The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-31
BY EDWARD w. CocHRANE.

There are several big fistic days
| every year, but none better than
! the opening days of new year,
when promoters try to schedule
| high-class attractions to lure pa
| irons to box offices with the last Of
/ their holiday expense money So it
| is with the opening day of 1923,
when there are some high class at
! fractions booked in the United
| States. which will be featured by
| the appearances OF two American
champions-Harry Greb and Pancho
| Villa.
Greb, the human windmilr' Of
Pittsburgh, who is the best light
heavyweight in this country, and
would be worlds champion If he
could lure Battling sikh, the APE
| man from Senegal into a ring with
him, is to meet Bob Roper, former
captain of the army in "A scheduled
Possession battle in Pittsburgh. VIII
la, who holds the Americai fly
weight crown, will meet Battling
Murray, for eight sessions in Phila-
delphia.
No stretch Of the imagination
could cause one to believe that the
speedy Greb is in any danger OF
defeat in meeting Roper. There
was time two or three years ago
when Roper was considered a pros
pect for greater honors than are
found with the second raters OF
the heavyweight division. He was
fast then, a clever boxer, very tough
and very game. His chief weakness
and very bad one with fighters,
is that he cannot hit. But that time
Is past. Roper today has slowed up
and when his speed left him he lost
his greatest asset.
Roper still can fight good enough
TO give lot OF good big men trou-
BILE and to beat a lot Of second rat
ers but never will be even cousid-
cred as possible foot for the leader
OF his diVision--the heavyweight.
He cannot hope to lay many gloves
nthe speedy Greb in 10 rounds,
Greb is as fast sa speedy light
weight, both with his hads and his
feet, a splendid ring general. game
and tough. If he could hit he
would be the most dangerous zoe
Dempsey could find, but Greb, Ike
Roper. doesn't pack knockout
punch in his system. He will OUT
point Roper
This young Mr.. Murray OF Phila-
delphia, is a very good prospect for
higher honors in the flyweight divi.
sion. His chief trouble will be maxi
ing the weight, and It Is possible
that villa viii have to let him step
through the hemp tipping the beam
az close TO the bantamweight limit.
But that will not worry the Fill
pino in the least In eight sessions
where no decision is handed down
by the referee at the finish, Villa
can avoid a knockout or should do
so and thus his title will not be in
danger. Murray IL a puncher and
has cleaned up on all the little fell
lows of his vicinity. Villa is clever,
clean puncher and real cham
pion.
out IN PoBtland, Ore. Monday the
fistic fraternity viii be entertained
by battle that lacks much OF he
ing the sort any club away from
the Pacific coast would care to have.
Fred Fulton. the fearful plasterer
from Minnesota, viii box Bill Tate,
a big black from Chicago. This
isn't the first time they have fought,
so they know each other pretty well
and for that reason Fulton may put
all he has into the argument. But
at best it should be nothing to rave
over as pugilistic attraction.
Fulton would have been cham
pion long ago If ne had had such
fighting heart as Jack Dempsey,
Stanley hetChel, Battling Nelson ana
half dozen more We could name
Of the great fighters. But he lacks
that fighting heart TO so with
remarkable natural boxing ability
and a knockout punch. Tate gave
Harry Wills all he wanted and Wills
knocked out Fulton in jig time. IL
he cares to Tate is likely 10 give ths
plasterer a beating.
Jeff Smith, although he never
held a title is one OF the greatest
middleweights OF all time. And he
IS one of the busiest He fought in
Atchison, Kan, Friday night and
night he meets Fay Kaiser
IN Dayton. Twice a week is Just
he dish for Smith.