The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-04-27
TOO CLOSE
FORANY To
SHINE
BY Gene Tunney
heavyweight Champion

NEW YORK, April 1.-
During the recent long-drawr
out attempts to select a logica.
challenger for the heavyweight
boxing title, it has become ap.
parent to me. that there is 9
general tendency on the part
of the public to underrate
boxers.
This fact probably accounts fol
the alarm that boxing fans seem
to feel that there can be no de
cisive heavyweight battles In the
near future Personally think
that all of the contenders are not
being given full credit for the
ability they have.
There Is a well known saying
that with so many taller trees
about 1t. It is hard to realize the
altitude OF one which towers only
mind that well applies to the recent
matches in which Heeney, Risko,
Eharkey, Delaney and the others
have engaged.
Instead of being criticized
severely for not winning their
matches more decisfvely, 1t
looks to me as though all Of
them were so evenly matched
that anything more than
shade Of difference was impOs-
sible to determine.
II one goes back through the list
OF fights on the official records,
bouts ending In knockouts were
usually those which were injudici-
ously made in the first place. The
public may like to see q Knockout
better than a decision bout. but
I still think that the spirit of fair
play Is greater than the desire to
see one contestant, In inferior con.
ditfon or at q great disadvantage,
hammered into insensibiIity. Barr.
ing accidents. two well-matched
boxers OF anywhere near equal
strength and skill are not likely to
register Knockout. They are al
most sure to go the limit Of the
way and IL gate receipts are any
criterion, boxing is what the fans
pay to see.
Yet, in the midst of all the recent
matches. notice that no matter
how surprising the performances
OF the non-favorite, he is never
given credit for his ability. In.
stead the favorite is criticized for
not having succeeded in knocking
him out.
For example when sharkey met
Risko, recently the odds were
heavily against the Clevelander but
even his severest critics admitted
that he surprised with his clean
cut victory. But there was far
more abuse IeveIed at Sharkey than
there was q praise for Risko.
It was certainly proven that
so far as the skill of the two
men went and their ability to
use that skill. they were pretty
evenly matched.
Likewise, some time before,
Jimmy McLarnin came from the
West to New York to meet Sid
ferris. Beyond the question Of q
doubt McLarnin was moderated by
the average fan and the supposed
experts. McLarnin's brilliant record
on the coast apparently counted for
nothing and nobody took into con-
sfderation the fact that Terris was
due to arrive at a point Of letting
down because Of his long and
arduous career. McLarnin'S quick
knockout. while unquestionably due
to brilliant boxing ability, might
never have occurred with ferris In
The bout probably would have
zone to the end and a decision
would have been rendered to the
best boxer, The winner would have
been a less spectacular figure, but
he would have none the less been
the better man without question,
Fans who have turned cold toward
Delaney after his meeting with Tom
Heeney and turned against Pauline
Uzcudun because he failed to knock
out Godfrey still continue to give
them an inferior rating despite the
fact that both of them registered
sensational knockouts in bouts at
New Yorw clubs against worthy op-
ponents.
In these bouts, again, the
ImOckOuts were the result Of
mismatching and 1 would judge
that both the men showed more q
clean, hard fighting in their
matches that went to the limit
without knOckOuts.
I have always favored bouts of a
length consistent with the class and
condition of the boxers engaged and
not a fixed route of say fifteen
or twenty rounds. Two men in fit
condition to battle for a title no
matter what class, should be in
shape to go fifteen or twenty
rounds just as easily as ten, but it
ought not to be difficult.
Perhaps the whole attitude of the
fans toward the contenders is due
to the rapid way in which they
came up during the past year and
the comparatively few opportunities
the boxing public has had for
getting acquainted with their per-
formances under all conditions. It
would seem to me that II they in
sisted upon a busy summer of box.
ing some of them, at least, might
well lay claim to genuine favorites
among boxing fans, who are just
as quick to bestow their favor as
their disapprovaf upon a boxer.
copyright. 1928. by King Features