The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-26
ALL-TIME BOXING
 TEAM PICKED BY
 TOMMY TOWPKINS
Former Scrapper and Present Boxing Instructor of B. A. C. Selects AlI-Star Team of
 Present-Day Boxers


 Selects All-Star Team of
 PreSent-Day Boxers
 tWhen asked by the Age-Herald sport ing editor to give his views on the truly greats of rinsdom, Tommy Tomp- kins, veteran ringman and at present toxing instructor of the Birmingham Athletic club submitted the following ar ticle for approval of the fanS
 By TOMMY TOMPkINS,
 B. A. [. Boxing Instructor
 Like picking an all-American football team, selecting au all-time boxing team is a difficult undertaking. In fact, it is somewhat more difficult than picking all all-sectional football team, for there must be something more than ones opin- ion to back up his selections. The records must be consulted and the results cou- sidered before any man can say that one boxer is better than another.
 When asked by the Age-Herald $ sport iig editor the first part of the past week to pick an all-star boxing team for this paper, | immediately began a search of the records. l am not exaggerating bit when | say that 1t took me almost the entire part Of last week to find the information I was after.
 Before picking an all-time team I first picked a team of the greateset present day fighters. These boxers, of course. are well known to the sporting public and there are many who will, no doubt, dispute the writer's selections. The records, however. back me up in my picks.
 HEAVYWEIGHTS
 Take the heavy we gnt ciass for in- stance Who is a better heavyweight to- No least, if there is anyone better than Jack he has not been brought to light vet. Georges Carpenter is said to be d wonder but he has not yet been proven superior to Dempsey and personally. the writer doesn't believe he ever will
 Going down the list of heavies we meet bunch of fighters who have been beaten only on rare occasion. The writer has selected this quintet as the best: Dempsey, Carpentier, Wills Bren- nan and Greb. With the exception of Kill Brennan. who was defeated by Dempsey a short time ago, every boxer mentioned except the champ is a chal- leuger for that same heavyweight king title.
 MIDDLEWE FIGHTS Coming to the middleweights, quin- tet of really great present-day boxers are presented. Although many fans will no doubt, consider it strange, l have left off the name of one Johnny Wilson, who is at present middleweight cham pion Wilson won the title from O'Dowd on fluke and were he rematched with Mike, he would, no doubt lose his crown as unceremoniously as he won it, O'Dowd, smith, McGoorty. Rather and Downey are the best of the preSent-day 1 flock. SO the records say, and personal l observation on the part of the writer | fully backs up these selections. ] Of the weterweights. champion Jack 1 Britton is without a doubt the king of | them all His scientific boxing has won | many a bout for him from heavier l hitting opponent and, on occasions, the l champ has flashed sleep-produc.ng punch that knew no onposition
 LIGHTWEI
 Benny Leonard is easily the peer of any fighter of the lightweight class. Tn fact, Benny comes near to being the ideal champion Way out in front ahead of the rest of the field, Leoa- ard Is always willing to defend his t. tie against any youngster who think he has a chance to cop off the crown. Leonards science and hitting powers make him an exceedingly hard man to beat. Jackson Dundee, Tender anl 1 Mitchell follow closely behind Leon ard and are so closely punched among themselves that it is almost impossible to pick the best one of the bunch. Any one of them would stand slight ] chance against Leonard. while many think that Tendler would have an even chance if he were to meet the cham pion.
 FEATHERWEIHGTS Johnny Kilbane is king of the pres ent-day featherweght boxers. He is a shifty, hard hitting little scrapper and would be menace to almost any of ] the lightweights Frush Richards. | Chaney and DeFoe follow in about the order named The featherweights seem 1 to he the scarcest of the lot. although some mighty good boys fight in this | class,
 BANTAMWEIGHTS 1 Little Jimmy Wilde. called the fly weight champion, seems to be the bes; of the little fellows. The nyweight I class does es ist and Wilde is worlds 1 champ of this division, but the writer has not conS.H sr1G this class in his se- 1 lections.
 Wilde is l',tle light for the ban tamweignt class. nut ne is a. croking good little hVxer and believe that he ] would hold his own with any of the boys of this class os today, Joe Lynch. <, crowned hentarnwejHj' king n New | York the other night when he de- feated Pete Herman. is close behind I Wilde while Jack Sharkey is not far behind the pair. Pete Herman and Young Montreal make up the list. Her man would be way up in front had ne a little more aggressiveness.
 ALL-TIME TEAM 1 The writer will not discuss the comparative merits of the boxers se- lected on the all-time team. as many of these boys are not in active ringdom these days and are not as well known to the sport public as the present day ! scrappers.
 have selected the boys named on the all time team because of their , showing against men of their class ] and. in many cases. against the heavie ? scrappers of the classes above them. | When I was in active ringdom I was associated more or less with the ma jority of the boys selected, and I know them from the viewpoint Of both the fan and the associate Still harping on ! the cold facts of the records, I submit the following teams
 GREATEST PRESENT
 DAY FIGHTERS Heavyweights - Jack Dempsey Georges Carpentier. Harry Wills Gel, l Bill Brennan and Harry Greb. leweights--Mike O'Dowd, left l Smith. Eddie McGoorty. Augie Rat | ner and Bryant Downey Welterweig ghts-Jack Britton, Louie | Bogash. Ted Lewis. Young Denny and Jack Perry
 Llghtw eights-3 Benny Leonard, Will lie Jackson. Johnny Dundee Lew 1 Tender and Ritchie Mitchell herweights--Johnny Kilbane