The Washington times., 1922-12-31
RING AFFAIRS
SOMNOLENT IN
CAPITAL CITY
Only Two Good Mat Exhibitions
: Seen, But Games Flourish
Everywhere Else.
VHYASHINGTON had no boxing
" worth while and but two
w wrestling bouts worthy of

w wrestling bouts worthy of
the name during the year now
passing into history. The Sport
land Heights Arena opened for
business in the spring, but the low
caliber of its shows gave it black
eye from the start and, even under
better management later in the
season, Washington fans never
learned to 60 out to Berwyn in any
large numbers.
The best boxers to appear At
Sportland during the season were
Young Bowen and Johnny Reno.
Bowen had boxed at Ardmore Club
and was well.known. He was easily
the best of all the battlers on the
Berwyn cards.
Johnny Reno, after a bad start.
won seven or eight straight con-
tests before cold and rainy weather
put an end to the the outdoor
ring sport for Capital fans. Bowen
10 now boxing in the Middle West
Reno appearing at various Phila.
delphia clubs.
FANS SEE KETONEN.
At least two first class wrestling
bouts were offered the mat bugs
OF Washington by Joe Freeman,
Waino ketonen, recognized as the
leading middleweight grappler. In
the country. was brought to Wash.
ington to meet Joe Turner. The
Massachusetts, Ffnlander easily de-
feated the Washington veteran.
Pinky Gardner was next obtained
Nl n
first of the two real bouts. The
fans saw real action before Ketonen
pinned Gardner's shoulders to the
floor of the stage at the Capitol
Theater. now the President.
Turner clamored for o return
bout with Ksfonen and, after due
time. he obtained 1t. This time
they wrestled to a draw. This
was the second first class match
seen in Washington.
However. though boxing was
rather dead in Washington. IL
fiourished in other places around
the country and, aside from the
heavyweight class. there was much
action. Spreading to Europe, the
headlights were many.
CARPENTER TUMBLES.
action was unexpected tumble from
his throne Of Georges Carpenter.
the French champion. Battling
Sikh, a Senegalese, knocked him
out in six rounds, after giving the
movie star a sad beating. Since
then a scandal has resulted, with
Sikh declaring first that he faxed
the bout and then that he didn't.
The matter is still under investi-
CATION and may kill boxing in
France.
New champions have been many
during 1922. Battling Sikh took
away from Georges Carpenter his
worlds light heavyweight title and
the European heavyweight crown.
Jack Dempsey, heavyweight cham.
pion of the world, saw no action and
80 reigns undisturbed.
The American light heavyweight
title changed hands twice during
the year. First Gene Tunney, pride
of the A. e. F., whipped Battling
Levinsky in fifteen rounds on
points. Later Harry Greb. the
Pittsburgh pinwheel. did as much
to Tunney.
Largely owing to blunders by the
New York State Boxing Commission,
the middleweight situation ID badly
mixed up. Johnny Wilson. the real
middleweight champion, II unrecog-
nixed in New York. giving way to
a horde Of fourth raters. Recently
Mike O'Dowd, who lost the world
title to Wilson. won the New York
honors from Dave Rosenberg, Of
Brooklyn.
BRITTON IS BEATEN.
Jack Britton, the grand old man"
among the welters. lost his cam
pionship to Mickey Walker. Of Eliz-
abeth, N. j., In fifteen rounds.
Britton was thirty-eight years old
and simply could not make his stiff
fened muscles perform.
Benny Leonard was active and
unbeaten. winning from Richie
Mitchell, Rocky Kansas and Lew
Tender, three Of his more promi-
nent contenders.
Owing to Johnny Kilbane's sus-
pension by the New York Commis-
sion, there is trouble among the
featherweishts. kilbane Is still
American champion, but Johnny
Dundee Ia recognised In New York.
Johnny Lynch regained his ban
tained il to the close Of the year.
feating Johnny Buff and has main
tianed It to the close Of the year,
though boxing In his customary
in-and-out manner.
Pancho Villa. from Manila, p. l.,
won the American flyweight title
from Johnny Buff. knocking him
In