Evening journal., 1919-01-21
Nd DECISION BOUTS
HAVE HURT BOXING
Official Verdicts Needed If
Fighters Are to Display
Real Ability
LEADERS ARE
AT FAULT


Althoush lesalized decisionless box
ing bouts have been tried in four States
and found wanting, the bin drawn by
Senator Gibbs, OF Buffalo, provides for
the retention OF that feature IN the
proposed new law for New York state.
The burden Of complaint OF those
who nav to see boxing bouts Is that
the leading boxers do not contest on
their merits and thus fail 10 give the
ticket buyers q fair return for tne
money expended.
Preliminary boxing In a majority OF
instances give the patrons the only
value received for the financial outlay.
for the youngsters are eager to maks
regulations and get TO the top Of the
ladder. But the prominent boxers, nins
times out OF ten, knowing that the ref
refree will not decide on points, daw-
die along for seven or nine rounds, ac-
cording TO location Of the ring, ana
then in the final session making
cyclonic rush with g view to catching
the eve OF the unofflcial referee.
Even the boxer who unonlcially Is
declared 20 be the loser knows that
the puglllstlc records will not show
that he was beaten. The contest IS set
down as an N. D." mo decisionl az
fair, or as one facetious dawdler put
it, nothing doing"
These disappointing bouts are being
staged weekly in New Jersey, Wis
consin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and
other decisionless points, where fully
50 per cent. Of the so-called "star"
bouts are not on their merits. In the
same States at least SO per cent. Of the
preliminary contests bring out the best
efforts Of the boxers.
The remedy for this glaring defect
in boxing is a decision in every bout
that takes place. When a prominent
boxer realizes that every time he Is
defeated the fact will be set forth In
the records, he will be apt to try and
make every bout a winning one.
In Boston, New Orleans, Dayton and
other cities, where decisions on points |
are made by referees at the end Of lin
tied round bouts, there IS very little |
dwadling done by the leading ring
sters.
The only argument advanced against
,it.I.- -, referees Is that they might |
,rcreasa ,,e.-e the betting on contests. AS a
nisln matter OF fact, decisionless Douts
psssr p,s,r . greater opportunity for oet-
ting. A.. ,rtsrest NJ |
D tonsst hoxina that the Gibbs Dill wnen |
it reaches the Legislature wig
a,,snded so as to permit OF decisions
by offlcial referees. N = a..
pespite the apparent absurdity OF lRe
80. ga tnsistence in certain /
C,1arters on the proposition that
nngilistie title can change hanos d.
p.eteob,yeiohts in the classes below
heavyweight .,,,,a,.s con-
..s,sS a. catchweights because weight
,,oaS ,ss not c,,t much Of a figure In that
,1Sgis,on But in the classes below tnat
~ Nv i1.S ih1.sSa,,,,1yeisht. and especially In the
bantam, feather and nsntwelshe oitl-
sions, poundsge is cohsloeleu VI 'i0
greatest Importance.
In the early days Of the ring tne GUS
tom for little men In making a ustcn
was to agree to "give or take wv
TWO pounds was tne lilll1 VI
and In many OF tne lIhpoI
tant battles Of the ring the champions
have refused TO ooncede an ounce 10
This shows how much importance
was attached to weight in the hshter
Never in the history Of pugilism has
a championship match been made al
In the bantam, feather
light or middleweight classes. The rea-
son Is obvious.
II tltleholder could go into the ring
in a championship contest at catch
weights. he could, II he chose, scale
several pounds more than his oppon-
ent. which would give him a great ad-
vantage.
Therefore in order to assure equality
Of weight for the smaller men OF tne
ring. weights have been assigned to the
various classes. In Europe and Aus
tralia these weights have been set by
authorized bodies and have been strict
" enforced. In England there have been
several Instances OF disqualification of
champions who failed TO make the
weight Of their classes for title bouts.
In America the lack Of an authorlta-
tive boxing body has opened the door
10 titleholders to Ak their own weights
and while the poundage has varied
from time TO time, no championship
match in the lighter classes ever has
been made at catchweights.
As a matter OF fact the articles OF
agreement IN every championship
match that has taken place In America
have contained a definite weight at
which the contestants were to meet.
In many cases where one OF the boxers
has failed to conform the weight his
opponent has collected forfeit
II a champion makes match with
a challenger who is inclined to over
top the stipulated poundage he not