Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-23
ENGLAND PRODUCES NO
HEA VYWEIGHT STARS
Nation Has Developed M@Uels in Most Branches of
Sport but Big Boxers Of Championship Caliber
Are Missing-Better in Lighter Weights
BY GRANTLAND RICE
r,poRT Is replete with mysterious epi

r,poRT Is replete with mysterious epi.
S,odes and performances.
There are times when it's turns are
b,vond all computation IN the whirl oil
the game. . -.
~ L. Great I,ritain's inability to de-
'n,on a heavyweight champion who is
worth his weight in cheese.
In Other Lines
TIERE we have a nation that in golf
II bas developed it's Nsrdon, Braid,
Tovlor, Hilton, Ball and Tolley-
among countless others.
nation that IN tennis has sent forth
n, Dohertys. its Wilding. its Brookcs
and a long line Of other stars. ~
nation that was able TO come over
and wrest away the Polo Cup from our
veteran four.
,ore and middle distance runners. sec :.
and TO none 10 any realm.
Crcat Britain In way has been a
rst;on Of athletes. with innumerablc
cricket and football stars at both rugby
II is n race noted for bulldog quail
tcs for stamina, courage and skill upon
Tho omen field of competition.
+, Wes from Cornwall that Bob Fitz.
s;mmons came. the greatest fighting
machine. pound for pound, in all ring
history.
And vet for twenty five years not n
single heavyweight star of any merit
has risen up to hold his own.
Under Proper Auspices
ALL this while the boxing game has
"A been encouraged in England, while
for the greater part of the time IT was
discouraged in the United states.
An English boxer was given every
chance to move forward. l1c was given
A world of encouragement and was fos-
tered from the start. Rich men were
always willing to take him up aud see
that he got the best break available.
Yet the answer has been a Rom-
harder Wells. a Goddard or Beckett.
sssy nrcy for any average fighter who
might come along.
England sent her two best. Wells
and Beckett. against a young French.
man. and he knocked both cold aud
clnmmy in a stanza or two.
There have always been half dozen
h,avyweights in this country who could
tear the dome off England's champion
with swing or two.
Why is it that a nation capablc OF
developing so manuy stars along all
other lineS--a nation widely known for
lis stamina and courage and ability
10 stick--has been able to develop one
heavyweight star in twenty five years
OF constant effort?
Why is it that a nation able to de-
velop Wilding. Brookcs. Nardon,
A Braid, Jackson. etc, has never been
able in o quarter of century TO dc.
yelop q Sullivan, a Corbett, Dempsey
even a Willard or a Fulton?
We give it up.
A Tender Point
THIS is a tender point in British
l. pride. Here in the steamy year Of
1920 they are meeting us on land and
water.-at golf, tennis. yachting. track
athletics and various other ways---but
the heavyweight championship is mat
ter between an American and a French
man.
10 the lighter weights England has
had her Welsh. her Wilde, her Owen
Moran and many others.
But in the testing class-the heavy
vsight--she has only her Joseph Beck
EFT, unable to last out round against
Frenchman twenty pounds lighter in
weight.
It's queer turn. figure it any way
you will. 4 turn Ia which at present
no one seems to have fit reply.
TT HAS never been question of cour-
age or Of nerve. 1t has been a mat.
ter Of finding n combination Of punching
power, boxing skill and ability to alb
sorb punishment. Wells had the first