The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-20
ONLY REAL FIGHTS
WANTED AT BENEFIT
Coming War Charities Fund
Show Must Steer Clear Of the
Overworked Exhibition.
WILLARD WILL DEMUR
NJ Cross couNTrn.

U
| before too much time has been devoted
70 THIS phase ~ the snh'eet +,
sdvisaoIe to consider q few indisputabie
iacts Willard 10 far from nghting con.
oiuon ana would require at least two
months to NJ him for q hard bout.
| IL 70 question n Willard would care
70 usk q meeting with Dempsey now
ne might consent to q four round exhi-
o,tion. but such an event would be fatal
boxing followers are tired of such stun
sno VIII have no more Of u no matter
how worthy the cause. n wizard soes
on ne must night and that goes for
here
II the champion declines to fight the
committee should put on the next best
bout. This would be between Dennsey
ana Willie Meehan. The latter recently
outpointed Dempsey in a four round con-
TEST and 10 anxious for another meeting
with The conaueror OF Fulton. There re
small doubt that Meehan and Dempsey
would consent to a fight to settle the
question Of supremacy. Such a bout
would pack the Garden or any other big
structure.
A ten round bout between Benny
Leonard and \ worthy opponent also
would DO attractive. especially n the
champion were to meet Joe yelling.
frankie Callahan or some lightweight
who could give him battle.
Britain's Hsavyvveirht Cn.m,,cr.
The heavyweight, championship sue
cession in England has been 80 mud
died by the baseless verbal claims of
numerous boxers that a few illuminate
Ing facts furnished by A. r. Bettinson.
manager OF the National Sporting Club
OF London. will be appreciated.
The London club comprises In its
membership the leading sportsmen OF
the British Empire and they control
boxing championships In that part of
the globe. Not only do they make the
rules. set the weights and conduct all
title bouts. but they also rigidly enforce
the rules.
Therefore the utterances Of Mr.. Bat.
tinson win have an authoritative flavor.
He begins his recital with the retirement
OF Tom Sayers In 1860. after his battle
with John c. Heenan. and shows that
from 1851. at which time Jem Mace won
the title from Sam Hurst, che Gypsy
dominated the class up to the time he
retired. the indicated champion Of the
world.
Maces formal retirement took place
In 1873. and from then till 1885 there
was no recognized title holder Of the
and Jack Davis came together In q bout
declared to be for the title. and Smith,
the winner. announced that he would
defend the title. Smith by no means
was high class fighter. but he man
aged. through the aid Of his adherents,
to fight a draw Of los rounds with Jake
Kilrain and one Of twelve rounds with
All Greenfield.
Smith lost the title to Peter jackson
nr hAr
round, the loser leaving the ring because
OF the punishment he had received. On
May 80, 1892, Jackson. who held the
Australian and English titles. boxed
Frank Slavin Of Australia In the Ma
tional Sporting Club and Jackson scored
a Knockout In the tenth round, thus re-
tanning his honors.
J Jackson then left England and the
championship lapsed till 1903. when Il
was claimed by Jack Palmer. but he
was not generally recognised. In 1905
the National Sporting Club took charge
Of boxing and officially matched Palmer
and Gunner Moir The Gunner won.
Iron Hague won the title from Moir
by a knockout In one round. and Bonn
barber Wells stopped Hague in Ave
rounds. Wells still IL the heavyweight
champion Of England.
Mitchell Not Champion.
Mace became worlds champion in
1870. when he defeated Tom Allen, the
recognised heavyweight champion OF
America Mace was the last bare
knuckle champion OF the world. and
the only worlds heavyweight champion
to retire indicated.
Moir was The last bare knuckle cham
pbon Of me heavyweight class in Eng
ia nd. as John L. Sullivan was In Amer
ioa.
The assertion frequently has been
made that All Greenfield was the cham
pion Of England. but Mr.. Bettinson de-
c'ares that Greenfield never held the
title. At the time Smith was champion
Greenfield fought a draw with him and
Smith retained the championship.
The claim that Charley Mitchell held
the title Is not sustained by Mr.. Bettin-
son. Mitchell was the winner OF a
heavyweight tournament conducted bv
r " Madden in 1882 in London, but the
victor was not accepted as the tile.
holder. He further hurt his standing
by falling to box Jem Smith and Peter
Jackson. both OF whom were recogn zed
champions OF England at the time
Mitchell was In his prime.
Mr., Bettinson holds that the three
round bout between Sullivan and Mitch
ell in this city. which was chopped by
the police. cannot be set down as a VIC
tory for the American, and that the only
true test OF ability was their thirty-nine
round draw in France.
Therefore :he claim Of the worlds
for Sullivan on the basis
Of victories over Mitchell and Greenfield
is void for the reason that neither was
champion OF England.
The heavyweight succession in Amer
L. aollx Col
Hyer. the first champion Of the United
States. down to Jess willard. After
Hyer's retirement because no one would |
fRht him the title went to Yankee Sui
Ivan, then to John Morrissey. John C. |
Heenan. Joe Coburn. Jimmy Dunn and !
Mike McCool.
Tom Allen. an Englishman who had !
settled In America. won from McCool. !
and Joe GNss. another Engliehman who |
made America his home, won from
Allen on a foul in 1878. Jem Mace, un-
disputed champion OF England, had won
the worlds title In 1870 by defeating |
Allen. Mace had dec'slvelv beaten Goss
n England for the British title.
Goss therefore won only the Ameri- |
can championship from Allen. and Paddy |
Ryan captured the American title from |
Gnss Sullivan won tho only title that i
Ryan possessed-the heavyweight cham
pionship OF America.
remarkable yarn is In circulation ,
TO the effect that Jimmy Wilde, the n.y.
weight champion of the world recently
out with his fists two hurly
Germans In trench that rad oeen
rushed by the British trNops.
In view OF the fact that wilde's
feet have not been on the soil OF Eng