The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-09
RING FAT BOY
OLD TYPE OF
SLAM-BANGER
Gene Tunney Was Surprised
Back in 1925 When Baker
Boy Went Limit
DUNN DEVELOPED RISkO
Got Any MOre?' Asks ROtund
Mauler Of Manager After
Every Scrap
BY ALAN i. COULD

(AssOciated Press Sports EditOr)
New York, March 9.--R-Thc
tougher and more often they come,
the better Johnny Risko likes it.
That's why the former Cleveland
baker boy. now the rough and tum-
bic man Of the heavyweight brigade,
isn't worried much abSut his To-
round tussle with Jack Sharkcy at
Madison Square Garden next. Mon
day night.
"All l hope is he comes in and
fights" says Johnny. "Takc u
sock and give two. That's my
game. l like to fight"
Sharkcy may not choose to meet
Risko at the latter's own game,
however. The Boston star has
fought Johnny before and, like all
the other top-notchcrs who have
battled him, Sharkey probably has
a healty respect for Risko's left
hooks and swings.
Johnny is always swinging. He
may miss more times than not but
the one that connects is likely to
leave a Earring impression. There
is nothing gentle about Riskos
methods. The baker boy is "cluh
fighter" a throw-back to the old
slam-bang days Of the ring wher
the crowds came out chiefly in the
hope that the boys would punch
each other goofy.
Fights En- All But Dempsey
Johnny has fought all Of the lead
hno tr ~ t1A
years except Jack Dempsey. 1t i:
one Of Johnny's few regrets thai
he has never had chance to battle
the Manassa Mauler.
Dempsey is my style Of fighter,
says Johnny. HE likes to punch
and so do /"
From man who has otherwis,
fought them all-Tunney, Heeney
Delaney, Sharkey, Pauline, Strib
ling, Berlenbach and Maloney-i
would seem a fairly good compari
son if the heavyweight talent coult
be obtained. The question draws !;
short but pointed answer from tn,
bounding one:
"Tunney hits oftener."
He retains the distinct impression
that nearly three !. years ago tn,
present heavyweight champion O
the world tossed enough leather a
him to make the then inexperienced
baker boy dizzy.
Gave Risko q Reputation
Nevertheless it was this figh
that established Risko's reputation
1t occurred in Cleveland in 1925
little more than a year after John
ny turned professional and less thar
a year before Gentleman Gene tool
the heavyweight title from Jacl
Dempsey. There has always beer
some dispute about it and some
claims have persisted, despite de
NAL, that Risko had Tunney down
Here's the version of Danny Dunn
Johnny's manager:
ut was a tough fight, 10
tougher than Tunney expected. Gem
was picked to win by a knockou
but he found Risko could TAX
everything he had and still keel
coming in. In one round john.
caught Tunney off balance u
against the ropes and Jared hin
but there was no knockdown. TIL
fight went the limit but TUNE.
won by good margin on points. II
was too smart and fast for Johnny
that was all"
80 kn0ck0uts in 50 Fights
Risko was out of a job, knockin;
around with the amateur fighters
when Dunn took hold of him abou
five years ago.
I HE was the roundest, fattcs
heavyweight I ever saw" Dunn re
calls. II didn't want to bother witt
him but one Of my boys kept insist
ing / give him a chance. He quick
" showed he could hit and take it.
II kept him with the amateurs 70
about a year, during which h
scored 80 knockouts in So fights
He though nothing of knocking on
two or three in one evening. Il
would sit around, waiting for me /
dig up some one to box him. Go
any more?' he would say after eacl
bout. He would go home when tn
talent was exhausted.
HE hasn't changed much since
| IL / told him he was to fight Dcnlp
sey next week and Tunney tn
week after that he might blink ;
little but I doubt if he would cvel