The Washington herald., 1921-02-03
By ROBERT EDGREN.

The Mitchells are still after Benny
Leonard's title, not at all discour-
aged because Benny gave Ritchie
his second trimming. The fact that
Ritchie dropped Benny fiat on his
back, after being twice put down
himself, proves that the lightweight
champion can be hit and can be
knocked down. knocking him out
is only a matter of continuing the
process. II Ritchie cant do II,
there's Pinkey, VINO is good enough
now to break even with Willie
jackson. and who probably wouldn't
be as coy as Willie If offered a
chance 10 night for the Champion
ship.
This isn't the hrst time in fistic
history that families have been in
the title hunt.
Some time ago there were the
Forbes brothers. Harry had the
feather-weight championship and
Clarence was equally classy as
boxer. A favorite hunting ground
then for champions was the Pacific
Coast. where long fights were held
and promoters gave the best purses
Of that day. The Forbes boys went
to California, and Clarence was
beaten by frankie Neil, a corking
little Frisco fighter, who grew up
with Eddie Hanlon. Toby Irwin,
Jimmy Britt and a lot of other good
ones from the Mission and Tele-
graph Hill.
Harry Forbes fought frankie
Neil, intending to revenge the fam
lily. Neil had a wonderful left-hand
punch, and he landed it on Harry
and knocked him out.
Then there was the Gardner fam
lily. Jimmy was welter champion
once, and as clever a fighting man
as ever put on a glove. George
was light-heavy-weight champion.
He knocked out Jack Root in the
first fight ever held for that title,
and later lost it on a twenty-round
decision to Bob Fitzsimmons.
The Sullivan twins from Boston
mixed up in championship affairs.
Mike long claimed the welter-
weight title and Jack the middle
weight. Both were lean, Ianky and
bald, and they surely could fight!
Out Go the Twins.
At last Stanley Ketchel appeared
and knocked Mike out in one round.
nearly breaking his neck with the
knockout blow. Jack, the bigger
brother, asked for a match with
Ketchel for the purpose of reveng
ing his brothers defeat, and Ketchel
obliged him about two months later.
Jack Sullivan was the greatest old
fox ever seen in a ring. He could
fight men twice his size and half
his age and make attacks with
.lrsl !,
Ketchel knocked him out, too.
Tom Sharkey had a brother Jack,
who was ambitious to fight Jeffrles
after Jeff beat Tom. Jack trained
and studied boxing, and won a cou-
pie of small bouts, but was finally
convinced that he wasn't another
Tom and went into business, where
he did very well.
Jim Jeffries' brother Jack was a
powerful big fellow and a very good
heavyweight. Jim wanted Jack to
take the heavyweight title after
Jim retired. but Jack Johnson spoil
ed that plan. beating Jack in FIVE
rounds. Jack Jeffries thought bet
ter of it and became a successful
mining man in Mexico.
Abe Attell had a couple Of fight
ing brothers. Monte was fairly good
and Abe tried to make him a cham
pion. But Monte wasn't quite
enough of a fighter and a little too
much of a business man to get to
the top in the ring. He was too
cautious.
Aurelio Herrera, the great Mex
lean lightweight, who was very
near the top in his class, had a
brother, Mauro Herrera, good
fighter, but never quite a CHAMPION
ship possibility.
Billy Britt won amateur cham
pionships as bantam, feather and
lightweight. Then Jimmy came
along and beat Nelson and other
good men until he was regarded as
white lightweight champion. Cans
beat him for the big title.
Leach Cross was near the light
weight title. several times. His
brother Sam looked like a world
beater but was knocked out in an
amateur bout and decided box
fighting" was no business. He be-
came a lawyer. Phil Cross and
Monty Cross each did some good
fighting and had championship as
pirations, but neither were ever as
good as Leachie.
Mike Gibbons was regarded by
many as the real middleweight
champion, His brother Tom Is a