The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-03-14
HOWL GOES
Up ON NEW RING
PROCEDURE
Decision Rules in Boxing
and Wrestling Found
to Rile Public.
BY DAVIS j. WALSH
international News Service Sports

Editor.
NEW YORK. Mar. 14-That raucous
blat you hear FOSTERING down the
right of way is neither the echo OF d
street riot nor the annual convention
OF happy hucksters singing the Ma
tional anthem. You may discern a
note of panied and incredulous sur
prise in the general ballyhoo. but that
doesn't mean Fatty Arbuckle. has
been elected president or that some
gent has had a tooth pulled.
1t is merely the afronted ci~tizenry
passing the time of day on the boxing
and wrestling rules under which these
sports happen to laboring here at the
moment
The country at large constantly is
sending its best boys on to, New York
rings because the money and prestige
are here. Gay Gotham is supposed to
be the centre Of the oxing and wrestl-
ing industries. but II matters do not
look up pronto both viii awake one Of
these fine mornings to find themselves
dead, which is no way TO find yourself.
WHAT RULES REQUIRE.
TIL present boxing code calls for a
composite decision by a referee and
two judges. The latter are not pop
ular. and no matter who occupies the
judges chairs their decisions are de-
cried as being the handiwork of men
stricken prematurely blind.
At the Briton-Shade championship
bout recently Tommy Shortell. once q
prominent fighter himself. and Artie
McGovern. who conducts a gymnasium
for boxers. occupied the Judges chairs
Both might be looked upon as qualified
ring ~jurists. but after they called tbs
bout a draw popular opinion condemn
ed them as incompetent.
1t therefore narrows down to a aues.
ton OF what may be deemed the more
acceptable verdict. the popular or The
judicial. The spectators thought that
Britton was given the worst OF it in
receiving a draw. yet 1t is a matter OF
record that E:ritton didn't receive 9
single vote. Shortell and Referee Pats,
Haley voting for a draw and McGoverr
for Shade.
IT'S MYSTERIOUS, THIS.
All three are practical boxing men
How. then. to account for the fact tina
they failed to realize that Britton wa.
supposed to have made Shade look Xix,
a novice? Also. what Of the story Civ
en- some circulation that SnOrteil mrs
voted for Shade and then changed hi
decision because. it was alleged,
member of the boxing commissio-
standing behind him. clucked hi
tongue in establishment?
These incidents are cited. not {
prove the incompetency Of judges. bu
the falIacy of the law in expecting TIL
public to accept decisions with bette
grace because three men render Their
instead of one. Indeed. the old sys
tenn OF referees decisions never recei
ed the storm of protests that greet tn
triangular verdict.
a return to the old system seem
preferable. particularly since Benn.
Leonard declined to carry his title int
a local ring for more than a year. an
Johnny Kilbane hasn't defended hi
featherweight crown here since tn
Smith Brothers stopped shaving. Bot
are presumed to have feared the worsi
AS for wrestling. they have inau
gurated a distasteful feature known q
the rolling fall" It's chief virtue i
found in the fact that it shortens tn
bouts. Otherwise it is partieuladl.
abortive to those spectators who pa.
their way in to actually see a MAJ
thrown.