The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-10

dozen middleweights who could
take it away from him. Wilson
isn't quite ring fossil yet.
He might be able to fight a lit
tie If he had the courage to risk
his title in q real contest. 1t was
only a little over two years ago that
he beat Mike O'Dowd in a l2-round
decision bout in Boston, winning
the championship. He Is 80 years
old
Bob Fitzsimmons won the mid
dleweight championship when he
was 80. The middleweight class
hasn't really had n great champion
since Ketchel's time. Frank Klaus
was rugged fighter but didn't last
long. George Chip had class. but
walked into a wild swing when he
was stalling with Al Mccoy. Nc
Coy was as much OF cheese
champion" as Wilson Hc fatty re-
fused TO +, k his title" in any dect-
sion bout, and even the contest" in
which he went through hoAfat and
making no attempt to fight, had
queer lock,
O'Dowd was merely strong,
rough mauler, who had no chance
to win when he met an opponent
with any skill Otherwise Il sec
ond rater like Wilson never would
have beaten him.
Dempsey's Idlenscs Forced.
There have been clever men in the
middleweight class, but they never
could get matches with the cham
pions." Mike Gibbons was tho most
skillful of the lot, and Harry Greb
could have made the middleweight
limit and have whipped Wilson with
Tho fWn matched WilSnn
flunked out OF the match, knowing
what his finish would be. Bryan
Downey, who claims the title, is a
game, strong fellow. but not much
of n boxer.
The heavyweight class has one OF
It's greatest champions in Jack
Dempsey, who is unfortunate in not
being able TO find opponents to meet
him. Several heavyweights who
would take a chance are barred by
various boxing commissions on the
ground that the matches would be
one sided.
Dempsey will probably meet Har-
ry Wills. the 220-pound black chal-
lenger, next July, in a decision bout
Benny Leonard has been anything
but fossil hampionSamong the
lightwcights. At one time since he
Leonard has fought nearly every
Knocked out Freddy Welsh in 1917
top-notch lightweight in the coun-
try. lie has knocked most OF them
out. Only one man has given Benny
real trouble--Lew Tender Of Phil
adelphia.
Leonard has such respect for Ten
dler that he has refused to meet
him In decision bout. or per-
haps II was business sense on Leon
ards part, for when he met Tender
in a no-decision bout in New Jer.
sey the gate receipts were the great
est ever taken in at any match in
the world except ths Dempsey-Car-
pentier fight.
At that time there was no arena
other than Richards stadium in
Jersey City that could seat such q
crowd. Leonard had a pivot tooth
broken out in'that bout, and infec-
ton OF the Jaw caused by neglecting
- have the root removed has kept
him out Of the ring for several
months.
There Is some question that Leon
ard can beat Tender in a decision
bout, but that will probably be get-
tied in the spring. II they haven't
both grown out OF the lightweight
class by that time, Both had diff
Guilty In making the weight when
they met before.
Jack Britton Fought EN- All.
Jack Britton was nearly in the
fossil class when he was beaten by
Mickey walker a few weeks ago. He
had skill and sped. but lacked a
champions punch. Britton had
held the title for four year, and had
claimed 1t years before that. He was
81 years old and had been fighting