Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-13
CLEVELAND BAKER BOY PROVES
GREAT HURDLEFOR BOSTON
SAILOR TO SUCCESSFULLY LEAP

cular damage, Sharkey as matter
Of fact, was up and fighting back with
one Of his few aggressive spurts, win
ming the round as he poked and cuff
ed Johnny around the ring.
| Sharkey was much the better boxer
/ of the two. In the few rounds he won,
notably the tenth, eleventh and
| twelfth, he had RislSo missing wildly.
Johnny had to grin foolishly himself
as he lunged and swung, only to miss
his target by sometimes as much as a
foot. But the big sailor seldom sus-
tanned his efforts. His legs acted as If
they had lead in them He moved
slowly in any direction he pursued and
it was chiefly backward.
Sharkey had his big moments in the
fourth and fifteenth rounds
In both of these he doubled Johnny
up with smashing rights, landing just
under the heart, and shook the baker
body with sharp wallops to the head.
Durability, however is one Of Johnny's
chief assets. The bounding one shook
off Sharkey'S punches like duck sheds
water and plunged back in.
Risko was always bucking Sharkey,
ripping and tearing with both fists. He
was frequently as wild and as awk-
ward as Texas steer, but, on the
other hand, he also located his target
frequently. Johnny'S sweeping left
was his big weapon. He either missed
with it by foot or connected with
force enough to jar the jar the sailor
t ohis toes.
Sharkey, it seemed, might have TAX
en- the count in the second and eighth
rounds but for the fact that he was
back up against the ropes when he
absorbed some of Risko's stiffest left
hooks. Johnny caught Jack flush on
the whiskerS in the second round twice.
The sailor had dizzy look, but enough
generalship left to block, roll and box
his way out of danger. Again in the
eighth Sharkey's eyes had a tenpor-
arily CLASSY look as he took a smash
ing left to the head. 1t was near the
end of the round and Johnny threw
caution and his left to the winds All
of Risko's 1882 pounds were behind
that lunge, but it swept harmlessly
over Sharkey's head and the bell
averted further possibility of damage.
Sharkey, who had seldom been a
favorite with the crowds, was the tar
get of repeated booing as he persisted
in holding or at times when he missed
as awkwardly as Risko. Johnny, how
ever, took his portion of the jeers in
the sixth round when he ripped his
glove back hand across Sharkey'S face
after opening a cut over the sailors
right eye.
This was Sharkey's second fight
since he was knocked out last July by
Jack Dempsey and it was even more
disappointing than his recent draw
draw with Tom Heeney The body
punching administered to the sailor by
Dempsey evidently has left more than
a fleeting impression, for Sharkey, with
a panied look on his face backed off
tonight whenever Risko directed his
attack to the mid-section. Jack show
ed little disposition to take it" at any
time and not much more inclination
to "give it,"
Sharkey was a big favorite, consid-
cred a to shot a few days ago, but
the odds narrowed sharply at the
ringSide.
The outcome of the bout leaves Risko
and Tom Heeney, conqueror OF Jack
Delaney last week, as the survivors OF
tn semi finals of the widely bally-
hooed but equally disappointing heavy
weight elimination tournament.
Despite Risko's decisive victory there
was little enthusiasm among the ring
side experts over his prospects as a
contender for Gene Tunney's crown.
Grimly intent on his business, a
different looking fighter from the man
who logged against Tom Heeney,
Sharkey tore from his corner to nail
Risko with a right to the body. Johnny
got mad and buried his left hook deep
in Sharkey's ribs. Sharkey bent
double grunted and took two smash
ing left hooks on the chin as ne
Strengthened up. Again Risko drum
med heavy left hook to the pit of
the Boston gob's body. Jack came IN
close, both hands to Riskos head and
dropped his right to his Waistline.
Risko, thoroughly aroused, was smash |
ing heartily about the body at the bell. |
Round One
Round Two
Risko was taking a lesson from
Heeney's book forcing the fighting ana
clubbing steadily to Sharkey's body
Johnny nearly cropped SnarKSy Will
left hook to the chin that sounded
all over the house. Two more lefts to-
the body and another short right toi
the chin hurt Sharkey badly. He fell
into a clinch, clinging tightly as he
tried to shake the cobwebs from his
brain. Risko played his left carefully
to the body as Sharkey danced away.
Sharkey was wild with left but
dubbed two massive rights under
Riskos heart just before the bell. The
punches sent Johnny to his corner
looking bit panied.
Round Three
Risko met Sharkey's plunging attack
with left slug into the ribs. Jack
bounced UP and down, stabbing with
his left and ripping short right to
the heart as Risko piled all over him,