The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-03-23
GENE Tells
Of AIR
FANS
BY Gene Tunney
wnrIdA HeaxyNeIrht Champion

MlANu1, MdICu A O-AA
time to time the motion pic
ture newsreels show views OF
fair boxers at some of the
smartest women's colleges IN
America going through brisk
bouts in their gymnasiums and
4 must say that their boxing
style ranks well with some OF
the matches one sees from time
to time III the lesser clubs fer
young men.
The work appears to be light and
it cannot help being of great bene-
fit to the girls, but do not look
for actual boxing to become as
great q part OF physical training In
girls schools as among those for
men.
Bnk there is one thing about
women and boxing that can be said
with all sincerity They are becom-
ing as great boxing fans as men.
At every big fight the proportion OF
women SPECTATORS becomes greater
and what lis more, they know the
tine points Of the game as well az
the bowling fans in the adjoining
seats. The class of women laIls,
too. is getting higher and higher.
Some Of the leaders of society have
taken up following boxing IN all
seriousness and the display Of
gowns and jewels at q big bout
now rivals the opera or the morse
show in brilliance.
THE interest Of women is re-
fleeted IN the esfanH mail that
comes Is every boxer. But few
81 them any more guSh over
boxing being "iust the grandest
SPORT They ask sensible ques.
fiOns and make intelligent conn
nlents.
In the inevitable controversies
thai follow important encounters, 4
have noticed that the discussions IN
the sporting columns OF all Lns pAs
papers contained numerous en-
fhusiasfic letters from women rans
and / was pleased to see 10 mos1
cases that the women writers Were
el1linentIy fair in their comments on
the manner In which had CON
Quoted my campaigns. AZ any raIe
the letters were all SURPRISINGLY &C
eIrate in sizing UP close points. !r
ie cratifying to see that Women's
sense Of fair play often results IN
watching both coInbatants, whereas
men are more likely to have taeir
minds made I'D about their tavorite
and look for things which 1ustl1y
s11as,- Or1inions
But when I say that boxing VIII
never become more than light e1-
excise for women have to chuckle
over attempts in the past to make
the far sex public performers IN
the ring.
For example, one Of the veteran
Rrifish-Anerican followers Of the
game. Of whom there are great
many in the United States, never
tires OF telling at boxing gatherings
Be the big match between TWO
women in Newgate Market, Eng
land. away back in 1922 when bare
fist boxing was used principally
arTf Hannah Hayfield, the chal-
lenved. The challenger inserted a
notice in the press demanding that
her opponent meet her for a purse
81 three guineas. each woman to
hold a half-crown in each hand
during the fight.
If was proposed that the first
one 70 dfOn q coin should for
felt the match. After. q lengthy
argument I'm print, the match
was held and the historic battle
came off to the great delight OF
the audience, but with small
credit to the boxing game, even
IN those rude days.
Professional boxing among girls
IN Germany provided an even moro
Iudicrous spectacle for the public
All through 1922 and 1928. One Of
the many night clubs which flour
ished in those days devised the
idea when boxing was first taken
M as a sport in that country
after the armistice.
Perhaps two dozen husky young
ladies of various weights were put
into training and, when business
Ianguished at the club in the early
morning hours, ring was put up
and the girls began putting on ex-
Inhibition bouts. Money was showered
~ the ring and enthusiasm rose to
such q pitch that business at the
club picked up tremendously.
About that time the flood OF
American tourists came along and
the club began doing business or
which it never dreamed. Side bets
and prizes became more and more
generous and night after night the
girls miIled away until there was
a crop Of cauliflower ears and
broken noses among the fair ones
that would have done credit to any
crowd of third.raters.
At the height of the fad, Jack
Dempsey made a visit to Berlin
and when some of the foreign
snorrespOndents Of the American
newspapers took him to see the
add spectacle, enthusiasm grew
greater than ever.
The girls begged Jack to show
+henn some real American blows and
even became fired with ambition to
A. some real fighting. They were
- longer satisfied with exhibition
botts OF three, four and six rounds.
The obliging management, seeing
.or,a real money in sight finally
erranged a cham Dionship bout to
Fsnish between Hansa Gratwitz who
,saa billed as the "Koenigsburg
Terror, and Yanka Kaminsl<i, the
ssTsecho- Slovakian Schlagerin." Both
..,are uerfect thirty-sixes, which was
g,,o,It all to be said for their weight
biasa Each was said to have
s,r,dee against the other because
e rarfain social MISUNDERSTANDING.
1copyright 1928, King Features
syndicate. Incl