The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-02-27
FL0llER RS
IS CHAMPION
BY DAVIS j. WALSH

BY DAVIS j. WALSH
NEW YORK, Feb. 27.--W Well
punch me for q ticket, ii the man
didn't bite the dog. after all.
This great human interest story,
for which the newspaper profession
has waited with hated typewriters
these many years. broke at
Madison Square Garden last night.
Almost from the beginning Of time,
dogs have been biting men, to the
Accompaniment Of three agate lines
on an inside page Almost as long
as memory runnetll not to the con-
trary, Harry Greb has been beating
opponents and the lethargy has
been Erightful.
But there must be an end to
everything, and last night Harry
Greb finished second to Tiger
Flowers. the colored gentleman from
Atlanta, and while he was about It,
he made the job thorough one.
The decision carried with 1t the
worlds middleweight title.
Some OF the merry villagers
seemed to think Greb was short
changed but that idea was all 90
the falsettO. Flowers got the de-
cisfOm and he earned Il. He
fought q courageous, II not D
sensational fight and OutscOred
Greb in the majority Of ex-
changes.
1t was more of an opera bouffe
than a fight, with ciowning and
rough stuff at a premium. Nothing
was barred except hitting with flat
irons. Greb was the worst offender
and also the worst fighter. He
couldn't lick the flap OF an envelope
last night.
When a champion loses. 1t il GUS
tomary to explain the phenomenon
with a glib statement to the general
effect that he has seen better days,
It went in this case, anyhow.
Greb was dead on his feet to
start the fight, coming out for the
first round like man who has
just been courteously tapped behind
the ear with an anvil. Flowers
simply murdered him without a
comeback and, If the colored man
had had a real punch, we would
have been treated to the spectacle
Of q famous champion being knock
ed out in the first round.
Hardened ringsiders stared In
amazement as Greb with not even
a suggestion of his speed and fight
ing spirit took a terrible shellacing
through the first three roundA.
Flowers couldn't miss with his left.
Starting with the fourth 1t seemed
that Greb had fought himself out
Of whatever was the matter with
him and he carried what fighting
A. VHyitkN a..
thing of his old spirit. He took
the fourth, sixth, seventh and
eighth rounds clearly enough but
somehow the thing lacked convic-
ton. He couldn't muster any part
Of his old dash.
7 Flowers. meantime, had carried
the fifth and ninth and never wa9
Tar behind the pace at any time.
Greb came back to take the tenth
and eleventh rounds but this was
his last gesture.
Weary almost beyond endurance
Greb was buffeted all over the
ring through the last three rounds
and barely lasted to the wire uEl.
der his own power.
This was not due to the punching
ne look. InSre. WASN'T uOZSH
good punches landed throughout the
Is rounds and Greb merely took his
share of them. This fight was lost
outside the ring.
Greb's performance was either
that OF passe veteran or a good
fighter gone wrong. He seemed to
be in excellent condition at the
weighing in ceremonies in the aft
ernoon. They almost drained the
Allegheny river In trying to make
a fast -stepping fighter out Of him
the same night. The answer? It's
above and beyond me.
There was no killing" made on
the decision. Odds as great as 5
to / were offered at the Garden be-
fore the fight and the writer knows
of only one taker.
1t is with no wish TO take any
thing away from Flowers that the
writer declares that he didn't beat
the real Greb. AS a matter Of fact,
don't know that = makes much
difference. There seems to be-
plenty of credit involved I'm the
lifting of the middleweight 1itle for
the first time by a negro. and one,
at that, with only one eye.