The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-13
.FISTIC CHAMPIONS
ADR0ITLY DUCKINC
DANGEROUS FIGHTS
BY FRANK C. MENKE

"The Dodgers" is a fistic playlet of
the present day, with all the cham
pions enthusiastically engaged in TAX
ing turns in the title role-all adroitly
ducking battles which might result in
the loss of their crowns.
From Johnny Buff right along to
Jack Dempsey there isn't single king
of pugilism who shows a disposition
or a courage-to fight and either prove
to the world his championship great
ness or lose in the game effort of
trying.
Buff, holder of both the f1yweight
championship of America and the ban
tam weight throne of the world, sud
denly has decided upon a three or four
months jaunt into Europe-iust at a
time when opposition has become keen
and the Railways of fistiana have be-
come cluttered with men who are like
ly to bump Buff into the championship
discard.
Johnny Kilbane, boss of the feathers,
has fought two or three times in two
or three years-and Heaven alone
knows when he'll ever battle again.
There's too much danger of defeat in
volved for Kilbane now-and Kilbane
would rather loaf and retain his title
| than annex small fortune in a battle
against some tough foeman who is
likely to whip him.
Leonard Clever
The shrewd Benny Leonard is using
a few clever articles to duck tough
ones. The lightweight boss, realizing
perhaps that he is not as good as he
used to be. won't fight in Madison
Square Garden, New York, because he
claims he has a mad" on with Tex
Richard. He won't fight anywhere else
in New York because the purse offer
ings are too small
But he'll fight in Jersey, or in Penn
sylvania or other no-decision states.
What difference does it make if he's
outpointed there? He can't lose the
title in no-decision states-except
through knockouts and Leonard clever
ly lodges meeting Lew Tender or
Charlie White, the knock 'em dead
kids, anywhere.
Jack Britton has grown old. He's
not the Britton he used to be. But
he still loves that title in the welter
weight ranks. So rather than take a
chance on losing it, he is in compare
| tive idleness. When he does fight, he
| inclines to setups-and in no-decision
states.
Wilson Careful.
No champion has guarded his hold
! ings more zealously than Johnny VIII
son. He has fought only few times
since he became title-holder-and or
4 few of these occasions has insisted
upon having his own referee at work
The world just now seems to be full OF
middleWeights who want to take q
crack at him-but Wilson won't make
the matches.
| Jack Dempsey's promise was "I'I
| be an active champion" It'll be three
years in July since he whipped vii
lard. In that time he has fought only
| three times. In his pre-championshir
days he sometimes fought three bat
ties week-frequently eight or ter
a month.
| Dempsey has gone in for theatrical
rather than fistfc work, since he de
| throned Willard. The excuse is thai
there is none for him to fight. That
was fair enough through the first veal
or so of his Ringing. But it's a BIZ
different now.
| Wills, Martin, Gibbons, Tunney ant
few others haven't been whipped by
| Dempsey. Brennan wants another
crack at him. So does Fulton. Tha
makes at least six rather formidable
looking men who want to fight him.
Dempsey may be able to beat the
entire sextet into early defeat-an(
| then again he may not. Once upon
time he would have been a 5 to
! show against any in the group. Blu
/ no more. For Dempsey of 1922 is no
| Dempsey of 1919.
| The fact that pugilism now has siy
champions who want to do anything
other than defend their titles reflect,
a deplorable condition. And the sad
dest part of it is that there is NJ
remedy. For there's no rule of pug
dom which forces a champion to figh
and no rule which defaults his titlt
/ If he fails to indulge in competition
| The only cure is the formation O
some national fistic body having com
! plete control over the fistic activitie.
of the nation. It could rule that
title-holder must fight every sly
months, or surrender title. which
would then be awarded 10 the winner
in a series Of elimination contest,
amOng the leading contenders.
Copyright 1921 by King Features
| Syndicate, IRc.D