The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-21
National Boxing
Commission Need
Of Sports World

The need in the United States foI
a national commission to govern box
ing is becoming more glaring every
day.
Now that the war Is ended, it is rea-
sonable to believe that boxing will
i have a boom. and that bouts will be
staged involving the titles of the
champions OF the different divisions.
But without a governing body such
as the National Sporting Club of Lon
don, the same evils so prevalent in
ring circles in the past, may be ex-
pected to continue.
There have been no rigid rules in
this country as to the weights at
which title bouts should be fought.
Each champion has, in measure,
set the weight at which would de-
fend his title.
This weight might vary anywhere
from one to five pounds from the gen.
orally recognized weight in that class.
Today we have an example of a
champion who it is generally believed
cannot make the weight in his divis-
ion.
Benny Leonard. lightweight cham
pion. is now reliably reported to hive
become a welterweight since he turn
ed army instructor. When he met
Ted Lewis, the welter title holder, a
short time ago, there was little df-
ference in their weights.
Should it be impossible, as seems
likely, for Leonard to make the recpg-
nized lightweight limit Of 1873 pounds,
there should be a national body with
authority to declare the title vacant.
This would not be an injus1zce TO
Leonard, as the fans would know that
he had retired from the lightweight
ysSio l1Ao
which is surely better than the dog
in-the-manger attitude taken by some
title holders in the past.
Ring fans. too. would be better
pleased, as much of the stal1ing and
squabbling now SO prevalent would be
eliminated.
among lovers Of the squared arena, is
the seeming impossibility of getting
some champions into a ring to defend
their title.
Jess Willard and Johnny Ki1bane
are two utleholders of prominence
who cannot be enticed into a chDm-
pionship fight.
Kilbane has not defended his title
for over two years. He has given as
an excuse his duties as an army iE-
structor. This no longer holds SD.
It will be interesting to see what his
new reason will be.
AS for the wary Willard, nobody is
able to drag him into the ring. He
has risked his title but once since he
won it, April 5. 1915.
Not even for the war work fund
would he step into the ring.
With a national governing body on
boxing, these two men would not be
able to pose before the sporting world
as champions.
Rules would be adopted which would
require a prize fighter within q rea-
sonabIe time after he had won a
championship to defend his title or
forfeit it to the best man OF the
weight, determined by elimination con-
tents.
No one would seek to deny the cham
pion the right to enjoy the easy
money which falls his way after win
ming the title, but he should not be
be permitted TO stall his way through
year after year, when legitimate coa-
tenders are in the field.
For these two reasons alone it I;
would seem as if the leading fight
promoters of the country who have
the interest Of the sport at heart
and are not solely interested in the
game for the sake Of the almighty
dollar, would get together and form
a permanent organization, wAn
would give prizefshting it's proper
Mace in the world of Sports