The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-09-19
WEST VIRGINIA BOY MAY BE
THE NEXT WORLDS CHAMPION
BY u. ANDERSEN, JE-


CAMP SHELBY. EattiesburE. MISS
September 1S.--A year in an American
ltra ming caIup and Row O claimant to
THE titfc Of heavyweight champion or
the United StIteS Army, Is the record
>of one Of West Tirstnias big. good
natUrcd, fighting S1lllS at this canton
mert- Tho chap-t Ia Fighting Bob Mar
tin. Of the Military Police, whose home
is Terra ll1ta- West Virginia
While the sporting pages or news
spepcrs oh t1Ser tho country are dying
down as the war is being speeded up
kt9so hDyS in the army arc tnk3nS moro
Interest IN sports than they ever have
before This has been especially true
sxTifh the men. stationed here. Hundreds
1aud hundreds OF men who never before
Ssau a. boxing bout, ana who never be-
Hore~ToCted for one side or tho other OF
IA BAil game. have become fast friends
ruth anything that Pertains to the ball
Sor to'the regulation rnitIs> OF the squared
arena.
Merzare now boxing puhlicly-that is
before 5000 or 5000 soidierS-who. be-
fore they entered the -rmS. bad never
ldreamed OF sull1ns on a boxing glove
! This Is why the game Is going to be
s1eviVed. With g. stronger hold than ever
lon aA> civilians after inc war
West vl-g1ntan q Gomez.
To-get back 10 TINS big West Virginia
dghter. who answers Ia the name OF
Bob Martia-that being his own dear
trnonieher both in civ1ian and in bis
Fighting Sarne experiences is
tevcry indication that the btE boy Is a
reai conner and Is Just developing into
rea1 champion
Bob has whipped half Il dozen good
Susen around Camp Shelby. including
claimant 70 the heavyweight cham pion-
ship OF the army, up to a few days ago,
and. there only remained one naIt-aa
Indian ian-of any experience IN the ring
game. who WAS willing to step In the
ring with the military policeman.
But TMs Tad End til. ExDe-1enea
He was a fighter by trade during his
CIVILIAN career and his business was by
mo means q had one There are but ,
few fight followers who have not at
one time or another heard OF one Au- !
SuStuS KlcntSe, 4 fast and clever fighter
OF Fort Wayne, Ind This was the
chap who was matchd with Fighting |
Bob. OF West Virginia
While Kienke had the lower end OF
the weight situation the betting remain !
ed even before the bout. because OF the [
fact that the HooSier fighter had been
in the business for SIX Years and was on !
to all the tricks VI the trade.
There wasn't but S.n0U soldiers out
TO see the fight when it was pulled off
by Sergeant Lou Davis a live wire box ,
lcS promoter by trade. and now soldier
INK with tho 13yth Field Artillery.
Eut thor" 5000 were fans. Those who :
didn't yell for one fighter or the otnet
were suffering from threat trouble or
their voice on thc burn. ,
Tho Plight Lasted Tcur Rounds.
After running away frDrl Martha dur ,
ing the first ,h-"H rounds. the clever
little Euo&:cr boxer a,r.np,.,i to mix
things with tho LAD from th' mountains;
of West Virginia and h" went down r"-
the count
An which goes 20 show tina: tho r,g:
boy has: y bit OF clevcrn"sS up hi:
sleeve. himself.
Klcnke lost to Martin Exc :Ll other
opponents have lost t., Gi.r---via tn.
Knockout route.
Martin possesses q stiff kick in either
harS II is tick jah. ore that starts
off and lands lik" 4 lich, zap hut which
has tho nowrr Of = nt,ii,'S kick behind
IT, This is th.. S,r-rt RI Martins fight ,
ing ability and his on~ assurance OF
SUCCESS al ne heavyweight honors in
day of IN" rltur"
Something About the Boy.
Robert Martin * urdcr 81 years OF age.
FTc weighs a couple ri Arndred pounds
ard IS i feet 80. isch.S IN his stocking
feet. Ills reach - !9t4 inches. Th'' h:
boy carries a 20 inch chest add expands
i'~tour inches with "asN. Hes 80. II
,hc waist, 2Hr: inches IN t!tt th"k. Il
inches ., ,hc calf ~ the l+., aid tEcacS
at rho ankle. IT'S hard measures only
10 inches across rho palm and tn" tape
: menSur, takes zip : inches around his
collar as it measures bar" lSi9 inches.
He IS 20 inches from shoulder To Shout
der
Sergeant Bob Martin came :" Camp
Shelby a year ar" as tn" rt:a" OF ms
old outfits. NJ. Company. ot the First
West Virginia Infantry.
The char carries Il S'nilc>-a!ways in
and on. % the ring This smile. a sort
of "takin' grin there is tho saline CON
fidence tha. was paramount when Sob
unloaded his first load oto ties one !
wtntry day whoa the Thermometer was
trying hard u stay above the 4o-b"l"w
mark at Terra Alta. West Virginia. The
little rcd glow in his face. even tn"
south'S sun has not tanned under. Bob
began fighting b. whipping the Kids
around the vtllaS" who reSiSted in
snow-laliins his team. But for all ~
this. he rrrla incd favorite.
His fight career began in the winter
OF 19I5-ls when. At Akron ohm. he be-!
gan to take Il l:kini, 10 the nitt game