The Washington times., 1921-09-08

Cornishman from Australia fought
his way up to the top. Winning the
middleweight title from Jack Demp-
sey, he won the heavyweight honors
at Carson City from Jim Corbett.
Five years before the San Francisco
bank clerk had been clever enough to
wrest the title from the peerless John
l.. Sullivan, but he fell when Bob
Fitzsimmons. swaying on his feet.
Int home that awful solar plexus
blow.
Tommy Ryan stepped into the mid
dleweight leadership when Fitsim-
mons became worlds heavyweight
champion in 1897 and for ten years
reigned supreme. He closely ap-
preached Jack Dempsey for ring craft
and for courage. He quit when there
were no more worlds to conquer.
On his retirement, Stanley Ketchel
just coming to the 'front.' laid claim
to the crown. This was disputed by
the "Kewanee Thunderbolt," Billy
Papke. So they met and Papke
Knocked out his rival. He was the un-
disputed middleweight champion.
Undisputed? No, that's wrong.
Ketchel disputed il. Ketchel would
let no defeat stop him, so in eighty
days they met again and Ketchel re-
gained the crown with a knockout,
He Took EN- All.
The Michigan Assassin went
through the middleweight class like
a reaper through field of standing
grain. The power of his famous
shift" was known throughout the
land. Middleweights fell before 1t.
Heavies crumpled up as that awful
left sank into them amidships. STAN
ley Ketchel was a real champion.
There was talk of a white hope"
to defeat Jack johnson. Casting
about. promoters suggested to Ketchel
that he try his luck. Did Ketchel
hesitate? Not for a second. They
wei matched and they entered the
ring at Colma, Cal. For eleven rounds
the small, slender Ketchel held his
own with the big, smiling black man.
In the twelfth round, Ketchel
thought he saw chance to win with
q knockout. He swung that terrible
right. 1t landed just an inch or 80
too high on Johnson's jaw. Dowr
went the heavyweight, 6azed and sur.
prised. Even then, Ketchel might
have won by clever boxing. but gone
was his generalship. gone his discre-
ton. He piled right in and johnson
him out in the same round.
But can anyone imagine Wilson or
Downey facing Jack Dempsey in the
sam. ring today? Neither can we.
. On Ketchel's untimely death, Frank
Klaus, a Pennsylvania miner, came
into the championship through the
process Of defeating all the other
He was not flashy, but his
and courage made him an
acceptable titleholder. He was the
last acceptable middleweight cham
pion. Those following have been but
shadows of those ancient heroes, Don.
ovan, Dempsey, Fitzsimmons, Papke
and Ketchel.
Today the entire middleweight field
is disappointing. Mike Gibbons. when
at his prime. declined to face the
except where no decisions
we're permitted. He has never shown
the courage that real champions al.
ways have. He has made money, and
has most of it, too, showing him to be
a business man rather than a fighter.
George Chip knocked out Klaus
twice, showing a distinct advantage
over him, even though he was duh
before others Of less reputation.
Klaus wisely quit boxing. In 1914, Al
Mccoy, a southpaw hamfat, knocked
chip for a goal and managed, by re.
fusing bouts and lodging decisions, to
retain whatever honors he had for
three years. He fell victim to Mike
o'Dowd, possessor Of little but game
ness. Johnny Wilson is said to have
putpointed O'Dowd last year in Bos-
ton. Anyway, the referee awarded
him the title after twelve rounds of
average boxing.
Thus has the glamor left the mid
contingent. The class
awaits q newcomer, man with a
punch, with heart, with skill and n
champions fire. Then both Wilson
and Downey will Jump out of the ring
ra ther than face him.