, 1923-01-07


h main bout"
MUS be good to mix with Murphy.
But what's this guys manner"
mes called Knockout Brown
Come on. let's watch him. He's going
to be the lightweight champion be-
fore he's through"
Pose Amazed Boxing Fans.
<rhe two men participating in this
,dnar from fanciful dlalogue-there were
many similar conversations along
Broadway in 1e11-were seated pres
emily at the 23d street ringside. While
they waited for the feature event. the
less informed spectator was intro
duced by his friend to the exploits
that had made tho new fighter with
the unheard OF style a headliner In
the ten round no decision bouts Of
hat period.
"Knockout's' namo was-and is
Valentine Braun. Born in the lower
east side of Manhattan Of German
American parents, young Valentine
trod eagerly in the footprints or many
another boxer who has risen to con-
righteousness. Odd neighborhood Jobs
his intermittent and usually poorly
rewarded livelihood. he chose for a
hobby the punching Of other boys
noDes.
OF COURSE, he could punch harder
and do II more quickly than his com.
panions could. and. OF course. he be.
ssh to dog the footsteps OF h cele.
bTtty who had won deathless honors
in he vicinity by appearing in IS
pTeliminaries at some Of the m
u clubs that dotted any diagram of
0Otham's sport history at the time.
Begins to Learn Fighting.
Nvalentine gained precious access to
IL gymnasium by volunteering to
run errands for the neighborhood pug
while he trained. Other idolators
were rushing about the big room min.
iEtering lovingly to their idols in
trunks and boxing shoes. Before LONG
young Braun was permitted to remove
his shirt. don the shapeless old gloves
the boxers used for training, and try
his luck with votaries of his age and
hoft.
He won the approving consensus of
those tolerant toughs-whe watched
the kid nwkwardly battering each
other about, As the months passed.
Braun was given his tryout. That he
made good without delay is shown by
his record, obtaInable in any book Of
his time.
A glance at that record for 1908 to
1sl1. inclusive. finds It generously
studded with knockouts. He won 40
Of his 100 contests in those Jour years
by stopping his opponents.
No Insignihcant Feat.
True. their namea are musty in OBJ
livion's calendar their caliber was
pIhy. and their prominence nil, but
ne, likewise. was q beginner; and 1t is
no meritless feat definitely to knock
unconscious any typro OF your size
and weight and aEo and general
ability.
Braun was fortunate from the start
In obtaining the services of a crafty,
wise and persuasive manaser-Dan
Morgan-by ironic sporting editors
dubbed Dumb Dan" because few
there are who can talk as rapidly.
voIuminously and tirelessly as he in
extolling the virtues Of the chs \ IS.
lie soon moved Knockout" from ;hq.
opening bouts TO the semi.windups
and then to the principal matches Of
the evening.
Under Morgan'a guidance the
money poured in, and the blond,
sturdy, cross-eyed little southpay bat
tied his way to newspaper decisions
in scores of battles. There were many
crack lightwoights in the east in
those days. Knockout" whipped
them all. or got as good as a hairline
draw. His fight with Harlem
Tommy" Murphy. pretext for the
opening paragraph hereof, is a classic
In ring lore.
Spectators Go wild.
How they boxed with extraordinary
Neyerness. how they drove home stun
ming straights and Gripping upper,
cuts. how their footwork and ducking
n jabbing and hooking and slug.
cling brought tho packed house to It's
feet n kept II there. and how the
reporters crouched at the ringside
were unable to pick the winner-all
this will be told and reiterated for
your Amusement and enlightenment
by any New Yorker so fortunate as TO
have witnessed the bout. And you
viii hear other frenzied stories con-
corning his clashes with Leach Cross.
Ad wolgast. Matt Wells. Bert Reyes,
Abe Attel. Matty Baldwin. Johnny
Lore. Willie Beecher, and Jimmy
Duffy.
Yet Knockout Brown with the
faith of a betting boxing fraternity
PINNED TO MS queer right INST, never
reached the heights defended in his
m by Battling Nelson and Ad Vol,
CAST. And his is the reason why:
You rsga IN n preceding paragraph
the words scores Of battles" The
phrase is justified. Where other boys.
later to win the title. werc fighting
Dom six to q dozen times each year.
Hraun was fighting twenty and more
rugged opponents each twelfth month.
In 1908, he boxed thirty-nve times; in
1909: fifteen; in 1910. twenty-eight. and
In 1911 and 1919. twenty-five times,
eaeh-or q Tight nearly every two
weeks for Ave years.
He simply burned out his fuse. stili
Erowing-he was only IT years old In
1o0s-he could not train as faithfully
AZ he did and fight every other week
without paying tho price. Conss.
quently. though neither he nor his
manager realized It. Knockout" had
played out his string. when Morgan
decided there were asld5 more golden