The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-10-11
EUR0PE'S FIGHT FANS
MAY BE COMPARED TO
BUSH LEAGUE RIOTERS
By FRANK G. sfENKE


The European fistc enthusiast oc-
cupies the same position as resident
of bush lea que baseball town. He
knows only the mediocre and yet as
sumes that 1t Is the standard by
which he should Judge.
It's likely that If some of the real
pugs in this land of $50 hooch-and
rather thin and adulterated hooch, at
that-sailed across the sunlit Atlantic
and displayed their wares, the natives
on the opposite shores would collapse
from establishment.
Over in France-an likewise Eng
land-they rega rded the blonde haired
Carp as absolutely unbeatable; as the
super-man of the prize ring; and even
now, because they haven't seen Jack
Dempsey In action and so are unable
10 appreciate ring class, they have an
idea that maybe somebody tossed a
sleep powder into Georges soup the
night before. or that Dempsey wore
horseshoes within his mittens.
Thought Beckett Wonder
They acclaimed Joe Beckett won
der in England. Then came Frank
Moran, brokendown. griZzled Ameri-
can who is but punching bag for
his home land associates. Moran, the
most horrible boxer among the Ameri-
can heavyweights, hammered Beckett
TO sleep in three rounds, whereupon
England got all excited over him and
acclaimed Moran the acme of fistic
perfection.
Oo-la-la!
When Ted (Kid) Lewis went back
10 his native heath after the war and
ST. MID
dleweights, England hailed him as a
wonder. Yet Lewis was about all
through when he left here and sized
up as a mark for every middleweight
in this country and about 60 per cent
of the real welters.
Few fighters ever created more of a
sensation in Europe than did young
Ahearn, few seasons ago. He mopped
up there with everyone who tried to
whirl a glove at him. That convinced
Europe that he was miracle man
Yet Ahearn was a mark for his Amer
lean opponents.
Ignorant of Greatness
When a continent regards Carpen
tier as a ring super-man and places a
halo of greatness upon has-been Amer
lean fighters such as Moran, Ahearn
and Lewis, it's only natural to con
cluGe that it is ignorant of what con
stitutes real greatness.
England hasn't produced real
heavyweight since Charles Mitchell'S
dax It hasn't seen American cham
pits since Jim Jefferies journeyed
across the deep more than 20 years
ago. And Jim mingled then in little
more than exhibition bouts which
never put him to the test of greatness
Through the years since 1885. Eu
rope hasn't had a middleweight fighter
other than Carpenter. 1t sent t
these shores small army of war
riors in the smaller divisions-and haC
high hopes in their attempts to take
away championship crowns from the
heads of American kings.
But one after another these fellows
came, saw-and were conquered. They
were great among their own kind il
England; they were little more thar
sparring partners for the irresistible
unconquerable Americans.
Some day when Uncle Samuel feel'
in a charitable, kindly mood, he'll take
all his fistic champions and thei
= toughest American rivals over to tn
European lands, sic the boys ont
each other-and show Europe wha
real fights and real fighters are like.
Copyright 1921 by King Features
Syndicate. Incl