The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-06
TWO CENTURIES OF
 BOXING LIKELY TO
 BE CELEBRATED SOON

Three years hence, in 1919, the box ing fans of the world may pull ofa a bicentenary of boxing, as it was in 1719 that James Figg introduced the modern puglistic game in England. It was not until the sixth of June, 1727. that Ffgg's supremacy was put to test in real championship battle, with Ned Sutton as his opponent, but the Father of Boxing was recognized as champion from 1719.
 Modern boxing, as introduced by Figg, was a revival of the ancient sport of the Greeks and Romans, who fought with metal 'knucks," and of ten killed each other. From the downfall of Rome until the days of Figg the manly art'' was unknown, and men settled their arguments with swords, daggers or clubs. Boxing was the product of civilization, and it has never fourishedF except in civilized communities. When the ancient civil ization collapsed boxing went with it, and when modern civilization emerged from the dark ages boxing also emer- ged. Let the foes of boxing put that in their pipes and smoke it!
 For a century the boxing game was confined to England, Scotland and Ireland, and the American colonies of Britain. Fist fighting of a sort was practiced in America in the latter part of the eighteenth century, but it was not until a century ago, in 1916, that the first regular ring fight was staged on this side of the Atlantic
 The bicentenary of boxing will find the game flourishing in many coun- tries besides that of it's origin. The United States and Canada, long ago embraced it as one of the most popu- lar of sports. Within the last decade the glove game has attained general popularity in France, and, although the war has interfered with the pu- gilistic enthusiasm. there is every req | son to believe that at the end of the conflict there will be a great revival of interest in the ring, especially if l Carpenter survives and is able to re- sume his career. In the other coun- 1 tries of continental Europe boxing l has made little progress. The Ital- 1ans were beginning to sit up and take | notice of the ring pastime when the war came, and Italy may yet become i a hotbed of pugi1ism. Although 1 Broughton, the second English cham. fpiOn, introduced boxing into Germany a century and half ago, the Teutons | did not take to it, and the game is still practically unknown in either l Germany Austria. The Belgians l have for some years looked upon box I ing with favor, but the Dutch, the Scandinavians and the Russians know little of the game.
 l In Africa the British and the French have carried their love for the
 
 is hotbed of pugi1istic fervor, the Boers being little behind the English and Irish in their admiration for the sport. In India and Japan wrestling is still and probably always will bt the favorite manly sport, although both countries have developed a few clever native scrappers.
 It is unnecessary to state that Aus tralia and New Zealand have beer hOspitable to boxing. From the be
 ginning of the British settlement O.
 that part of the world boxing hai f1ourished in the Antipodes, and som,
 of the c1assiest of he fighters of tn, last thirty years have hailed from tht Antipodes.
 South Americans are the latest tc take up boxing, and the big pugilisti
 tournament to be held in Buenos Ay res next month will probably give tn, game a great impetus in Argentin; and Chile. A South American cham pion is among the possi abilities of tn
 future. For that matter, we have al ready had one, as Joe Wa1cott, tn, former welterweight title holder, wa
 born on the northern coast of SoutI America in British Guiana