. Immediately
signed up TO meet Welsh in a twenty
round bout and guaranteed him $4,000
for his end. Duffy said he did not care
whether he received a cent as long a s
he got crack at the title. Benny
Leonard. under the management of
Billy Gibson of New York, also has
put in claim for match. with big
offer to Welsh Not to be outdone. the
Milwaukee lightweight star. Richie
Mitchell. has been pushed into the lime
light by his friends, who have made
an offer to Harry Pollok. manager of
battle at New Orleans. Mitchell, ac
cording to statement from Welsh, is
about a s classy as any of the light
weights in the country, and must
RI ar rolf g al wi
White and Leonard, despite the fact
that most Of the eastern writers have
| been sticking closely to the Leonard
| boy. There is no doubt that Leonard
! the country, but the fans of Chicago
/ think the same of Charlie White, and
! in Milwaukee they are of the opinion
| that Mitchell is good. or better.
than any of them. If Freddie Welsh
| wants to face this quartet of light
weights in twenty-round bouts he GER
| tainly will have a busy time before
| him.
| One Of the most remarkable fighters
on the other side of the ocean is Pat
O'keefe. the present middleWeight
has been fighting a number of good
battles. but never was considered
| card before. although he always
no matter whom he was stacked up
against; and about two years ago sue
ceeded in landing the title for which
he had been contending for number
through when they reach the age of
thirty, but here is O'Keefe fighting
better than he ever did in his life at
the age of forty. He certainly is
he has been In the trenches of late. he
| still is fit and ready to battle for the
| championship. He has been matched
with Bandsman Blake for the title; the
a
Blake is considered one of the best
men over on the other side, and prob
ably will prove as hard customer as
O'Keefe has met during his career.
There are many boxing fans in this
country who will no doubt remember
Frank Slavin. the Australian heavy
weight. who came over to this country
some years ago to fight John L. Sulli-
van for the American title and also to
meet all heavyweights. Slavin put up
some great battles against such men
as Jake Kilrain, Jim Paul. Nick Bur-
LEV. Joe McAuliffe and Bob Armstrong.
Slavin visited in London before COM
ing to America in 1891 and was credit
ed with defeating Charlie Mitchell.
Later he fought Peter Jackson for the
championship and was defeated. He
had the honor of knocking out Frank
Craig, the wonderfully clever Ameri-
can colored boxer, In one round In Lon
don. Although Slavin is gray -haired
now, he could not resist the tempta-
ton to Join the Canadian army from
the Klondike and go over to the other
side He is a wonderfully well pre-
served man for his age and attributes
1t to the fact that he always kept up
his boxing. In a letter to a friend
here, Slavin compares the style of the
present-day boxers with those of two
decades ago and 1t is not in favor
of the former. He says the present-day
boxer thinks of nothing but protecting
his good looks and avoiding a decision.
HE also thinks very little of the heavy
weights today compared to those in
his time, although he says that accord
ing to all information Willard Is a
wonderfully strong man and fairly
clever. Slavin expects to return to
this country in a short time~and re-
sumo his mining operations in the
klondike,
Red Watson. the California lightweight,
who went to Australia under the man
agement of Jack Kearns last fall, has
evidently gotten himself in bad with the
boxing fraternity in Sydney, well as
other parts OF the antipodes. In a letter
from Mr.. Baker, in regard to boxing af-
fairs over there. the Sydney promoter
says:
TT is too bad that Watson has not
talksn better care Of himself. for he