New Britain herald., 1926-04-27
(BG JOE W1LL1AMS)

Cleveland, April 27.--A man who is fearless and rcvols in tho drama of battle is always dangerous.
 Such a man is John Rock, Fin Rsko the young Ohio heavyweight, who held his own with Gene Tun- ncy and Jack Delaney and knocked Paul Bcrlcnbach down and almost out.
 These exploits, coming in quick succession, have advanced him from the janit or's quarters in the heavy weight division 10 the presidents $ suite.
 Risko, an Aust rian, is a curious combination of stolidty and impetu- osity, Outside the ring he is phlog- matic and unima ginaivr. He re- minds you of the Al palzcra, Bull Youngs and Jim Flynns of the old white hope days. But in the ring he is all fight, and action and fury. possessing in q crud" way many of the qualities of Dempsey and Walker.
 Risko is a product of the amateur rings of this city, His start as q nst-throWor dates back to an after noon four years ago when he cleaned out tough pool room on the west side.
 kayocd Pair
 Risko, q mere youth, was sitting in chair watching the progress of a game of French pool. A couple of strong-arm gents elboWcd him, Words followed. Then fists. Sock Sock Two knockout wins for the Austrian, who was then baker boy enjoying an afternoon off.
 Danny Dunn, New York bantam weight of the George nXon-Tcrry McGovcrn period. learned of the episode, took Risko into his gym nasium. entered him in the amateur tournaments, and eventually pilotcd him to the state championship. In due lime they turned to the pro- tessional game.
 RiSko's first big shot was against Tunncy. Fresh from lln0ckouts over Carpenter, Gibbons and Mad den, the cN-marinc was an odds-o on fGyorte 10 win by a knockout. Not only was Risko there at the finish but bo gave Tunncy the hardest fight he ever had.
 Next came Delaney. Il so hap pencd Delaney had scheduled a fight at Canton. O., not far from Cleveland, two weeks ahead of hr engagement in New York with Risko. Dunn wanted Risko to gc down and look ut Delaney and lrnrr something of his sNlc. Ii took considerable persuasion to get hin to go,
 "Wrn. what do you think ot him?" asked Dunn the next day.
 Best Against Snggcr
 Hes all right" answered Riskl monosyllahicany.
 "Do you think you can talk, him."
 "Maybc."
 "Dil you lcarn anything ahou that right hand knockout of him "' ! Risko's answer fo this waS paralyzcr. T didn't look at il, he said.
 ! The day Of the fight with Eor }cnbach Dunn wanted Kisko to x, 10 bed after he had weighed in. "Why should l go to hrd?" h dcmanlc1.
 Dunn told him the sIccp woul, rest his nerves and do him good.
 "Phoocy." exploded Eisko. " slept last night" Whrr' upon h gathered his sparring partners an rubbcrs around him and started pinochlc game. The game didn' end until % minutes before tim l for him to appear in the ring C Madison Square Garden against in hardest punchcr and the most wide | y advertised fighter he had eve ] faced.
 Rsko is a slashing. traring-i i type of fighter. Against a boxer h does not show at hls best; against sluggcr like Bcrlcnbach he looks tn pattern of great fighter.
 He sheds punches with astonish ing unconccrn and indifference Nobody has had him down for a extended count. He is always irving something himself I'd sa his best punch is a left hand whic lie hooks to inc body and to th bead, Hc has a shift, too. that i effective when il works. a shift Ina Dunn learned from Tommy Ryan Inc old middlcwcight champion. has won quite a lew fights for him