Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-07

dleweight, and Ed Shepherd of Salt
Lake CITY. champion of Utah IN that
class. are matched for a 12-round go as
the headliner on an all-star boxing
card to be staged here July IL, Frank
| Mcdonnell. matchmaker for the Amer
lean Legion boxing commission, an
nounced Tuesday night.
This bare statement should cause the
average fight fan in Great Falls and
| other Montana cities to chalk off that
date in their date books for next month
as an engagement for party making.
| This is the first time in years that
| two lads of the caliber and reputation
| of these two boys have been matcnea
| on a Great Falls card. Both are OF
the ''stand up and meet 'em" variety
and both are fast and clever boxers.
Delaney a Real Scrapper VI
Billy Rhodes, Delaneys manager,
| admits that Shepherd should be a good
| "tryout" match for his boy. He's only
| heard of the Mormon scrapper. When
he sees him in action he'll figure that
it will be more than q tryout contro-
! versy. There is little question ABOUT
Delaney's ability. He is easily king OF
the middleweights around the Twin
| Cities, with the exception of Mike Glib
bons, and many dopesters say that Ne.
| laney could take the middlewelght
| crown from Johnny Wilson if the
champion would meet him.
In a recent semi-windup six-round
| go with Steve Choynski. a tough hom-
bre of Milwaukee. Delaney won the
| bout and the praise of the fans and
| sport critics. Tom S. Andrews, old
time sports writer, said Of the bout in
the Boxing Blade:
Jimmy Delaney. the st. Paul flash,
| is some speed merchant. In defeating
| Steve Choynski of Milwaukee in a fast
six-round bout he showed real class.
Steve is a pretty handy boy himself,
having boxed the best of the 1873
Founders throughout the country.
Delaney Hits With a Snap
at was nv belief that I could beat
| Jimmy said Choynski after the battle.
| but / will take my hat off to him. He
has a wonderful left hand and can hit
from almost any position. Those who
have an idea he cannot deliver a strong
punch should try one of them. | can
| stand a lot, but he had me dizzy more
than once. He hits straight and with
a snap. / think he can whip Champion
| Wilson right now and any other man
| in the business at 100 pounds with the
possible exception of Harry Greb. For
a young fellow he is great and should
have a wonderful future"
Rhodes expresses the utmost conf
dence in a letter to Frank Mcdonnell
that Delaney will knock Shepherd out
before a half dozen rounds of fighting.
Those who know Shepherd will be in
clined to doubt that. Shepherd isn't
an easy man to hit and he has a real
ability to take his punishment straight
and without a chaser. He's a cheerful
youth and often smiles unexpectedly
when a slashing punch goes through lis
guard for a face or body punch.
Publicity Favors Delaney
The difference between the two
| fighters from the standpoint of the
average fight follower is that Delaney
is from one of the most famous fight
centers in the country. where pub
licity rains. He has fought some of the
best middleweights in the country and
his list of records proclaim him a
fighter of ability. True. Salt Lake City
produced Jack Dempsey, but now
Dempsey is of the world and does his
fighting under the most radiant spot
lights in the sporting game.
Shepherd has done most of his fight
ing in his home state. with occasional
| pouto III cthVi hoi Y
states. His two appearances in Great
Falls, last fall when he won a decision
over Bill Hart of st. Paul, and in
February this year when he battled
Pete Bross. Great Falls middleweight
champion and claimant to that title of
the Treasure state. to a u round
draw. won him happy favor here. 1t
was learned the day following the fight
that Shepherd broke his right hand
during the fight, but he finished in
pretty fair shape, although shaded by
Bross in the closing rounds Of the fight.
Nichols Not DeIaney's Match
As a basis of comparison with Bross
as the pivot it is possible TO get a
little line on the coming scrap that
makes it appear on paper that Delaney
should have an edge over Shepherd.
Johnny Nichols of st. Paul met Bross
here last month and was awarded a
draw with the Great Falls lad In a
II round encounter. 1t could hardly
have been anything else. for the boys
both resorted to ~infighting which slowed
up the match perceptibly. But at that
there were a few who howled their
disapproval of the decision and clamor-
a zone in his right hand during the
fight. A few months ago Nichols was
decisively defeated by Delaney in a
12-round go. the Irishman winning viz
tually every round of the bout and
Nichols was helpless at the end of the
fight. finishing on sheer nerve.
Since Delaney whipped Nichols and
Nichols drew with Bross who drew
with Shepherd, it might be conjectured
that perhaps Shepherd isn't a match
for Delaney. But there are a lot Of
things to be considered in matching
prize fighters. Shepherd has met some
of the best middleweights in the west
and his defeats are virtually nil Mt the
hands of men his own weight. In his
eagerness to achieve a reputation he
has met all corners in the Mormon state
and he has fought a few light-heavy-
weights who outweighed him from 10
to 20 pounds. At that he has annexed
the ELECTROMAGNETIC title of his state.
Looks Like Good Fight
The Bross- Shepherd mill was a real
fight and in that battle Bross prob
ably showed himself to best advantage.
His experience has been limited and it
takes a fighter of real class to make
him extend himself to his real ability.
There are a few who aver that Shep-
| herd could have defeated RrosS had ho