The Washington herald., 1919-07-24
'C0ME-0N-J0hN
SHOWS US WHAT
Joe Beckett Believes He
Has Chance with Jack
Dempsey in Battle.
Rx ED. HUGHES.


At last John Bull thinks he has a
man who can check the uninterrupt-
ed string of Yankee heavyweight
triumphs in the ring. w. o. w.
Beckett is Johns protege and he
came into the first rank in England
by the somewhat orthodox method
of dropping poor old Bombardier
Wells. A few days ago he clinched
his right to the title by stopping an
other rival. Frank Goddard. in two
rounds. Over in the tight little
isle" they consider Beckett a world
beater. They even think lin Eus-
land. this is) that Joe can lick Jack
Dempsey and win back the worlds
title which hasn't been in EnEIcnd
so long that Britons haven't any
idea what it looks like.
1t is about time that England did
produce a real heavyweight The
first American to trim an English
heavy weight champion was Charles
Freeman. The American Giant" a
bigger man. even, than Jess Willard.
Freeman was a circus acrobat be-
fore he became a fighter and was
picked up by Ben Caunt, the Eng
lishman, and brought back to
Caunt's country in 1912 to fight Bill
tAA AhC lAPNOh SldAShCis Aot
the worlds title. The men fought
twice. once on December IA, 1912.
when the fighters struggled all the
afternoon until darkness set in. and
six days later when hostilities were
resumed. Freeman won the second
battle in the thirty-eighth round.
That fight marked the beginning of
the triumph OF the Yankee heavy
weight fighter against Britain's best.
Freeman became an idol in England
and after living wild life died
three years later from consumption.
Caunt paid the expenses of his
funeral. In 1869 John Heenan. after
his famous fight with Sayers. erected
a stone over Freeman's grave to
commemorate the memory of the
first American heavyweight cham
pion.
One of the greatest champions that
England ever produced was little
Tom Sayers, who weighed scarcely
more than 16S pounds at his best.
Sayers whipped all the giants of his
time. He was a skilled boxer an
adept at lodging. and retreated often.
but his counters were terrific. In
1853 John Heenan. this country's best,
sent over a challenge and a battle
AOllO"tu SOOl he pair met at
Marlborough, England, and il was
one of the hardest battles ever
fought. Heenan was five inches taller
and nine years younger. He had
Sayers terribly beaten after two hours
ami six minutes OF fighting. when the
crowd tore down the ring to save
Sayers from a certain knockout.
When John l.. Sullivan was the
American champion he made trip
to England for the express purpose
of meeting Jem Smith. the English
champion. Smith refused to consider
John at all. Finally. in desperation.
Sullivan climbed through the ropes
at the National Sporting Club one
night when Smith was to box a set
up and offered to meet the English
man on the spot without any train
ing. John even offered to give Smith
$4,000 if he failed to knock Smith out
in four rounds. But Jem couldn't see
a match with the formidable looking
Sullivan, and John returned TO this
country without showing his fistic
wares.
Gunner Moir once tried to obtain
the highest honors for England
when he tackled the American
champion. Tommy Burns But
i'iliiS hlu dS ne pledSed with the
Gunner and slowed him away in the
tenth. Later Britain turned out
boxer who looked quite promising
This was a big strapping chap
named Iron Hague. Iron. however,
had the misfortune to run into one
of Sam Langford's swings and he
went out in the fourth round. Bonn
bardier Wells was really wonder
full boxer and one of the best natu-
raj hitters of the ring. Bomby,
however. couldn't take it," Some
years ago he came to this country
and took on AL Palzer in Madison
Square Garden. Bombardier almost
put Al out in the first round and
gave him beating Palzer never did
recover from. But Palzer got" the
Bombardier in the third. exploding
another British dream of conquest
within the ropes
Now Beckett has replaced Wells
as champion of England. They say
he's anxious to try conclusions with
the best in this CountryL Watch
your step. Wow"
Goryridit. 1912 nv the Wheeler Syndicate. Inc !
Defeat Hyatt,viIIe Club.