Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-03
BY L. C. JOHNSON.


certain Sicilian bantamweight box
er Of whom Rock Island fans should
he proud.
Tonight Mike Dundee will meet
the acid test-upon It's result hangs
the success or failure of his pugil-
istic future
Willing, clever. aggressive, the
vop ranks with frankie "Cocky"
Sinnett as the best little fellow pro-
dCced in these parts for many
year. His ring career is a brief
one. spanning only the last two or
three years, but during this period
he has been pushed rapidly to the
front, meeting and holding his own
with many of the very best bantams
il the business
His last fighting season, a little
more than year ago, featured
bouts with Pal Moore, Roy Moore,
Pekin Kid Herman and Earl Pur-
year. He pleasantly surprised his
most ardent admirers by more than
holding his own, but the champion
ship punch and inhghting ability,
; both on offense and defense, were
lacking. These defects have since
been eliminated according to the
wop and his manager, Peanuts
Schieberl
Mike can take gruelling punish
ment and he has an iron jaw. He
has never been knocked down or
sent to the land of Nod On the
other hand he has but few kayos
on his record and just as few
kuockdowns. The wop's ability to
Jake them on the jaw without
fiinching has been proven on nu-
merous occasions. One bout espe-
c1ally, that with Pekin Kid Her
man, is to be recalled The Pekin
Kid. who by the way, packs a most
healthy wallop, swung from the
floor, landing flush on the point of
Dundee's jaw. A slight shake of
the head and Mike continued, ap-
Parently none the worse.
Both Dundee and Ertle went
through light windup work at
George Dams gym yesterday after
noon before an interested bunch of
rail-bfrds.
When Mike Collins, the Kew
pies" pilot, asserted that Johnny
had deserted the bright lights and
has been training faithfully for
several months, some of the bugs
were frankly inclined to be skepti-
cal. Sight Of the 'Kewpie" con-
WINGED the unbelieving, however.
Clear-eyed and clear-skinned, with
coolies of pep and ginger. John look
ned the part of the perfectly condi-
toned athlete When Collins ask
cd: Looks like a little champion.
doesn't he?" nearby fans nodded
their heads in agreement.
Speed and stiffness. coupled
with terrific hitting power, marked
the ''Kewpie" as no ordinary sec
end or third rater in yesterdays
workout.
Odds Against WOp.
Odds are against Dundee in his |
meeting with the one-time cham !
pion. Ertle has experience CLEANED /
in scores of battles with the very |
best of his weight. He has many |
knockouts to his credit and has been !
nut away only twice, once by Dick !
IIoadman and once by frankie !
Burns. He managed himself for |
these contests, however. and it was !
common knowledge that his train !
ing schedule was but one contin /
uous round of dissipation. And /
even in this condition the "Kewpie"
was not knocked out. both bouts
being stopped by the referee and /
his opponent awarded a technical
kayo.
For the last six months Johnny
has been under the management OF
Mike Collins, the man who brought |
Fred Fulton out, and the little fell +
low has been training daily, i'm
messed with the conviction that he
is of championship timber. He be-
came a stranger to the "good-fel-
low" crowd that caused his down
fall, spending his spare time work /
ing a farm near st. Paul with his
brother Mike. And, as Collins as
serts, the "Kewpie" has come back.
His first bout was with Roy Moore
at Minneapolis and Ertle gave the
fighting harp the worst beating of
his career. all but knocking him
cut
AS a windup. indications point to
the bout being one of the best ever
offered tri-city boxing fans. 1t
should be a humdinger from gong
to gong. II Dundee wins decisive
" the road is open for a match in
the near future with Champion Pete
Herman and Rock Island may. be-
Sara MANY moons boast of ham,