The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-07-03

While no championship is at stake
! when Willard and Firpo clash, the
match is one that has the fistic fans
guessing. The uncertainty Of the
outcome-the fact that one contend
or must be removed from Dempsey's
immediate path and lie winner is
to get a shot at the ci.ampion--has
aroused much public interest.
This was manifested by the GU
rious throngs that visited the two
training camps yesterday. AS soon
- the Montana battle Is decided we
will hear lot about the wild Bull
Of the Pampas'' and the "Pottowata'
nie Cowpuncher."
Dempsey himself is very much
interested, according to CORE
spOmdentS who interview him daily
e Great Falls. He Is possessing,
himself Of every possible bit Of in
formation about FirpO. Apparent
" he IL satisfied that willard Is
no better than he was at Toledo.
In any event, he knows Wizards
style. He has never seen FirpO
In action and even now is studing
him at long range.
- It Is a wise champion who re
epectfully views q new contender
I'VE were going to say younger,
but 1t il doubtful. Firpo confesses
to twenty-six but looks older,
Dempsey was twenty-eight last
month.
Judging by the questions he fires
ct the Eastern experts, Dempsey
thinks Firpo il going to be the
winner at Jersey City. In any
event the champion looks to be in
Q soft spot with the winner of that
bout. He has beaten willard once
and Firpo is still in the early stages
Of development. Dempsey is a
finished" product of several years
ef expert tuition and he has had
the necessary cnxperience.
Tex Richard announces that the
advance sale for his heavyweight
show has already passed the $780,
900 mark. Under the New Jersey
laws SIS is the top price that can
be charged for the best seat.
An advance" Of $500 900 based
on these figures sounds rather far
fetched, hut IL Is believed that the
fight will get gate apprOxfmating
500, 900. Leonard and Tender did
better than $500, 900 at Jersey City
last summer.
Tom O'Rourke arises to state that
Johnny Dundee and Eugene Criqui
will go into active training at the
end of this week for their world )
championship quarrel at the Po,o
Grounds on July 26.
<,R Y,rI~v ;-nI.
be a busy one for the ring folks. At
the present time we have Dempsey
and Gibbons over-shadowing Willard
and Firpo, who, in turn, will cloud
up the pugilistic horizon for Leonard
and Tender until after July ~.
Dundee and Criqui are i'm the worst
spot of them all, as they are little
fellows, and between now and the
date OF their meeting three important
bouts will be contested. They fight
Just three days after Leonard and
Tender collide.
Although the Dundee CriQui match
may not get the publicity it deserves,
IT shapes up as one of the fistic It'd
bits of the year. For this fight
Dundee will scale down to 126
pounds. the featherweight limit. He
did that very thing last summer and
never looked better.
Johnny was always considered
? light hitter among ightweights
but the night he "goaIed" Danny
Frush in Brooklyn as a feather.
weight he had a punch. In the
lighter class he looks like a better
fighter because his opponents are
mot 30 rugged.
With the boom in hot-weather
boxing it has become quite the
thing to pitch training camps at
the summer resorts. Jack Dempsey
started the fad when he prepared
for Carpenter at Atlantic City,
Luis Firpo il doing the swell at
Long Branch and Benny Leonard is
entertaining plenty of Catskill
Mountain visitors at Tannersville.
Leonard has pitched his ring in
the open and draws big crowds
daily. That section of Rip Van
Wrinkles country is one vast sum
mer resort. There are not many
diversions, so the folks drive for
miles to witness the novel sight of
O boxing champion strutting his
stuff in the midst of pastoral sur.
roundings.
Leonard will break camp at the
end OF the week to keep his engage.
ment with Alex Hart at Philadel.
phia next Monday night This is an
e1ght'round affair for which Benny
Will not have to make weight.
Last summer Leonard did not
experience great difficulty i'm get
ting down to 1875 pounds. He was
At the weight four days before the
match and fought well. though
bothered by Tenders peculiar style
Of boxing.
On the scales at Tannersville yes
terday Leonard weighed 142, abou
the same as whan he went into hare
training for Tender last summer
Benny intends to take off that sever
pounds gradually. He has thre,
weeks to do It In.
After the Hart scrap, Leonar,
will employ four left.hanied spar
ring partners. He already has twt
at work with him-Sammy Bern
and Lew Snyder.
In the morning Leonard does
few miles on the roads and in tn
late afternoons plays golf. He is be
coming golf bug" they say
lief that the only place to train 1
the mountains, where he gets tn
benefit of the bracing air. Tannerl
wills is about $500 feet above se
level.
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