The Washington times., 1922-07-08

lnVeStlgatlOn on them.
They are titles of general accep.
tance only. Such q title may be as
good as any other title. at that. but
1t is interesting to note that OF all
our title toters only one or two go
back without a flaw. The rest may
be genuine enough. but are wee
bit cloudy. They are about ten.
karat gold, so to speak.
OF the eight titles, several are ad-
mittedly synthetic.
The flyweight title was created
largely to accommodate Jimmy Wilde.
of Wales, a great little fighter, but
an orphan as to class before the
flyweight thing came in.
His title Is at present inactive, and
after Wilde's time Is not apt to be-
come important again, unless another
wee fighter Of Wilde's ability de-
velops.
The title Of light heavyweight
champion, held by Georges Carpen.
tier, was manufactured by Jim
7 Cofforth and some of the boys out
on the Pacific coast to give an air
Of importance to q match between
George Gardner and Bob FitZsim-
mons. which was won BY Fitz.
No one paid much attention to
this title until 1t was used in the
building up of Georges Carpenter
for Dempsey. Carpenter fought
Battling Levinsky, who claimed the
title as the result Of victory over
Jack Dillon. Jack was a sort OF
recognized light heavyweight-champ
but he never mentioned the matter
II he could help 1t.
After losing to Carpenter, Levin
sky still claimed the American light
heavyweight championship, what
ever that is, although he lost de-
cision on a foul to Boyo Mccormick,
the Englishman.
Gene Tunney beat Levinsky and
claimed the American rights. Then
Harry Greb beat Tunney and Is sup.
posed to be the American light
heavyweight champion, even while
the boxing commission is calling on
Harry to fight for the middleweight
title a guy who doesn't hold same.
This middleweight title, owned in
fee simple by Johnny Wilson, got
all balled up years ago and has
never yet been quite unraveled.
Il II q source Of bother to Wilson
more than anything else. II has
been the Joe Magee OF titles since
the death Of Stanley Ketchel, q
real middleweight, and a real
champion, back in 1910.
Wilson's little tree is anything but
q sturdy oak, as you can see by
testing the various branches.
Bob Fitzsimmons beat the original
Jack Dempsey for the title, and then
Bob entered the heavyweight divis-
ion and Kid Mccoy and Tommy
Ryan claimed the middleweight title.
Technically, Fitz was still the middle.
weight champion. as he could make
the weight, but he saw more profit
among the heavies,
Some recognized Mccoy as cham
pion for a time, but 1t appears that
Ryan eventually came to be the
accepted titleholder. reigning until
about 1907.
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien put in
a claim, but Jack couldn't make the
weight, and Ketchel came along
about this time and left no doubt
as to who was the middle king by
socking everybody silly. Ketchel
was undoubtedly the best man in
the world at the weight in his day.
When Ketch was shot and killed
by Walter Dipley at Conway, Mo-,
October Is, 1910, the confusion began
that has never quite cleared away
Billy Papke, who once beat ketch
for the title, and was in turn beaten
by the Michigan assa ssin, claimed II,
and defended it in France.
Cyclone Johnny Thompson out
. pnnIfa In, to rnsVrHa
st sydney, n. s. W., in 19II, and
claimed the title, but couldn't
hold the weight long. Papke
seems to have cIung to some sort
Of claim to the championship
until 1918. when Frank Klaus, Of
Pittsburgh, beat him on a foul
I'm Paris.
Klaus was recognized, then
George Chip, of Scranton. beat
Frank twice by kneckouts, and
seemed to be the champ.
In 1914 Chip was hit on the chin
in the first round over in Brook
lyn, and 10 and behold. AL Mccoy
became a famous citizen
Al, like Johnny Wilson. was a
sidewheeler, and was sometimes
mentioned in the public prints as
Tine Cneese Cnamp, tltle tOat
was hotly\ resented by the publish.
ers of good Camembert, and other
choice brands.
Al didn't lick anybody much, and
nobody much licked AL for a spell.
Then In 1917 Mike O'Dowd struck
Albertus on the whiskers over in
Brooklyn. Some always whispered
that this was one of those matters.
but anyway Mike was called cham
pion and went away to war.
He got back after hostilities ceased
and one night in May, 1920, he went
over to Boston and lost a decision
and his title to Wilson.
Mike let out terrific squawk
about this, and said he, was jobbed,
but Wilson came over to New York
and side.wheeled Mike out Of an
other decision,