The Washington times., 1922-07-23
BUFF MERELY
LUCKY FELLOW
OF RING GAME
Dethroned Bantam Kicks Out
Of His Class When He Bat
ties Tough Little Men.
By ED w. SMITH.

10 IHc usual LulnS 1Or crlJlcS
i of the boxing game to say
that a beaten champion never
was of much account, no matter
how they might have lauded his
fistic ability when he was up at
the top. Such is the fate of all
OF them from John l.. Sullivan
down to Johnny Buff of the pres
ent day. Although we were
pretty well convinced of it be-
fore, the sharps are saying now
the tiny Buff never was much
of a battler and that he was to-
tally out Of his class among the
tough bantamweights of the pres
ent day.
Bluffs showing at Milwaukee
against Pal Moore was a miserable
display for a man who really and
truly aspired TO hold a pair OF titles.
Pal. as light hitter as he is, showed
up the little fellow from the East.
Buff had but few chances that
evening to land punch that might
nave swayed the course of events,
and, being in good condition, there
were no excuses. The simple fact
stuck out that Johnny was not a
great fighter and was totally out OF
his rightful zone in mingling with
the bantams.
Sticks In Own Class.
Now We are told that, having lost
the bantam weight title back to Joe
Lynch in the present serio comic
series of battles for the imaginary
belt, Buff is going to pass up the big
ones from now on and stick to his
own class, the flyweights He and
his manager claim they can get-work
enough in this division to make it
worth while.
We'd suggest in passing that Buff
better stay away from the West and
Bud Taylor If he wishes to realize
on his remaining title for a little
while.
Buff has had exceptional runs Of
all sorts OF luck. To begin with he
was merely a lucky accident in the
bantamweight class and as soon as
he got down to serious business of
defending his honors in that division
he had his chubby nose knocked
crooked.
AS a flyweight he might be all
right because that is class that per.
mits OF little deduction. But pitted
! against such men as Joe Lynch and
| the remainder of the big hantams he
isn't there and never was He sim.
ply dropped in one night when no.
body was looking and grabbed off q
title that he wasn't tit to carry.
Lynch A Queer Mixture.
II was certainty that II Joe
Lynch happened to be in form the
night he met Buff he would loosen
the little fellow from his crown.
Lynch is one of the most notorious
in-and-outers Of the ring. When he's
good he is a whale of a fighter. but
IL he happens to be bad he is about
the worst excuse for high grade
1 fighter that could be imagined.
Joe and his manager once essaYed
to catch Pete Herman asleep and
steal the title from the little Italian.
Pete was coming hack from Eng
| land after having flattened Jimmy
Wilde over there. Everybody thought
that Pete was foolish to box a tough
bird like Lynch four days after land.
| ing in this country. They didn
figure on the craftiness Of the dago
boy from New Orleans. Instead OF
| taking Il easy and living his life on
! the way over, he trained assiduouslv
and when he faced Lynch he was in
! the height of condition and vigor.
You know what happened.
This was the same person but
slightly different Herman from
whom Buff got the title.
Burman Is Hit Hard.
' There's a queer little angle con.
nected with this latest change Of the
ownership Of the title that concerns
Joe Burman of Chicago. Joe and
Lynch are personal friends and
good pals when they get together
outside Of the ring. But on this oc.
casion Burman was roofing solidlv
for Buff to win. Bnrman was prac.
tically matched to fight Buff for the
title within ninety days II he retained
II IN the Lynch fight.
But now that Lynch Is winner and
owner OF the title II may be vastly
different and much more difficult
matter for Burman to get his whack
Mt Il. Lynch alwavs has given Bur
man a tremendous battle and vice
versa, and n NAV take the local Joe
several months to convince the East.
ern Joe that he should fight him
again.
In the meantime svmrathize with
JOHNNY Ruff. He had nlan rnanped
out whereby ne aimed to win him.
self 500 .0on within the next wear as
hantamweight champ'on, enough to
make him independent for life. A
badly shattered dream.