The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-10-25
Quartet of
Fighters in
Spotlight
Wills and Tate to Meet,
as Are Norfolk and
Sikh, Soon
BY JOE WILLIAMS


A IL the white heavy weights OF
n note having booked passage for
fashionable watering places. intent
on a season Of undisturbed calm and
comfort. Mr.. Tex Rickard. who is az.
terry m Al ease when not signing
somebody 90 meet somebody else, has
turned his promotlonal thoughts 10
the eolored gents,
Mr.. Richard has two fairly I'm.
portant brawls tentatively lined up.
both involving nuEillsts OF pro
nouneed shades. Battling SIKH. the
spectacular, and az time saturated
Senegal, has been persuaded TO min.
ale with Kid Norfolk The Battler
and the Kid. being artists az heart.
will fiSht for the sheer sake Of fight.
ing The Rattlcr has no title TO
speak OF. and the Kid Is uninterested.
However. Mr. Richards hot shot
IN the assorted hues tournament will
be between Harry Wills and Bin
Tate. heavyweights. Wills Is the
New Orleans stevedore who has been
writing eaustic letters 90 Jack Demp-
sey for three years. A considerable
number OF normal appearing citizens
have the notion that Wills would not
be exactly a se,.up for the champion.
WAITING GAME
DIDN'T PAY
Until very recently wills had the
Idea II he waited long enough Demp-
sey would come out TO his cabin and
pay him nice soeiable little call and
probably bring the title along with
him. newly polished and nicely shined
up IL appears that he mlsjudged
the champions capacity for sympa.
thy somewhat. At any rate Wills Is
operating differently these days. He's
fighting-and eating.
Tate viii probably give him a hard
fight. Tate. II he Is in shape. may
even render him null and void as n
championship possibility. Tate Is big
and strong and almost as capable rs
Wills. II VIII not be the first clash
between the two giant negroes. A
year ago they met az Portland and
Tate won on a foul. The circum.
stances were highly pungeut TO say
the least. The customers wrath was
whipped to a froth. To avoid messy
aftermath the two agreed 20 fight IL
over week later 10 n free gate.
Your average fighter. as n rule.
does not thrill TO the prospects OF a
colnless engagement. But this fight
was an epic Of action and sayagery.
Wills and Tate regard each other
with unalloyed distaste. and that
night bad blood-pisnty OF twas
in evidence. Tate cut cash under
Wills left eye and knocked him
down. Wills came fast at the end
and the fight was called even.
TATE UPSET
HIS PLANS
Wills did no, show much against
Tate that entitled him 20 profound
consideration as a Dempsey oppo-
rsnt. He scored often with his righ;
hand-his best puneh--and worked
esfectualiy In the clinehes. But his
Eeneralship was bad and at times he
lost his bean completely. Had he
slowed Tate away In that fight. as
ring followers figured he would. the
Shelby assignment might have gone
10 him instead Of Gibbons.
The New Orleans man is still pref
IS much of a puzzle We don't think
he has whole 10, Of class. Certain.
~ he isn't ths hattler he was five
years ago when the mighty Langford
fell before his smashing attack. And
the fact that he banks on his right
hand doesn't mike him a good bet
against Dempsey. Carpenter h!sasa! =
better right and It was impotont
against the champion. SO was
Firpo'E.