The New York herald., 1921-09-04
FAIR Play ASSURED
DOWNEY And WILSON
No Danger Of Repetition Of
Unpleasant Incidents of
Cleveland Contest.
SYMPATHY WITH oHIoAN
IB0stonian Must Win Decisiveiy
to Dispel Belief He Was
Saved by Referee.
BY CHARLES r. sfArHIsoN.

BY CHARLES r. MATHIsON.
A desire to see fair play is the SEN
timent that will attract thousands of
boxing patrons to Boyle's Thirty Acres
tomorrow afternoon. Johnny Wilson
Of Boston and Bryan Downey of Ohio
will be the contestants In a bout
scheduled for twelve rounds, and the
worlds middleweIght title. which is in
dispute between the boxers. may be
gained by the fighter who scores a
knockout.
AS the referee under Jersey law cam
not name a winner on points. the victor.
- there be one. must bring the bout to a
close before the end of the twelfth round.
Otherwise the situation as regards the
title will remain unchanged. Wilson
will still claim that he Is the holder Of
the title by virtue Of the decision Of al
legged foul given against Downey in the
Cleveland contest by Jimmy Gardner,
Wilson's imported referee.
Downey. on the strength Of the Cleve-
land Boxing Commissions action In re-
voking Gardncr's ruling and declaring
the Ohioan winner by Knockout, will in
sist that he is the champion
1t is by no means the skill or reputa-
tion Of Downey and Wilson as fighters
or boxers that viii draw the crowd to
the Jersey City arena. for neither classes
with the great champions Of the past
in the nniddleweight division. The at
tractive force. therefore, Is general de-
sire on the part OF the public to see the
two men in the ring under Conditions as
suring absolute fair play to each.
London Rules Dead.
It is the fashion Of those who espouse
the cause of Wilson to pirate of the SUI
premacy Of the referee. forgetting that
the only rules that made the third man
in the ring supreme London rules) have
been obsolete for years. They have been
superseded by commission rules through
out America, and by the rules Of the
International Boxing Union In Europe.
Since the elimination of the London and
Queensberry code, reversals of the de-
cisions Of referees have been frequent
in America and also in Europe.
Therefore. the Cleveland Boxing Com
mission has both law and precedent in
support Of its action in overturning the
remarkable ruling Gardner made at a
time when Wilson was on the floor. an
apparently knocked out fighter. With
out reference to the sophistry of Wilson
and his supporters in their claim that a
referee has the right to save his en-
pioyer from defeat through the medium
of declaring foul that was not seen by
any one else in the arena, the belief is
held by the public that Downey was
treated very unjustly.
1t Is for that reason that the crowds
that will fock to the arena tomorrow
will entertain the hope that Downey
repeats his Cleveland performance,
when he fioored Wilson three times in
the seventh round. The onlookers will
feel assured that with an impartial ref
cree. who is not in the employ of either
fighter, each will receive fair treatment
If Wilson can defeat Downey on his
merits his victory will be freely ac-
knowledged. and his excuse Of lack Of
condition In the Cleveland combat will
be accepted. II, however, Wilson fails
to decisively defeat Downey, the result
Will be regarded as strong evidence that
the decision of foul made by Gardner
In Cleveland was more In the nature of
an attempt to rescue from certain de-
feat a friend and employer than to pun
ish any offence by Downey In violation
OF rules.
Wilson's requirement OF the title and
his defense of the honors have been
marked by unpleasant Incidents.
O'Dowd lost the championship to Will
son as the result OF decision on points
at the close of twelve-round bout In
Boston, and the merits of the decision
were argued at length for months fol-
lowing the contest Then came the re-
turn bout at Madison Square Garden
which went the limit. Wilson received
the decision. although ODowd. strug-
Cling under the handicap of numerous
fowl blows. appeared to have a shade
at the close.
Referee Was Calm.
During the infiction of at least half
dozen low blows on O'Dowd the ref
cree looked on with the utmost uncon-
Germ. He could not have shown less
interest had blows below the belt been
definitely legalized by the rules. There
was even n disposition, furthered by
the Wilsonites. to insist that O'Dowd
had not been hit fouls. This propa-
ganda was quickly exposed when
ODowd. two days after the battle.
went to a hospital and was operated
on for hernia. In view OF the fact that
the examining physician OF the New
York Boxing Commission pronounced
O'Dowd to be physically At before en-
tering the ring, the conclusion is in
evitable that ODowd's injury was due
to WILSON'S low blows.
The Boxing Commission had a colder,
opportunity to strike a blow for clean
sport by declaring O'Dowd winner on
foul, but the chance was ignored. The
same commission had overruled ref
erecs In less serious cases, but seemed
overawed by the fact that Wilson was
the holder of q title.
Wilson has a well defined reputation
as striker of foul blows and on sew
eral occasions has been disqualified by
fearless referees
Therefore. Wilson and his tactics will
receive the acid test tomorrow after
noon In Jersey City. Nothing In the
Bostonians record serves TO create the
belief that he can stop the rugged Dow
ney, FOR Wilson'S record contains few
knockouts. 1t is possible he may win
on points IL the contest lasts the limit
OF twelve rounds. but that would be a
negative victory.
III knockout ends tho bout Downey
Is more likely - register II. as he did
the only elective hitting during the
Cleveland encounter.
In view of the unsavory incidents
preceding the rematching of Downey
and Wilson 1t Is fortunate that the
bout Is to be staged under the auspices
NJ Tex Richard This is guarantee
mat nothing conducive to order and
fair play will be overlooked.
DYa0 Hunt IN WeofrhosSor