Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-16
IMPORTANT BOXING CONTEST
SET FOR TOMORROW NIGHT
Ted Lewis and Kid Graves, Topliners in
Welterweight Division, Clash for
Ten Rounds at Milwaukee.

care OF hlmS6lf. can go along many years
and retain all his fighting powers.
| During the past two weeks several
requests have been sent in for an opin-
ion as to the rendering Of decisions in
jlimited-round bouts of ten rounds in
New York and other states where the
game is legalized. The following reply
| is given:
With the rendering of decisions in
ten-round boxing contests In New York
state, or. in fact, any other state in
the Union, where boxing is permitted,
no doubt the interest in the game
would be increased considerably. but 1t
is question whether the increased in
terest would be permanent. If 1t were
IN hfteen or twenty round contest,
would say by all means have the
bouts are limited to ten rounds there
Is some doubt in my mind as to the
wisdom of permitting the referee to
give a verdict.
One of the greatest dangers to the
boxing game has been the betting end.
or course. it is impossible to prevent
followers of the game from betting on
contest no matter whether decisions
are given or not The men Will bet
and permit newspapers to decide the
contest for them / know from past
experience that whenever an important
boxing contest is being held the bet
ting is unusually strong, and 1 also
know that frequently strong efforts are
known ahead of time, and very often
they go further, and try to influence
one of the boxers That has been one
serious phase of the game that the
Australian promoter. Snowy Baker, has
had to fight in that country
1t also accounts for the very severe
penalties melted out to some boxers
that have been accused of being mixed
up in such deals. There have been
| very few, but where they have been
lie hnrn Ia RI
| them for life from participating In
further contests. 1t has been the same
in Milwaukee, where thousands of con-
tests have been held during the past
were given in Milwaukee, and there
| was very little trouble resulting there
| from, due to the fact that we had a
corps of very competent and straight
forward referees. 1 know from per-
sonal experience, however, that efforts
were made to intimidate some boxers
and also referees, but without success.
To my mind, the no-decision contest
has been the means of letting down the
bars in many states where otherwise
the game would not be tolerated. 1t
| has been proved in the courts that a
Ino-decls1on contest, where no prize is
at stake, cannot be construed as a prize
fight, and on that theory bills have
been put through several legislatures
permitting and legalizing the game.
There is only one way in which 1
would favor the giving of decisions,
and that would be to protect all parties
have absolute control of the matter
! l would suggest that in a large city at
least eight or ten men, thoroughly con-
versant with the rules of the boxing
game, be appointed as judges, and
where q contest of Importance is beinR r
held, let the commission name two of
| these judges to officiate at said show,
the appointments not to be made until
the evening of the battle. The referee,
who would be inside the ring would
have to act with these gentlemen, hay-
ing the deciding vote in the event of
the two judges disa greeting. 1t is prac-
| ticaily Following in the footsteps of the
old Amateur Athletic Union rules and
also the rules which prevailed In Eng
| land for time, but 1 think it is the
most fair of all, and there would be
little chance for dishonesty on the part
| Of any of the officials.
Mike Gibbons, the st. Paul phantom.
is going to have the hardest test of his
career when he meets Young Ahearn of
New YORK in a ten-round contest at st.
Paul Tuesday. Efforts have been made
to have the referee give a decision in
this contest, although the law does not
permit it. Whether the boxing com
mission has the power to grant such
even II the commission should grant
| such right, the governor would have
the power to prevent it. Gibbons has
| been anxious to have a decision given
| in this contest, due. in a measure, to a
great deal of criticism regarding it. 1t
also may be good piece of press agent
stuff. but, at any rate, the fans may
! rest assured that they will see fast
and scientific contest, for there are
| none in the country today more clever
than these two boys. Ahearn is full of
confidence, and thinks there is nothing
| to it SO far as the decision on points is
concerned. He does not look for a
knockout, but figures that he will be
able to beat Gibbons at his own game
that of cleverness