New-York tribune., 1922-10-18


lowing his victory over Phil Krug, of
Newark, in their fifteer-round battle
at the velodrome few months ago.
This fight was advertised and Off
cialfy designated by the commission
as battle for the worlds middle
| weight title, and when Rosenberg won
he was regarded, SO far as this state
is concerned, as the champion. Rosen-
berg was subsequently suspended for
his failure to meet Mike O'Dowd at
Ebbets Field. According to commits
sion member yesterdays action is not
necessarily move to relieve the sus-
pended state champion (Rosenberg) Of
his title.
The statement given out by the COM
mission yesterday, however, would
seem to indicate that our boxing au-
thorities here are inclined to discard
Rosenberg and are in favor Of launch
ing a new campaign to find likely
head on which to plant the crown that
is generally regarded to belong to
Johnny Wilson, the fghtless champ of
Boston. m
Mournful Memories
It will be recalled that following the
Bryan Downey-J ohnny Wilson battle
at BoyIe's Thirty Acres in Jersey City
a year ago last Labor Day, Wilson'S
end Of the purse, amounting to s35, 900,
was held up by the Jersey boxing
board pending an investigation. Be-
fore the money was finally paid to the
Bostonian he signed a contract with
Tex Richard to defend his title in q
fifteen-round bout at Madison Square
Garden with Harry Greb, the Pitts
burgh beareat. Wilson repudiated this
agreement Immediately after receiving
his money for the Downey. fight, de-
claring that he had been coerced into
signing it.. He was backed up in this
allegation by his manager, Martin
Killilea. This action Of Wilson's led
to his suspension by the Boxing Com
mission of this state, and also the
governing body in his own state Of
Massachusetts,. Later, when the local
I authorities could not induce Wilson TO
defend his title here against anybody,
his worlds middleweight championship
was declared corifscated and open to
competition.
The commission arranged boat be-
tween Harry Greb and Phil Rosenberg
at that time Greb, who had just won
the American light heavyweight title
from Gene. Tunney in scrap at The
Garden, was angling for match with
Jack Dempsey. The prospect of such a
! meeting was so good that Harry arbi-
trarily called off the Rosenberg bout,
and in this way incurred the displeas-
ure of the boxing authorities. Harry
was summarily suspended, and this
suspension was lifted only few days
ago. Subsequently, Rosenberg was
matched with Phil Krug, and his win
ming Of this fight gave him the middle
weight title, SO far as this state is con-
cerned. The AK fell on Rosenberg him
self when he failed to meet Mike
O'Dowd.
Among Those Absent
The names of Johnny Wilson and
Dave Rosenberg are conspieuously ab-
sent from the list of so-calied con-
tenders for the worlds middleweight
title" given out by the commission yes
terday. No explanation for Rosen-
berg.s fall from grace was furnished,
outside of the fact that he was under
SUSPENSION. The question now is,
Who is the middleweight champion 81
In boxing circles Johnny Wilson is
regarded as, the legitimate. champion,
and, following an old boxing tradi-
ton, he will continue to enjoy that
als,inction until some one. comes along
and knocks him out or scores de-
casive victory over him. Bryan
Downey's name on the list seems to be
something 8, of joke. His bout With
wilson year ago last Labor Dav
proved conclusively that he possesses
himself. W
In the eyes of ring followers Harry
Greb, or possibly Tommy Robson, could
eliminate both Wilson and Dowr,ey in
a single evening. The other names ON
the list that loor, ne eorra,,,L : sAs.,s..S.
Using are those Of Tommy LouFhran. Who %
probably can't make the middleweirht
limit Of $50 pounds, and Louis Boeash.
Jock Malone looked TO be d likely how
Tor while, but he mas lost hfs sa.t
TWO nights and appears TO have been
slipping Of late.
The middleweight situation. n. a. h..
been stirred and mixed by the Borirr
commission, reminds one Of rood
poetry, because nobody can understand
The commission at its meeting yes
Billy Miske for their fight At Msd;snu s,u
Square Garden ON last FRIDAY nirht
The pay checks of both men had hsas
neid up following the foulinr Of Misks
oy Gibbons In the tenth round. In
cohnection with this match the COM
missions statement said: "As re-
~ auit of an investigation 1t ID disclosed
.nas majority Of those sitting around
tne ring were of the opinion that a
foul blow had been struck. bnt that Il
was accidental The judges also agreed
with the referee (Kid McPartlandl
snat the blow was foEl, but all opin-
IONS agreed on the one point that the
Ioul was accidental. Therefore, the
commission absolyes Tom Gibbons