The sun., 1916-10-22
MANY SKILFUL
BOXERS HURT BY
MAKING WEIGHT
Proposed Gibbons Dillon
Bout Brings Sharp Prac.
tice to Front Again.
CAUSED GANS'S DEATH:
FRNE FOOLED HIMSELF
~ THE


The recent attempt. Of Nike gibbons TO
Induce Jack Dillon to make iSi ~r.rysido
FOR n bout with tho ~. Paul Ghost.
brings sharply 90 the attention az
patrons of boxing one of the most un-
warranted practices Of pugil.sm.
IA a result OF making weight one
champion was thrown into a decline and
died. and numbers OF skllfui r.nginen
have been beaten by inferior boxers.
While II IL n Just rule Of boxins that
. man in any class except heavyweight
hall not be asked to couccdc more than
two pounds to an oppcnon, 'uniess the
lighter boxer feels confident Of winning
without reference to %poundage). .et this
very wise regulation IA, leen seized
upon by tricksters and schemers to aid
them in winning contests from which.
under fair conditions. they could never
hope 10 emerge better than second.
In order 10. ncutralize the superior
skill OF al opponent the cunning man
aser or boxer has insisted that tho
weight be fixed at n tigIro which the
other man cannot possibly make and
still retain hi strength and vigor.
Weakened hy the unnatural reduction
Of flesh. the better mar falls II victim TO
Ills inferior opponent. and the latter is
thus enabled 10 point to his record OF A
victory over a boxer who cxcelled him
In all tie line points OF the game.
But even IL tho man who dictates the
unfair weight does not win. his action
so weakens his opponent that his efforts
are Desatived aud he comes out vi the
contest vita a damaged reputation.
Gibbons's Object.
Gibbons's objec, In asking SO big a
chap as Jack Dillon 10 make l6I pounds
ringside IL transparent. tt" ~. TaGl
middieweigh'. whose normal lighting
weight In l54 pounds. 4. we'll aware that
Dillon. az his customary poundage cf
TO. would be too strong and his blows
too heavy for the smaller man to with
Stand.
Therefore. taking q page from the
book giving u history of the Mcfarland
Gibbons affair at Brighton Beach. the 81.
Paul fox decided ~ try 10 get Dillon
INTO the ring at a weight that would
nullify his strength and ferocity and
make II impossible for him to win. IL 1t
did not make him an easy victim FOR
the ringcra.t Of Gibbons.
But Dillon has a clear brain, and -
las his manager. and the proposition
from Gibbons was rejected without "A
minutes hesitation. Dillon and his
manage are aware that the former's
success In the ring depends on his ability
to exert every ounce Of the strength he
possesses. and to impsrt all possible
force to his blows. Therefore the pro-
posal from Gibbons was declined. with
the counter proposition that. II Gibbons
would make the weight ls5 ut 3 i. NJ.
he could consider the match Us well as
made. Hut there IL not the slightest
chance OF Gibbons permitting Dillon to
get into the ring in condition to fight at
his best.
Gibbons Mcfarland Victim.
Gibbons was himself the victim ~
Mcfarland : cunning In the matte Of
weight. and he apparently would like -
work the same trick on Onion. While
Gibbons cannot box with any vigor nj
all when weighing less than 1874. he war
unsophisttcated enough to permit No
Farland to dictate AZ ror the Brighton
Beach match. After tho AFFAIR McFar-
land ~gleeful!y boosted tina; he had
'ricked Gibbons into making IL weight
that Insured weak work on his part IN
the ring. and the result Of the bout bore
out the ChicagOan $ declaration
Gibbons also admitted hat he was ~
weak at the weight thai II was %surrris-
ing he was able to keep his feet for ten
Iouiids. let alone box.
Erne Trapped Himself.
Making weigh has not always ne-u
he result Of n plan To weaken an oppo-
rent. This WAS true ~ tho bout between
Frank Erne, lightNoirht Champion ~
the world. and Terry Mct;overn. feather
weight champion.
Erne, who pr.dcd hims,lt OF mis- ,l.ve
sparrins. could AT the tiria make 1873
pounds without weakening fimssii. and
McGovern. who was at the neigh, OF his
career, was "A slam bang lighter who
,ould de- l22 and fight with vIgor. f.rue,
after seeing McGovern in the ring sew
erai times. reached the conclusion MAT
he could take the measure % the feather
weigh titleholder. and gave expression
10 that opinion.
McGovern. who was u wildcat in those
lays and would not have nesitated to
make a match with the middleweight
champion, was eager for n try at Ern",
and would not have refused To permit
f;rne to come into the ring Mt 1873. which
was the weight AT which the Buffaloniun
had won IN. TILE from George lav!gne,
But McGovern's handlers were more
calculating than he. and they declared
tina IL Ern. desired to get in;o he VIM
With Terrible Terry nee would nave to
scale l2S pounds r.ngsidr Tn"v Mere
.lot particularly anxious 70" tic match,
out wee willing 10 siRl article Z III,
lightweight champion made I've r%rIlir"d
weight.
Erne consented 20 the pouGLtge. ar
ticles We're signed AMI tNu buffalo boy
started In hard t%rain..,- 20 make thu
weight. From his training '~uarte"s
came assurances that h. was u)t hav!r G
the slightest trouble reaChiIg tie lcures
Aet down In the articles.
Laughed Too Soon.
In fact rrne and his supporters wer,
jluilait oNer the expected V!ctorr hy
their man, for they were positive TIA,
the lightweight, holding MS strength and
boxing with c~lstoinary SKIN, WpIlo
easily vanau!sh the rushing McGoyarn.
The bout wa set Tor July lG. 1890. q
Madison square Garden, and = nix row,
gathered to gee the contest.
Icrne was drawn fine. Will" Mct;o,c.n
at his normal weight. war a human tor
nado. He rushed the astonisled Ern,
from the first tap OF the gong, beat dow
his guard and sent crashing blows to III
body and head that soon had tho Inf'al
boy In distress. k.rnc used all his rim
craft and skill 10 get away from tn
charging Erooklynitc and box him a
long range, but 10 NO avail, The Light
weight champion was bleeding and wear
at tile end Of the second round, and AFT.
J. being foorsd n few times Ia the third th
referee stopped the unequal contest,
So There Is no doubt that Erne was wca
~ the weight, bur there II small auc,t,o