Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-07
CARPENTER IN TRAINING
! FOR BOUT WITH BECKETT
French Heavyweight Boxing Cham
!. pion Tipping Scales Now
at 173 Pounds.
CONFIDENT OF WINNING
Says He Expects Hardest Battle OF
:, His Life When He Clashes With
British Titlc-Holdcr in London on
& December 4.
"BY GEORGES cARrENTTER.

g LONDON. Nov. 6.-Atter all that has
I been said in England. in Paris, IN
America. that 1 would wrigElc out OF
i the fight with Joe Beckett cit has All
been so very amusing. perhaps now
and then annoying, for there WAS a
suggestion that ] was timid. afraid),
YOU friends of mine will. hope, believe
me that i have begun 10 train harder
and with moro carnestnoss than ! have
!. ever done in my life.
!. Guerche. a quiet. Struggling little
I place some $50 miles from iaris. wnere
!. there is but one cafe, almos; no life.
me has been Eddie McGoortr and has
trainer, Gibson, and many hshtins men.
= Ny training here has given me many
more pounds in weight. l scale seven
,iy-eight and one. half kilos, OF; as you
would say. lT5 pounds which is
heavier than was when ! met your
years Those who know HE would not
have /; that ! am unreasonabiy optim-
istiG, hu. ! am sure hat i AL gees Pes
Beckett az the Holborn Stadium on De
ceInher !. be better man physically
than even ! was.
Served Five Years In Army.
When 1 took the ring against Gun
was no, man full grown. Now l am
twenty-five. and am not going to
haven't, said that. although spent Eve
time never had the gloves on in
serious fight, am like Jim Discoil
about TO come back"
ever. When I fought Dick Smith at
I the Cirque de Paris suffered 4 strange
J ness that have never experienced be-
! fore; the crowd. the cheers, the. far
( ing lights, the knowledge that l was
free 10 box again after many long days
when / doubted I should ever be able
a do ~ r.y
me: woboied and felt sick inside; and
there were moments when my eyes
were blurred and ] could not find Il
sense of distance.
Ready to Meet Beckett Now.
1t was only when the fight was over
that l gained normal frame Of mind.
Since then. in the privacy OF my gym
nasium. l have had many fights. no
physically competent TO take the ring
tomorrow against Joe Beckett I al
most wish the combat was tomorrow.
be n one e Of the hardest .veF hno Ia VII
make this confession? When in the
early part OF the year I signed articles
Britain. l was assured that of Ger.
tNnty my opponent would be Bill.
sa not N sake Gnf soq hto oi
and please forgive Inc. Beckett. whel
rushed TO London to see you agains
d stretched on the floor Of the ring.
& have thought and dreamed only o
Beckett ! have itched 10 meet hin,
And since that night | have hut on,
notion. TO fight him; for know, yoi
know, everybody knows. that If hca
him shall get further on the highwa.
u that leads TO the worlds championship
4 that II ] were to meet and defeat .
dozen other men.
Stalking Everything on Fight.
After my affair with Smith and m,
q request for 4 postponcment. they sal,
& j had no liking tor Beckett: tha;
a contemplated running away to America
= 1T is true l had much money ofcrcc
M 10 me to go to the States, but not
single offer have l taken SERIOUSLY.
never thought OF going. though b.;
4 fortune awaited me there before | ha,
defended my title OF European heavy
I weight champion in London.
If l had rushed TO America, ! shoult
have committed professional suicide
s. surely. If L had s:dcstepPed Beckett,
. could never have held my head up i!
{, England again.
: l am stalking everything on my fgh
with Beckett on+ilteccpber i-rcputa
zion, money, RresLg e, everything. ]
the English champion beats me | com
down with flop. as you say--bang
/, And il will be hard TO get me up again
] will not prattle about confidence
Il but ! will back my chances. And
will wager that il VIII not be lon,
fight--but hard, terrible, might
crash-a short, sensational one, ] pc
I 1urv il Will be.