Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-03
TWO men WITH KNOWN ABILITY
WILL BATTLE AT EMPIRE WHEN
! ROPER And BURKE SQUARE OFF
This Is What the Fans Lay Down
Cold Cash for and is Reason
MeaASr Gets Crowds.

The boxing lid will be pried open
IN the tri-cities in earnest when
Captain Bob Roper and Sergeant
Jack Burke tangle a week from
Thursday night at the Empire rink
before Babe Meanor's club. One
bright thing about the coming
match-it will not be two men of
unknown quantity for whom the
fans will lay down their cold cash
to see battle. Burke fought here
last spring with Hughie Walker as
his opponent and made a good
showing for a big fellow just
breaking into the limelight. Roper
will be a new face to local flstic
bugs. but Judging from the tone OF
press notices he is receiving in the
large cities of the country, no mis-
take viii be made by those who pay
to see him in action.
The Labor day appearance Of the
two heavies against each other in
the ring at Benton HarbOr, where
they substituted for yelling
Mitchell, only goes to indicate how
evenly matched the pair will be.
Both took the match upon short
notice and were caught not in the
best of condition. At that. reports
Indicate the large assemblage of
fans was well pleased. Roper was
given a little the better of the ar
gument by the majority of fight
critics at the ringside.
Babe MeanoT has the assurance
of Bob Martin that he will be glad
to tackle the winner of the Burke
Roper bout here in a match that
H. 60 OH II h n of
the army. Both scrappers are dotty
for a crack at the best battler Of
the A. f. F. forces, because they
figure if they had had the chance TO
fight overseas, the honors would
now be heaped upon their shou'-
ders. and not Martins.
Good Things Coming.
This coming fight is just the
first of a lot of good things Babe !
has planned for the entertainment |
of the fans during the long fall |
and winter months. Possessing the |
knack of being able to bring to- !
gether the real topnotchers of each /
division in bouts that rarely prove |
to be mismatched affairs, MeanCr |
has the confidence of the followers /
of the sport That, principally, is .
the main reason that the ring is !
always packed when the first /
gong sounds for his shows.
And they get there early, mainly !
because they like to see the open
ing bouts. Therefore, Babe shows !
good judgment by matching the !
best preliminary fighters in these
parts. Not the ones who are will
ing to get battered up for few dol
lars, but the ones who demand Il
fair price and get it because they !,
deliver the goods.
Now then. on the coming pro-
gram Eddie Summers and George
Reed will mix in the semi-windup.
Neither Of these boys is exactly a
Whirlwiud at the game, but this is
sure-they battle, and battle hard.
They were on the BUrke-Walker
card in the spring and put up such
an evenly fought contest, that the
fans made a special request 10
Babe to bring them together again.
The second preliminary should
he a dandy. Battling Johnson OF
Moline will meet Bum Sells of Mo
line. Anyone who witnessed the
battler beat Kid Cutie on that same
spring program in such a jolting
manner, who wouldn't want to see
him in action again is not pos
sessed of a taste for real fights.
Johnson is not a perfect specimen
in physical proportions by any
means. but he hits, and hits hard,
straight from the shoulder. Sells
is classed as a freak of the ring,
but despite his clumsy, awkward
form, he is a hard nut for any pug
to crack.
From any angle one looks, an
evening of classy entertainment is
indicated.