The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-04-03
/ Ar Bah
GIVEN No
CHANCE
BY Gene Tunney


MIAMI, April 3.Not lone
ago in New York, a party Of
newspapermen had corrallec
Sam Langford, once known al
the inconquerable 8 Boston TAI
Baby. !"
The boys had all taken an
interest IN him because of q
recent benefit held for the
once brilliant figure in old.
time boxing who had never
quite gone over the top.
But, deprived OF his sight as he
hi, he il still an impressive man
His seif-assurance in handling his
body even in his affliction, is superb
Fans OF two decades ago assure me
that Sam could have been in the
list of heavyweight champions q
the world had it not been for Ger
tain circumstances which prevented
hts being matched In those days
with other contenders. As it is, he
remains the greatest near-champion
of all times.
Heart, courage and everything
were Sans. He won easily and
lost gracefully as, for example.
lin the time when he left 500. 600
III charge Of 3 representative
while he toured South America.
When be returned, representa-
tive. wife and cash had vanished.
Sam il stlll philOsOpl about Il.
..If we give another benefit for
Sam, said one of the newspaper
boys, .'he1l starve to death.
SAM, said one of the boys. I
hear you were in Mexico once. just
what did you do there?
Mister, he replied. Il went
down there to fight the Mexican
champion heavyweight boxer Of
that country"
who was 1t. asked the reporter.
whose recollection Of Mexican rec
ords was not so good
Oh. he replied. that there was
q man named TuIlio. Vullio, Bullio
&C something like that.
How did you spell it," persisted
SANS questioner, foolishly enough.
spell It? spell It? say.
mister: / never bothered about
speIlin' their names. All
know II that they wasn't any
more Mexican champion when
/ left" said Sam with kindly
smile.
Did you ever get shot at the
title?s Sam was next asked.
did and didn't" he replied.
81 know couldn't lose to anybody
boxing then. I could have won
against anybody but somehow or
other they wouldn't match me with
the best OF them. Every morning
used to read certain paper. and
there would be q story. about boy
who was always called the coming
heavyweight champion OF the world.
No reason. 1t was just this sport
ing writer's idea, and he rubbed it
III right constantly. He was just
amin at me, figured, and tried
every way / knew to get a match
with his favorite.
Sure enough / finally did. Most
OF the heavies didn't care to try
me out, but this sporting writer
made out this man was so great
that he had to accept my challenge.
We went on, and down at the
ringside, I saw that sporting writer
sitting there with his little tick
tack typewriter pounding away fliri-.
ously, probably still telling what a.
great man his heavyweight was.
Well, in the third round. when
had studied that gentleman some,
II works him around the ring, to
just the right point and clips him
on the chin and I knocks him right
through the ropes into the lap of
that sporting writer and on top Of
his little tick-tack typewriter. There
was considerable confusion. My OPP
ponent laid there among all the up
set chairs. Then leaned over the
ropes.
Mister So and So I said to
that sporting writer who had been
telling the world how good the
other fellow was, Mister So and
So, says. He looked up. kind Of
blurred and removes this gentle
mans foot from his face. Mist r
So ana So I says again, there's
your champion. Take him home. =
Copyright 1929