Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-22
COURAGE is THE Big
ASSET IN THE RING
Fulton Had the Wallop, But
He Fell Down on the
Nerve.
INSTANCES ARE MANY

is a big asset in the ring, but courage
is even more necessary. Many fight
ers have gained prominence by means
of their unusual hitting ability, but
very few OF those who lacked cour-
age have been able to gain a title.
Fred Fulton, who quit to Carl Nor
ris recently, is only one OF many who
lacked the determination necessary to
make their other good qualities count.
Fulton has many advantages in his
favor. He has great speed and the
most wicked left hand of any fighter
to come to the front during the last
few years. He is also a good boxer
as long as his nerve is not shaken,
but when called upon to fight an up
hill battle he forgets everything he
has learned.
AL Reich is another who might
have been champion it he had been
gifted with a fighting heart. Reich
is more symmetrically built than Full
ton. He has the thick neck and heavy
jaw OF the born pugilist, and in his
case there seems to be no physical
reason why he is not able to with
stand punishment. Naturally grace
full in action, he cannot help being a
good boxer, and his hitting ability Is
second to none. Yet with all these ad-
vantages Reich is the rankest kind
OF a failure, simply because he lacks
the fighting spirit.
Bombadier Wells is another re-
markably good boxer and exception
ally fine hitter who has failed to make
good for reasons that are mental
rather than physical. Although by
no means rugged, Wells possesses so
much boxing skill that few of the
second-raters now performing would
be able to lay a glove on him il it
were not for the fact that his nerves
60 all to pieces the moment he en-
ters the ring.
Charley White, the Chicago light
weight, undoubtedly would be light
weight champion today If he pos
sessed as much determination as the
average preliminary scrapper. Once
when Willie Richie held the title
White foored him in the FIRST round
with one OF his famous left hooks to
the jaw. Richie was barely able to
arise at the count OF nine and then
stood swaying on shaking legs, while
the crowd yelled for White to land
the blow that would bring him the
title. But Ritchie was thoroughly
game, and White was afraid to press
his advantage for fear of running into
chance blow, and so lost his chance.
White had second chance to win
the honors last Labor day when he
met Freddie Welsh over the twenty
round distance at Denver. Although
by far the younger Of the two and
in better condition, White was SO
afraid Of becoming tired that he al
lowed Welsh to stall through safely.
During the progress Of the bout prac-
tically everyone at the ringside
thought that White could score
knockout by pressing the attack with
all his might, but the idea never
seemed to occur to White. He was
the one man who would profit great.
ly II the title changed hands, and
yet he preferred to play safe, al
though Welsh's blows were not hard
enough to hurt child.
Billy Papke might have been 4
great champion II he had possessed
hrlf the courage of Stanley Ketchel,
his closest rival. Papke actually did
win the middleweight title from
ketchel. although he did not keep ii
long. These men fought four times
and all were hard battles. Ketchel
was built to order for Papke, who
would have won each time II Ketchel
had not outgamed him. By his game
ness alone Ketchel captured the hon
ors in their first bout, which went the
full ten rounds. The second went
to Papke on knockout, Papke land
ing terrific blow between the eyes
that blinded Ketchcl before the lat
ter's ganneness had chance to count
in his favor.
A few months later Ketchel stopped
Papke in turn. A year later they met
again. ketchel was in poor form
and Papke should have won hands
down, but he allowed himself to be
bluffed out of the decision by the lion
hearted Ketchel, who was so weak
that he could hardly stand, while
Papke was strong. but afraid to mix.
Sailor Burke was a terrific hitter
who might have gone far had he pos
sessed stouter heart. Burke was do.
ing well until he was outgamed by
Willie Lewis in one of the hardest
fought battles ever seen in New York
Burke never showed much spirit in
his bouts after that and soon dropped
out of sight.