The Washington herald., 1922-06-12
FEATHER CHAMPION
OBJECTION
TO WEIGHT CHANGE
Insists That Poundage at
Which He Won Title
Be Retained.
EseHARLEs F. MATHIsoN.

pionship OF America, and who ap-
pears TO think he Is above boxing
Law, declares that. as he won his
title from Attell at l22 pounds
rinzside, he will refuse to defend
IL at the universal and official
weight of 12s pounds at p. NJ.
II matters not TO Kilbane that he
is unable to make 122 pounds ring
side, and that 126 pounds Is now
his normal ring weight. Challens-
ers must obey his dictum of l22
pounds ringside. while he dons the
nittens at catchweights- Kilbans
Ia unmoved by the fact that box
ing officials all over the world
have agreed on the present scale
of weights as the most equitable
In the history of boxing. In addi-
tion, IL Is the first and only time
that uniform scale OF weights
has been in force wherever boxing
has been in force wherever box
ing Is patronized. Yet Kilbane,
who won the American feather
weight title from Attell by .
questionable decision on points.
and under unfair conditions, holds
himself superior to an information
al boxing law.
Knbane possibly is under the
impression that the International
Boxing Union of Europe (whose
rules are observed in England,
France. Italy and Belgium). the
Australian Boxing Commission and
all the boxing commissions in the
United States and Canada changed
the featherweight limit to l26
pounds at P. NJ. with the sole
object OF depriving him of his
title. He is mistaken. The weights
were changed because the old scale
was inequitable in that the diff
ferences between the lighter
classes. wherein a few pounds Is
a material handicap. were too great.
For example. under the old scale
of 116 for bantams the jump to
the featherweight poundage of 122
was but six pounds. But from
122 to 1913 was eleven pounds, from
1913 to 145 was twelve pounds.
from 145 to 15S was thirteen
pounds. and from 15s TO IT'S was
seventeen pounds.
New Weights Equitable.
Under the new scale the iyweight
poundage is 112 pounds. and to lis
is six pounds; lis to 126 is eight
pounds; 12s to 135 is nine pounds.
thus lessening the distance between
the lighter classes. In the heavier
classes, where weight is not so i'm
portant a factor. there is twelve
pounds between light and welter.
thirteen pounds between welter and
middle. and fifteen pounds between
middle and light heayy
These figures have received the
official approval of boxing author
tiles all over the world, and they
don't suit Kilbane.
Predecessors of Kilbane were not
so captious as to weight. For eX-
ample. George Dixon won the feath-
erweight title from Cal Mccarthy at
us pounds ringside. The victor de-
Tended his hOnors at weights as high
as 126. and then lost the champion
ship 90 Terry McGovern at lis
pourds ringside-
McGovern fought all comers at all
kindsof weight and finally dropped
his tile to Young Corbett at l2o
pounds. Corbett apparently did NOT
care much for the featherweight
honors and vaulted into the light
weight class. where he met disaster.
This gave Attell a chance to claim
the feather title. and as he was .
little chap, he asked challengers to
make l22. He lost to Kilbane at
that weight and the latter has die
tated 122 to all challengers. retain
ing the privilege Of entering the
ring at catchweights.
Four classes only were restricted
to weight in the days Of the London
rules. Bantam was los. feather lis,
light 1873 and middleweight 1854.
Weighing was at ringside, a most
unfair method, for the boxer who
had difficulty in making a stipulated
weight had no time to recuperate
from the effects of training befors
beginning the fight.
Knockout Problem.
The question as to whether Bobby
Barrett was knocked out in the
sixth or seventh rounds of his bout
with Tender has stirred up con-
siderable discussion. According to
the referee the bout was held under
Queensberry rules, and as the sixth
round ended before Barrett had been
counted out his defeat was accom-
plished when he failed to answer
the bell for the seventh.
Under the Walker law II a boxer
ginning of a round he Is declared
to have been knocked out in the
preceding round. Also II a boxer
Acknowledges defeat between
rounds by the tossing of a towel
he Is declared to have been knocked
out In the preceding round. In the
case Of Willard at Toledo he fin
ished the third round. but his chief
second tossed In a towel hefora tho
bell rang for the fourth round. He
was counted out by the referee as
he sat In his corner, and the record
sets forth that he was knocked out
in the fourth round. The bout was
fought under oueensberry rules.
Stanley Ketchel knocked Phila-
dslphia Jack O'Brien unconscious
in the last round of a decisionless
ten-round bout The bell ended the
tenth and last round before ten was
counted over o'Brien. The latter
did not recover consciousness for
several minutes afterward but
Ketchel got no credit for a victory.
The bout is entered in the records
as a no decision" contest.
The walker law rule provided
that when a boxer fails to answer
the bell for a round he Is to be de-
clared knocked out in the preced-
ing round appears to be the most
rational disposition of the situa-
ton II that rule were universally
enforced IL would do away with
endless disputes every time such a
case bobs up.
For boisterous seconds Philadel-
phia holds the championship. Five
rObrrst. stron1-lunRad narS0p, -arA