Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-18
MILLIONS Of NEW
BOXING FANS MADE
BY WAR TRAINING
Influence of Returning Soldiers
Promises Tremendous Revf-
val of Sport That Helped
Defeat Huns,
(By Robert Edgren.)
Copyright, 1919 by the Press Pub
liShing 90


fishing co.
THE New York Evening Word.)
What is the United States going to
do about boxing when our soldiers re-
turn from the war
Boxing has become the greatest OF
all sports in the army. Millions of
our boys have become skilled boxers
They will all want to continue boxing
Many will want TO take un boxing as
4 profession. Every one will have
Keen delight in at least seeing the
most skilled professionals in action.
To the last man they will want to
have boxing in every state.
We have millions of new boxing
fans; not the slightest doubt about
that, The result Of Their influence
viii be the most tremendous revival
that any sport has ever known. Box
ing. as | have It directly Irom many
commanding officers IN our armies,
has been a tremendously good thing
for our soldiers, More than anything
else in all their training, it has made
them the aggressive, dashmg. quick
thinking troops who outciassed and
overwhelmed the solid German vet
Grams. II has made awkward. untratn-
cd men over into the best. most self
reliant soldiers in the world. And 1t
always. from this time on, viii be rec
ognized as a real American sport. |
am glad 10 see that some of our col
leges have already adopted boxing as
a major sport'-a thing that Captain
Omer, athletic coach at Camp Grant
predicted months ago.
In my mail from the front I have
received many letters from soldiers
interested in boxing as a sport. who
hope that on their return they will
find boxing freed from all foolish re-
strictionS at home.
Here is a letter from Phil King. the
famous athlete:
on Active Service in France
Friend Bob dropped into a Y, ,
NJ hut today and saw Mike O'Dowd !
box ten fast rounds. five with Frank |
Rice of Butte, Mont. and five with |
Young" Sully of Newark, n, j. Rice |
weighed about 100 pounds and sully |
about 1872 pounds. Had quite a chat |
with O'Dowd. and he says he never |
felt better in his life. and | believe (
him, because he sure looks great and |
is as fast as lightning. He weighed /
1853 today. and you might warn the /
few middleweights that are left in the .
states TO watch out when Mike re-
turns.
| sincerely hope that the old mol
lycoddles" will not succeed in killing !
the king of sports before we return.
Uncle Sam thinks well enough Of the
sport to make II a part OF our regu
lar training. and that ought to be
enough to shut up all the old ladies,
male and female, on THIS question.
We are al we'll and happy, and
while we're anxious to see the dear
old L. T. a. again we do not want tot
leave until the referee has counted
at least 100 over the kaiser, You
know if we only counted ten he might
be stalling. Sincerely yours,
CORPL. PIN KING.
Gene belmont, one of our best
enlisted in the 14Sth
Aero Squadron, and. according to
Major Rice, was one of the coolest
men he saw up close to the front
lines during the last big German
drive. Under constant bombardment
from the big German guns, belmont
was always smiling and happy be-
cause he was serving his country.
belmont writes:
Il have seen plenty of excitement
than | ever saw in the boxing
game. Fistic encounters can hardly
he compared with this war for thrills
and real live action. Everything IS /
going fine with me and | am getting
pretty well used to this life. 1t makes ,
a fellow forget any hardships he may
when he realizes that he is
doing something to help the cause
along. >
Il have not had time to use the :
gloves over here, but there is a great
interest in the sport throughout our s
whole army, and well have lot of t
boxing enthusiasts to boom the sport
when we go home
This is the thread Of thought that 2
runs through every one Of hundreds
Of letters from soldiers. Wen boom '
he sport when we get home" I
The so-called "reformer," casting
l calculating eye about to see what
ne can attack with the greatest