The sun., 1919-06-08
METROPOLITAN Championship Journeys Occupy Local Golfers This Week
Open Season Declared
For Sparring Partners
Willard and Dempsey Matreating Their Helpless
Helpers-Joe Walcott, When Aiding Sharkey
Rebelled-Other Boxing Gossip.
NJ CROSS COUNTER.

This Is the season OF the year wnen
the unfortunate sparring partner
means and writhes under the pitiless at.
tack OF the human tigers sharpening
their claws for their Fourth OF July en-
counter. '...
The sparring partner is the most help
less animal In captivity. He must
blithely assimilate the most terrific
thumps from his employer, but must
refrain from retAliating with any vigor3
for fear OF hurting tho chances OF the
champion or the challenger as the case
may be.
II by accident or intent the sparring
partner lands an effective blow on his
principal. the latter Springs upon him
like a panther and beats him with brutal
ferocity. The boxer In training does this
because his vanity is hurt by the novelty
of q sparring partner making any i'm
preston on a champion, or on a man
who hopes to be a champion Therefore.
the report 10 scattered broadcast that
Nike McGinnis. sparring partner OF
Champion Tom Rockrp, got gay with
the champ yesterday afternoon at
training quarters. However. Mike was
not fatally injured and will be out of
hospital in a few days"
The fact that willard and Dempsey
DOtn kloANy men anu can MT WIN
force 10 proof conclusive that the lot OF
| their sparring partners 10 by no means
| q happy one.
Dempsey has battered his helpers so
| mercllessly that one of them zone Round
| avis) has quit the camp, and Willard
had barely started his training when he
knocked Walter Monahan as cold as a
mackefel.
Portends Fierce Combat.
| II the casualties among the sparring
| partners are to be taken as an indica-
ton Of the merits Of the boxers, then
the battle on July Z should prove to be
a terrific struggle between catapultic
| punchers.
However, It is the part OF wisdom to
sprinkle a bit Of salt on the recitals of
the terrible sufferings Of the lowly spar
ring partner. Most Of them wear breast
pads to save their ribs from fracture.
and hoods to protect their ears are also
In fashion.
Then there Is the sparring partner who
seeks by means Of groans and lamenta-
ton to give q reputation for destructive
hitting to his employer. The average
| sparring partner will assure his listeners
that the man he works for is the hardest
thumper that ever put on 4 glove. Every
blow. he says, knocks him dizzy. and he
10 nightly afraid he cannot much longer
stand the bombardment.
| Singularly enough, this chap lasts
longer than many a partner who is NOT
overawed by the great hitter's prowess
and really tries to make 1t interesting
for his principal.
Worm Turned in This Case.
| While there are few instances of the
! eparring partner turning wormlike on
his tormentor, there Is one well authenti-
Gated case. While Tom Sharkey was
training at New Dorp. Staten Island fol-
his championship bout with Jim Jeffries
his retinue of sparring partners became
depleted through the rough usage they
received from the Sailor. Sharkey, there
fore, sent out a hurry call for more
partners and Joe Walcott, who was In
the same stable with the Sailor. was de-
tailed to help Sharkey condition himself
All went we'll until one day in q
burst of enthusiasm Sharkey let go n lef'
swing that upset the stumpy negro
There was a vengeful CLEAN in the eye
OF the Barbados Demon when he arose
but he smiled broadly and apparently tool
the knockdown as matter of course
Sharkey was immensely pleased at thu
idea Of having hoored so formidable
fighter as Walcott, but was not inclined
to infiict any more damage for the tims
being, fearing that he might discourage
the new partner.
Walcott boxed carefully for some min
utes and when he saw that SharkeS
was free of suspicion the negro sud
denly Tented with his left and shot th'
right to the point OF the Sailors jaw
The navy man hit the floor with bang
and while he was not knocked out III
was - dizzy that he cut out trainini
for the remainder of the day. Walcot
grinned and resigned as sperring part
ner.