San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-16

are anxiously awaiting the
sight of this internationally
known fighter.
For that is what he is: an interna-
tionally known scrappcr. His offers
for fights have come from every corner
Of the world, from the prOvcrbial site
of Oshkosh, to the deltas of Eastern
Asia, il they have dcltas that far
with the figh cinched for the
Army Post, well leave il to the Others
to congratulate the army promoters
for their success in landing this big
fellow for tilt of fiSticuffs next
month";" says Lieut.. Hess. personal
friend Of Stribling. Let others sing
their praises whilst we go back a
little ways and follow the Striblingitcs
from their circus days to the position
they now command in sportdom.
ACROBATS ALL.
ut wasn't ten years ago" says
Hess, "that the Four Striblings, Aero
bats DE Luxe, were thrilling hun
dreds of city brcds and yokcls in their
daring. dashing death defying dealings
with the dollar a day darbics. That
is where w. l.. got his start. One
look at the boy will make you wonder
where else a powerful physique like
that could have bcen developed other
than as the top boy in the head and
hand act.
Business was a little slow, though,
and Pa and Ma felt the years creeping
on them. They wished TO leave that
game where the curse rings always in
your ears, May all of your children
be acrobats," and so they east their
optics about, looking for n lucrative
business. w. l.. had always biffcd
and snarred with the other youngsters
under the big top and Pa finally de-
cided one day TO give the kid n chance
to show his stuff in the ropcd arena.
BANKROLL BOOSTED.
"Pa did and the boy did. Since
then, Pa has seen that boy Of his do
n lot of tricks in the ring that have
boosted the bank account well toward
the skies. No more head and hand
work for the Four Striblings. They
are plutOcrats of the ring today. They
have worked like Trojans to attain
the position they save-all four OF
them working hand in hand with
scarcely ripple to worry their prog
ress.
ut was my pleasure to follow w.
l.. from the time he performed as a
lean featherweight in 1921 to the day
that he reached the pinnacle Of his
fighting form. On October "a, 1928
he cuffed Mike McTgue of County
Claire for ten rounds in Columbus
Georgia, for the world light-hcavy
weight championship. The verdict
was a draw and an armed guard
escorted referee Harry Ertle to the
depot that evening.
But whether or not there was a
riot there that afternoon and night is
a matter of personal opinion. That
is incidental. The big point is that
the boy had arrived. And he had
arrived with both feet planted very
firmly in the ring. The Striblini
troup stayed arOund Columbus fol
several days after the McTigue en-
counter and the kilograms flocked into
town by the hundreds. Pa had Q
terrible time for about a week and
finally pulled out of town with con
tracts stuffed in his pockets that
carried him through the winter.
ONLY ONE SETBACK.
$50 much for that. The boy only
suffered one setback in that year Of
fighting when Jimmy Slattery took q
decision from him in Buffalo. But il
didn't sully the boys rep one whit
and he carried on as before.
"Then he took OH Mike McTigue in
Jersey in a no-decision setto and the
newspaper men gave the battle L
Stribling. Paul Berlenbach was thu
next big gun and they tussled mighty
draw before a bowling mob, again II
Jersey.
THE irony of Fate interviewed ant
while w. l.. was taking his annua
outing. heading westward, Paul Der
lenbach stepped in and COPIED tn,
light-heavy title from McTigue, a titlt
that is rightfully Strib's by virtue Of
the two tussles where he had wallopeC
the goOd-natured Irishman.
THAT is the general outline Of Strib
ling's meteoric rise to the position HI
commands today. He can name his
own figures in any bout he takes part
in and, after all, that is the meas
ure of success in the professional
sporting world.
BABE FIGHTS, TOO.
"Of the personal side of the Strib
ling menage, there is more color and
romance than in any other sporting
family in the last decade. The foul
of them are inseparable. They travel
hither and yOn as a quartet. BabC
Stribling, the youngest of the troupe
will fight here on September /, also
While he isn't the world bcater his
older brother is, he has the Striblin2
tenacity and is a handy boy with his
gloves.
"To meet w. /. on the street, one
would think he was a mere college
Jcllybean out for an airing. Tall
straight as an arrow. and with a face
that would shame the best lOOkinl
Narrow CollaTmen; that's the School
boy wonder. After tussling in clOs'
to 200 ring encounters, the boys face
is yet unmarked, n fact that causes
the wise boys to sit up and take no
tice. Even the rock-crushing paw
of Paul Berlenbach failed to tOucl
the boy. His ears are perfect and hi
nose is as straight as they day he en-
49,