The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-15
Willard Holds Title Through Year by
Virtue of Non-aetion-He Has
Been Too Busy With
Circus.
TWO FAMOUS MEN DIED
There Were Three Ring Fatalities
During the Year-other Notable
Events in Connection
with Ring.

the year now closed they will find
that 1917 was rich in historic incl
dents.
Four worlds championships changed
hands within the last twelve months
In the bantamweight division, Pete
(Kid) Herman, New Orleans, won the
title of his class by whipping kid
Williams at Crescent City. Johnny
Ertel ST Paul, is a strong disputant
for this championship, however.
The lightweight championship now
is held by Benny Leonard, New York
City. He won the crown by stopping
, Freddie Welsh. Leonard's right to
the title is beyond question.
Ted Lewis, England, is sporting the
weiterweiglIt crown athwart his curly
pate. He beat Jack Britton in title
match at Dayton, Ohio.
The other championship that
changed hands during 1917 was in the
middlewetght class. Mike O'Dowd is
now the bearer of that honor, as he
stopped Al Mccoy.
Notable Happenings.
The year now ending was filled
with notable happenings.
Two famous figures in the prize
TlLS were ldheu NY lle grin ICdPCA,
They were Bob F1tzsimmons and Les
Darcy.
LOCALIZED boxing within the con-
fines of the New York commonwealth
received its death blow, but the un-
timely ending of the sport in the en-
pire state served to give fresh life to
the game In other fastic centers.
Ring fatalities within the year were
comparatively few in number. Three
deaths were recorded from boxing
matches.
No new records for gate receipts
| were hung up, but the patronage
everywhere was constant and satisfy
ling.
| Hundreds of boxers have rallied to
the colors in response to the call OF
the president. Naturally this will
have its effect on the sport for the
coming year, and the outlook there
fore cannot be regarded as very en-
couraging. But this is Of minor con-
sideration.
! The ring encounters in which cham
pionships changed hands were spec
! tacular in the extreme.
| Starting with the bantamweight di-
vision. Pete (Kid) Herman, a sturdy
Italian youth of New Orleans, valiant.
ly fought his way to the championship
Of his class when he defeated Kid
Williams, Baltimore, on points, In a
.twenty-round contest at the Crescent
City on January 8. Ten months later,
Herman successfully defended his
title by whipping frankie Burns over
the twenty-round route at new Or
leans. Herman Is the first Italian
boxer to ever win worlds ring title.
4; . ,n
domain of pugilism is the 1.-THE young
form of Benny Leonard. New York
Hebrew, who is easily the most won
derful fighting machine that has been
developed in the lightweight class
since the day when Ad Wolgast was
in his prime.
Leonard Is a remarkable scrapper,
being a combination of cleverness
and hitting strength. His spectacular
victory over Freddie Welsh, former
champion, at New York City, on May
% last, was one that will live long in
the annals of the boxing game
How Leonard Won.
Leonard won the championship in
the ninth round, when Welsh reeled
helplessly along the yopes, his hands
hanging Imply at his sides, his head
an unguarded target for a finishing
punch that would have rendered him
Unconscious. It would have been the
height of brutality to have forced Leo
nard to hit the helpless champion
; again and the referee did the humane
thing by waving Leonard to his corner
and proclaiming the contest at an end
Fully as spectacular, however, was
the end of the battle in which Mike
ODowd won the middleweight champ
ionship from Al Mccoy
This contest also was staged al
New York City, and it was the last big
ring match held at Gotham under the
Frawley law A wild left hand swing
to the jaw gave victory to O'Dowd in
the sixth round. Five times previously
ito this O'Dowd had battered Mccoy
to the floor, but the Brooklyn Dutch
imam fought back tenaciously In the eff
fort to retain his championship. The
fourth round was a thriller from bell
TO bell Four times Mccoy was knock
ed to the mat and twice he succeeded
in dropping O'Dowd.
4 Other Star, Middlewelghts.
Until O'Dowd, Mike Gibbons and
Harry Greb are matched in battle the
legitimate holder of the crown will al
ways be subject for controversy.
The contest in which the weller
weight title changed hands was devoid
OF spectacular incident. being in this