The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-02-06
Ry EDWARD W. coCHRANE.

III &c ol Ane tlBnt rclgnlnE
worlds champions OF pugilism de-
iehd their titles in battles this week.
but only one will meet Il foe consid-
cred ny the general boxing public to
be formidable enough to stand a
chance of forcing the transfer of a
title, This will be the bout between
Jack Britton and Ted Lewis, schcd-
ulcd to be staged in Madison SQUARE
Garden, New York, Monday nigL.
II viii be 10 rounds to IA decision.
In the other championship affairs,
Joe Lynch, the newly crowned king
OF the bantams, will meet Jahoz
White in st, Louis Wednesday night
and Johnny Wilson, middlcweight
King, who is kept busy lodging tho
best of the available opponents in
his division, will take on Navy Ros-
tan, a fourth ratcr, In bout at
Kenosha. Wis.
This is by no means the first
time Britton and Lewis have en-.
gagged in ring combat They fought
so often before Lewis went to Lon
don to meet Johnny Basham for
the British title at the wclfcrwcirht
limit that II became u ring pke
But their last battle was staged
nearly two years ago, and both have
changed a bit In that time, so there
is . demand for another meeting.
Br.tton and Lewis have actually
fought eighteen times They did an
OF this in n period OF about four
years. one year they fought four
times in a row, the bouts being
| staged within two months. They
started boxing early in 1916 and
that year fought five times, three
times .>cisions going to Brltton, one
of 20 rounds and the other two OF / 2
each.
Each Has Won Decisions.
At that time there was a dispute
as To the righttul holder of the
championship, but Britton was gem
orally conceded to be the king pin
after Ae won the 20-round verdict
over t1ie Englishman. In 1907 they
met in another 20-round affair, and
Lewis won the decision. which
transferred the title TO his dome.
They fought many times after that
but they were no-dccision affairs
and newspaper writer's never did
agree as to the winner. They were
too evenly matched.
Their last important engagement
was In 1919, when Britton registered
a knockout over Lewis in nine
rounds. This gave BrlttOn the un-
disputed claim to the title and he
| has since held II. Lewis went abroad
shortly after that fight, and has
battled In England ever since. lie
| claimed he was not right when he
! fought Britton and lost by "a knock
out. lie rested IN England some
| time and then went through a thor
ough course in training which put
| him in such splendid condition that
I he won the English championship ip
! by beating Johnny Basham, the
pride OF British pugilistic followers.
| lie Immediately challenged Brit
| ton.
This fight was first booked for
| London, February 23, but the Eng
| lish promoters failed to live up TO
| their contract to send transportation
money to Dan Morgan, manager of
/ Rritton, and ne Cancelled the
match. Tex Rickard Immediately
| offered "a sum for Il that proved at
/ tractiye bait and the two welters
| grabbed IL,
These fighters are so evenly
/ matched and have fought so many
/ times with various results that 1t Is
/ impossible 10 pick "A winner. There
/ Will be a decision however, and II Is
/ likely that one of them will get tho
/ award,
Brltton Veteran,
| BIitton is the real veteran Of the
game. He is 80 years Of age and has
| been fighting since T9Ot--a matter
! OF Il years. He has been busy
every year and has engaged in soy
/ eral hundred ring encounters. lewis
! lis 25 years Of age and started boxing
| in London. whore he was born. He
remained in England two years and
| then went 20 Auatralia, whore h
| fought all the lightwcights Of the
! iAutipodcs. He came 20 America I'm
! Ilql5 and soon moved up to the vel
Iterwcight class, whore he has since
/ remained Lewis has engaged In
most Of his battles in this country
land generally il considered an
American fighter, although his home
| is in London.
Joe I.noh viii engage in his f~st
| battle since he won the title when
/ ne meets white In ST Louis Wcdnos-
day night. White Is a good bantam