The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-05-22
(By ED, HUGHES \


 Syndicate, Inc.)
 There is a tradition now, due to past performances, that every new middleweight champion, must jump from the shadowy hordes of Un- knowns-those undiscovered phenom- enons who battle in ringdom's dark ness until a lucky sockdolager sheds the welcome light of publicity OF their ability. Johnny Wilson made good the tradition which was es- tablished by nearly every middle weight tit1e-holder before him.
 In no other class of fighters has the Unknown been such a factor in capsizing champions as in the middle weight division. Since the days of Jack Dempsey, the original Mon pariel," each of the eleven title changing encounters has produced an unknown" or a comparative "un- known,'' on the winning end.
 Back in 'S9 George La Blanche, a marine, using the "pivot blows back-handed wal1op later deemed foul, knocked out the great Dempsey in the thirty-second round. It is rated as one of the prize-ring's great est surprises. La Blanche wasn't an t'Unknown,' but he wasn't classed with Dempsey as a fighter. In fact.
 
 Blanche out rather handi1y in thir- teen rounds. La Blanche had also been knocked out by a boxer named Kessler, third rater, shortly before the Dempsey meeting. La Blanche wasn't a real champion for he wouldn't give Dempsey another chance, fearing the result. But he wrote the first insta1lment of the series of unexpected reverses for mid T 1oHrT Jof oI7
 Two years later La Blanche fell before Young Mitchell, a Californian, who had been doing some good fight ing in far away Australia.
 Later, when Dempsey, again recog- nized as the genuine champion of his class, fought Bob Fitzsimmons, the Unknown again furnished a thrill. Fitz had engaged in only two fights in this country, and his last fight in Australia had terminated in a four round defeat at the hands of Jim Hall. While Fitz had proved him self formidable specimen in his bouts with Billy Mccarthy and Ar thur Upham few conceded him chance to beat Dempsey even though the latter had ttgone back Fitz beat Dempsey helpless in thirteen rounds. Kid Mccoy based his claim to the middIeweight honors after beating Ryan in fifteen rounds at Maspeth, L. I. The defeat was the one stain on Ryans splendid ring escutcheon-for Mccoy wrote Ryan a letter requesting him mot to beat him up too much,'' to "rem ember old times,' and wind ing up by asking him to make the losers end of the purse little larg- CT because he (McCoy) expected to get it.
 Stanley Ketchel was an obscure , cowboy when he beat Joe Thomas. our best midd1eweight in 1907. Ketch e1, the "unknown,' trained in the rear of a. saloon on a punching bag. dough- nuts and coffee. He surprised every one by obtaining draw" after 20 hard rounds. Two months later he became the recognized midd1eweight champion by knocking out Thomas in 2 rounds.
 After Ketchel had beaten Papke in a. ten round bout the Spring Valley ''Thunderbolt'' furnished a sensation by knocking the great Ketchel out after 12 crimson rounds at Lost An 1 ge1es in 1908. KetcheI was so ter ribly beaten it was thought he was forever through. Two months later he was tricked and whipped by a former sparring partner. A coterie of | McCoy's financial packers were the only ones ''in' on McCoy's justifable conviction that he could whip Ryan. he borrowed of the mdddaeweight title l contender's luck and beat his con queror down in eleven rounds. Sport dom " estounded to say the least