The Washington herald., 1922-02-26

The bigger they are the harder
they hit-all other things being equal.
On that theory Ralph Smith of the
Los Angeles Athletic Club. an anna
teur heavyweight. is likely to become
the hardest hitting fighter in the
world, and quite possibly Jack Demp
sey's most dangerous rival within
two years.
Smith is an inch taller than Jess
willard, standing 6 feet in
his bare feet. AS he is just 81. and
still growing rapidly, he will be
much bigger man than Willard when
he reaches his greatest development.
His weight at present. all bone and
lean. wiry muscle, is 220 pounds. He
will weight 80 pounds more with
out becoming fat.
Smith is fortunate in being started
right" Like willard. Dempsey, JEFF
fries and other big men who have
made good, he was born on a farm.
His home place was in Minnesota,
100 miles south of Minneapolis. He
heard a lot about Mike and Tom
Gibbons when he was a boy. and
boxed with the other youngsters In
school. but outgrew them so far that
he soon had no sparring. partners.
Going to California, Smith became
a carpenter at a moving picture
studio. where. because of his great
strength, he became expert in putting
up the heavy timbers when sets were
built. He was working as a carpen-
ter when George Blake. formerly
army boxing Instructor at Camp Free
mont, saw him one day and proposed
making him a boxer. Smith jumped
at the chance.
That was four months ago. and
every day since, Smith has worked
two hours under Blake's supervision.
In this way he has started with all
the best boxing methods, and has no
faulty style to forget.
At first Smith was naturally
clumsy. like nearly all very big men,
but being perfectly proportioned and
a natural athlete he has improved
rapidly in skill and speed. He had
tremendous hitting power from the
start.
VIII Box In National Meet.
Just now Smith can't find an op-
ponent on the Pacific Coast, having
fought himself out OF rivals in four
short ring battles at the l.. A. a. C..
whose colors he will wear in April
when he goes to Boston to box in
the A. A. U. National Championships.
Smiths latest victim was Sailor
Bolts. a big fellow, from the feet at
San Pedro. Bolts rushed Smith hard
for a round. In the second Smith
knocked Bolts cold with a single
short right hand punch on the side OF
the head. The sailor was cuckoo"
for fifteen minutes after he came to,
and squared Off at the referee, his
seconds. a ships officer who tried
to quiet him, and the crowd around
the ring.
At last they got Bolts to the dress
lng-room by telling him he had won
the fight. He never knew what hit
him. A few days afterward Charlie
Keppen, who runs the boxing
matches, called up a fleet officer who
selects fighting men for bouts ashore,
and asked for another big sailor to
fight Smith.
Say" shouted the officer over the
phone. What do you want to do
put the navy out of commission? II
you want action for that big bird of
yours why don't you chuck him into a
cage with a couple of gorillas" ,
Smith has the longest reach known
in the ring since Charles Freeman.
the feet inch giant from New
York, went to England nearly 100
years ago and become the first inter-
national champion. Smiths reach is
IS inches-2 inches more than Jess
willard's. His wrists measure 81
inches.
Imagine a reach of SIS inches, and
wrists SA inches around to put be-
hind the blow! The reach Is 10
inches more than. Dempsey's, 5 inches
more than Fulton's. The wrists are
as big as Jeff's.
HisIother measurements show that
he's built for the ring. His neck is
16h. chest normal AZ, biceps 14h.
calf 16, waist "a. His hands are so
big. his boxing gloves have to be
made to order, and he wears number
13 shoes. so Blake had to have box
ing shoes made for him too. no shoes
of that size being kept in stock in
any sporting goods store.
A Huge Fitzsimmons.
In general build, Smith is a huge
Bob Fitzsimmons. lean. wiry. narrow!
hipped. straight-legged, and with
wide, sduare-shoulders- He has the
face of fighter. bold and aggressive.
His hair Is black and wiry. His head
Is fairly large In proportion to his
height, his jaw wide and his chin well
rounded. .
His whole build is so well pro-
portioned that his height Is not notic-
able until one stands beside him. He
is built like an athlete from the
ground up. with no awkward angles.
no abnormal development anywhere.
no fat. and no apparent weak spot
MnrenYar he shoWa sirns ~ hauling