The sun., 1919-03-30
FIVE RING TITLES
HELD BY YANKEES
Willard, .ODowd, Britton,
Leonard and Herman Born
In America.
HEENAN'S PATH THORNY
English Second Dragged Bene-
ella Boy In Famous Bout
With Tom Ring.
HEENAN's PATH THoRNY
NJ CRoss COUNTER.

u
held titles in two countries. tho feather.
weight In England and the welter In
the United States. He stin was this
featherweight champion of England
he reached America. but ss he re.
nounced allegiance to Great Britain and
became a citizen Of the United States
he thus relinpuished his British title
the same as welsh forfeited his light.
weight championship OF England. Lewis
took on weight go rapidly after reach
ing New York that ne was forced into
the lightweight division and later irftr
the weiter class.
30 far as the acquiring OF titles IL
concerned America Is broader than other
nations England, France and Aus
tralia do not permit foreigners to ac-
qiire national titles. even II the as
pirafts settle In one Of those countries
America on the other hand has per-
United foreign boxers who made this
country their home to compete for ma
Gonal titles.
AT the present time every champion
OF America b native born. willard flrsi
saw the light In Pottawatomio county,
Kan. F; Battling Levinsky. the light heavy
weight champion. was born in Phlla-
delphia; Mike O'Dowd. the middleweighi
king. in St Paul. and Britton, the new
welter champion. In Clinton. N. Y
Benny Leonard Is 4 native OF New
York. Johnny Kilbane OF Cleveland, and
Pete Herman of New Orleans.
Yankees Hold Worlds Title.
II also L. an interesting fact that ma
tive Americans hold worlds titles In
i've Of tho seven classes. willard
o'Dowd. Britton, Leonard and Herman
are champions OF the world.
IsAvfnxkv dh,,htyasa eo,,Id u,t1 ha
worlds title II he met the English.
French and Australian title holders l.,
the light heavyweight class, but no
meeting ever has taken place.
Tn only foreign worlds champion IL
Jimmy Wilde. and the fiyweight class is
ono In which American boxers never
have specialized.
In bare knuckle days nearly all
American champions were foreign born.
notable exceptions being John C. Hee-
nan and Tom Hyer. Many OF the Amer
lean champions under Queensberry rules
also were Of foreign extraction. The
original Jack Dempsey and Jack Nc
Aulife both were born In Ireland, while
Bob Fftzsimmons was a native Of Wales.
Frank Ernie was O product OF Zurich.
Switzerland: George Dixon was born In
Halifax. N. s.. and Joe Walcott In Bar
bados. West Indies
Dave Sullivan. who held the feather.
weight title for a brief period Of time,
was native OF Cork.
Heenan's Pathway Rough and
Thorny.
John c. Heenan. the Benicia boy. not
only.was the victim of more unjust treat
msnt than fell to the share of the aver
age bare knuckie fighter. but he was q
peculiarly unfortunate ringster.
In his battle with John Morrissey fol
the American title Heenan. who had O
great physical advantage over the cham.
pion and IN addition was a better boxer
started the FIRST round as though hi
would make short work OF the stubby
New Yorker.
Heavy blows handed by Heenan com.
pelied Morrisscy to break ground and
Keenan, rushed and aimed what he In
tended TO be finishing blow with thu
right Morrissey. who was a nimbl,
chap. sidestepped and Heenan's right fis
crashed into q ring stake. breaking two
hnuckles and putting that hand out o.
Keenan, refused to have the spong,
tossed into the ring and fought with on,
hand till tho eleventh round. when h,
collapsed.
As soon ne Heenan's injured hand
healed he challenged Morrissey to an
other battle, but Morrissey declined. and
under the custom then In vogue Heenal
became the champion OF America.
Then Went to England.
n was in an effort to capture IN
worlds title that Heenan went to Eng
land in 1880. and how he was deprived
his victory over Tom Sayers, the English
champion, was told in a previous article
Heenan challenged sayers to anothe
contest. but the Briton declined. and ais
retired from the ring.
Later on Tom King defeated Mace 70
the English title. and Heenan. still with
his eye on the worlds championship
challenged King. The battle was stage
at Wadhurst on December 10. 1868, an,
Heenan won from the start and In tn
eighteenth round King was so severely
lhestsn ne was unable to arise from hi
corner.
Then ensued repetition Of the sayer
battle Heenan demanded that he be de
clared the winner. Not only did the ref
cree, who was In sympathy with Kns
refuse TO declare Heenan the winner. bu
he permitted King TO remain IN his cor
ner till he had regained his strength an
then commanded Heenan TO renew tn
fight.
Was HeenRn DruGgedy
To the aptonishment Of the onlooker
JIeenan appeared TO be In a stupor whe
he toed tho scratch and was unable I,
fight with any vigor. King took ad
vantage Of this strange condition ant
purnmelied the American at will. Jacl
Macdonald. an Englishman OF unsavor.
reputation, who unwiseiy had been ne
iccted by Heenan as chief second. .threv
IN tho sponge IN the twenty-fourtl
round. Heenan also had Tom Sayers 4
his corner.
II was openly charged that during tn
time that King was recovering from tn
iieenan somebody in the American
corner had dosed his drinking waite
with a powerful drug and that this nc
counted for the amazing change in Hee
mans condition from vigorous athiet
20 a helpless non-conbatant.
While the direct responsibility for tn
6rugging never was fixed suspicion
pointed TO Macdonald and Sayers.
Heenan never recovered from the ef
fects OF the drug and he never again en-
tered the ring. His health broke on hi
return TO the United States and be die
OF Green River Station. Wyo.. octobe
rs, 1878. when he was but 3S years o
are.
Az TAR as THE Sun Is concerned, wire
from managers arc relocated to tn
waste basket Only fight results oh
tanned from the Associated Press or 10
cal Representatives Of The sUN mr.
pcbiilkoa
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