The Washington herald., 1919-07-23
TWISTING TAIL
OF JOHNS LION
Boxing Critics
Protest Corri's Decision
In Favor Of Wilde.

New York, July 2e.-Twisting the
lions tail. that light-hearted Con-
gressional pastime. has been taken
up by American boxing critics the
country over in protest against Jim
my Wilde's victory over Pal Moore.
the Memphis bantam, in London last
Thursday night.
Wilde and Moore met as equals,
Wilde waving Moore's advantage in
weight. more apparent than real. in
2O-round nontitle tussle Each ac-
cepted Eugene Corri as referee. Cor
ri's honor never has been impugned
and he IL one Of the best fight UNI
pires in the world. He said Wilde
won.
That should settle the matter-at
least. until some testimony reaches
this side of the water indicating that
Moore had the better of the fighting
Kicks over here are based mainly
on the fact that Moore was credited
with having the better of the first
three rounds and gave Jimmy a
"nose-bleed" later on. Those COM
planning probably would be the first
to point out that a bloody nose doesn't
necessarily defeat fighter-if they
that they draw on prejudice for their
argument.
To date no ringside opinion has ar
rived to fortify the robbery" boys.
That Wilde gave away weight cuts
no ice. He always does. But in this
case he probably was just as strong
as Moore because Moore had to boil
down to II rinGside, while Wilde came
in at his normal figure
But this tendency to "razz them
lime -juicers'' without provocation
every time an overseas decision goes
against an American boxer isn't
craftsmanship. And it defeats some
of the good work OF SUCH internal
tional well-w1shcrs as the late AM
bassador Page and Gen. Pershing for
more than surface friendship be-
tween the nations
American fighters have less to
fear from referee and promoter in
England than they have right here
at home. We have seen boxers in
the States hold up tho show for a
guarantee when. after agreeing to
box for percentage. they saw that
their drawing powers had attracted
lean house. They'd have been
blackballed FOR all time if they had
pulled that trick in London.
The game "over there" is under
better regulation. although by un-
official organizations. than it is in
the States. Eminent sportsmen with
plenty of money always are keen
to keep out the shell-game type Of
sports, and the National Soptring
Club. which stages the biggest
fights, has no counterpart in Amer
lea. 1t is the wat-commissary de
luxe of England and it lives up to
a big name.
OF course their referees make mis-
takes. when Moore won from
Wilde last December the crowd
went wild with indignation over the
decision.
But did Jem DrisColl. wiIde's
trainer, join the chorus? He did
not. Instead. the ancient gladiator
Ieap'd into the ring. gcstured for
silence and prevented a nasty scene
by announcing that the Wilde party
was satisfied with the verdict.
And later. when Wilde won a
l5-round fight with Joe Lynch. an
other American. most of the Eng
lish sport writer's. in their stiIted
style. denounced the decision as n
mistake and gave the victory to the
American.
Wilde is no god in England. They
learned that his feet were of clay.
and pretty cold. clammy clay. too.
when he tried to dodge the army in
1917 on an exemption plea after
most Of tn" other little fellows of
the ring had gone to the trenches.
BY and large there is proba hly
it'll" excuse for all the fuss over
the Wilde decision.