Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-29
LACK OF F0EMEN KEEPS
HEAVYWEICHTs INACTIVE
Plenty OF Men in Lighter Divisions
but Where Is Opponent for
Dempsey, Corbctt Asks.
PROMOTERS ALWAYS ON ALERT
had No Trouble Booking Fights for
lightweight Champion Benny
Leonard Because Possible Rivals
We're Good and Numerous.
ny JAMES j. commerce

NEW fOhK, July 2S.-Not so lon,
:.Wbcnc ter.a'n writer pointed out:
championship heights he jumps I'M"
circus or goes on the stage for -
eoup'e or years lie defends his ,i,ln
p,y rarely; II at all during that time
nut 1t is different with the iIitln ,r",
ihey have to fight every few ,nonih.
H., l., should be the same with the henvins
ny ny ought TO fight as frequently"
would If there were suitable fne r.y
10 meet The reason for innctivitv hv
heavyweight champions In comparisons
, WITH those OF the lighter divisions ia
,nat there are ten small lighters Tor
every big one. ''>
Nature makes only one man on, y,
many OF hcaNywe!Ghts size on, OF
very 100 men that enter the fs,ic
ranks only two or three are honvy
weights Therefore. there are nlwsys
many more fcathcrwciphts ii.E,o
weights and middlcwelghts man ,bnre
~ hea'ywe!sh's And. OF course.
battling ""o""' or
LOOK through tho fcathcrwciah. a.
,'s,o" TO-DAY and you VIII lind dozen
, men ana more who could qualify as
are enough good I!ghtwclEhis In Lno,,
benny Leonard busy .or another vc.r
tnt III the heavyweight ranks who ia
mere TO give JACK Dempsey /. real
light? S"'
n
Lhonard has been active hnc,
mere mas been demand for IL; ne
cause there have been real foeucn
aGr ann 10 right men who could FUR
gate mat enabled the promoters ~
give Leonard real money
But would you II you were I, pro.
motor To-Day guarantee Dempsey s5s.
SJo 10 ''o;Goo tor nght against Willie
Naghto. you wouldn't! Nor w!n any",n
else not Just now So Dempsey 'llI.
an 9iher hGavywo. ght kings. viii have
10 ucSotc hiH energies to th.atrlr,ls
uhtH hnch time as really Formidable
zoe comes along
II always has been that wa, a ple-
mora mora OF candidates IN the higher d.
class D'escst
Af,or Jess Willard whipped Jack
Johnson IN Havana there Was in ,hs
h.ns Ws'sht d!H!a!oa AT the time per-
.aPs H't? active hcavywciEnts But
lhe majority were Joke pcr,ormer.,
men OF such mediocre ability ,nat they
void .'n have had no chance against tho
champion. Frank Mcchan vas ths
best OF the lot. WIZARD tournt ,nr
whipped him.
Only Two Men Developed.
ourins az the time that Willard held
Years "n"Irp' ,,, =. period OF tour
were developed one was Fred Fulion
ana me other was Jack Dcmpaey Wi.
1900 ~ nBnt Fulton "A on.
lime. but the match was called on
Later Dempsey came to tn. fore AID
In an elimination match put the sklus
under Fulton. That lcit Dcnnsry
alone the real focman OF willard And
when the proper time came Willard
gave Dempsey his fight
There waH. AS can be seen Just
about az much activity in hcavySrcirht
circles during Wizards reign as the
circumstance justiticG
Go back to the time of Jemrics. tho
mos, active OF all the heavywciEnis
since Suliivan's day. Jeffries was Will
ing 10 take on amy man who was an
acknowledged rival OF his. gladly
fought all that the public deemed
worthy Of chance. And that hap
pcnrd 10 he the era when two eXchain-
pions were still active and there wero
some good men in hghtins harness.
Jcnries Fought Hut Eight.
Yet during all tina: time that jcfrr!es
was pu6iiism's king. he fought only
eight different men. Jcfrics WAS
eager TO night anybody-hut there were
only few men OF sufficient cal!bcr
10 give him battle.
Now let us turn to tho lightweight
division. When Benny Leonard wss
crowned as the ruler of tho Hight
weights. there were at least n dozen
men In the ring who were looked upon
as possible rivals Charles White.
Johnny Dundee. Joe yelling. Frankie
n. M.